by MJ Peters
Tuesday night, Icelandic blues rock band KALEO took the stage at Roadrunner in Boston as part of their Way Down We Go Tour. The tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of their debut album, A/B. A/B features their hit song “Way Down We Go”, which is certified double platinum in the United States and “No Good” which earned the band a Grammy award nomination in 2017. Lead singer & rhythm guitarist JJ Julius has described KALEO’s sound as taking inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. Personally speaking, they’ve been a long-time favorite band of mine. Carlos Santana inspired me to pick up a guitar as a child, but KALEO inspired me to keep playing into adulthood. Their riffs are simply addicting,
The night began with the opener, Darren Kiely, a singer-songwriter hailing from Co.Cork, Ireland. Kiely brings a folk-infused pop sound that immediately reminded me of artists like Dermot Kennedy and Marcus Mumford. On stage, he performed beautifully while engaging with the audience and warming them up for KALEO. While in the audience, I found myself overhearing the fans around me, who had come for KALEO, be left in awe by Kiely’s powerful voice and incredible lyrics. I’m truly looking forward to watching him grow throughout his career and would not be surprised to see him come back to Boston, headlining Roadrunner on his own.
KALEO kicked off their set with “Still No Good” (a recent remake of the 2017 hit), “Bloodline,” and “Break My Baby”. The songs acted as perfect introductions to the concert, with strong blues rock riffs that immediately engaged the audience. The band had a relatively simple stage setup: the classic Kaleo logo donned the piano while scenes of Iceland and other graphics were shown behind frontman JJ Julius. I found this perfect for the band, as JJ’s voice and guitar playing were all that was needed to captivate the audience. Julius’ voice has impressed me since the day I first heard the band, but hearing it live is an entirely different experience. I’ve yet to hear an artist whose voice sounds so identical to the studio versions. It was clear that he is an artist who truly hones his craft and cares for his voice throughout his career.
The only thing about the performance that left me feeling unsure was the lack of engagement from KALEO and the crowd. Aside from an instrumental solo or two, there were very few times when it felt like JJ was engaging with the crowd. However, I was also thrown off by the lack of engagement by the crowd. At one point, I turned to a concertgoer next to me, who had been to a few KALEO shows, and mentioned how I was surprised the crowd wasn’t getting into the songs more. She had mentioned that she was surprised at her first KALEO show too, but that it’s just how it’s been at repeated shows. At first I didn’t know how to feel; however, the more I thought about it, the more I understood why. The impression I was left with was that it seemed they played for the love of the music and the songs they were playing. In many ways, it reminded me of previously watching John Mayer perform, an artist who is just enjoying what they’re playing and incredibly passionate about the music. The audience is simply joining in on this experience and watching an artist at work. It is, in fact, this experience, watching somebody do what they love- that is one of the most beautiful things about live music.
KALEO plays their next show tonight in New York City and closes their North American tour out Saturday in Washington, D.C
Visit their website to learn more about the Way Down We Go Tour & follow KALEO on social media!
