BY JESS BECK | Go Venue Magazine
It was a great night for a show. The last time Badflower rolled through the Bourbon, 60 people came to see them play their hearts out on the smaller stage in the front of the venue. This time, on October 5, 2019, they were well received by over 700 screaming fans on their “Ok, I’m Sick” tour, featuring incredible tunes from their new album by the same title.
Hosted by local radio station 104.1 The Blaze, you knew that it would be a head banger through and through. The Blaze doesn’t know how to do it any differently. If you’re in Lincoln, NE and there’s a rock beat to it, you can find it there. Sparky was present to thank the fans for coming out between sets and to get the crowd excited for the remainder of the evening in a way that only he can.
Throughout the night, the audience was bedazzled by the incredible light show that was staged, one of the more impressive I’ve seen from the Bourbon, even if it did make things a little more difficult to photograph. The Blaze did a great job hosting this event, and it’s no wonder why rock band after rock band comes to them when they play in Nebraska – they know how to draw the crowd and they know how to keep the party going with either Sparky or The Animal (or both!) present.
Starting out the evening was a band hailing from Los Angeles through Boston, MA called Dead Poet Society. If I can be honest, they were a lot better than I had anticipated. They had a real “White Stripes” vibe, which really worked with the crowd as people began to filter in more. Vocalist Jack Underkofler expressively commanded the stage when he wasn’t using the microphone, and the other members danced in tune. Their name was backlit on the giant illuminated keyboard, and gave it a very electric feel, even during some of their slower tracks.
Next up was a high energy band from Los Angeles called Weathers. I’m not exactly sure where the name came from, but perhaps it stems from vocalist Cameron Boyer moving around like a hurricane on stage. Make no jokes about it, that kid can fucking MOVE. Speaking with bassist Brennen Bates (who, by the way, is a super awesome dude) backstage before the show, he warned me that you never know what you’re going to get when he takes the stage, and the audience was not disappointed. Boyer moved like Michael Jackson and belted out tracks like Foster The People. It was absolutely sensational. Playing their hit tracks such as “Happy Pills” and “Lonely Vampire,” amped up the crowd, and it turned out to be one of the best direct support acts I’ve seen all year.
Badflower took the stage next, and the entire venue erupted with thunderous applause. They opened with “Wide Eyes,” off of their latest album release, a track that begins slow and almost underrated, but picks up during the chorus. They continued through tracks “Ana,” “Soap,” “White Noise.” But after playing their hit single “Ghost,” vocalist Josh Katz took a moment to thank the audience for coming out, even if they related to what was in that song, and crowds of people weren’t really their thing, he wanted you to make sure that YOU knew that he appreciated it. “I’m gonna make myself cry on stage,” he said in a genuinely passionate thank you to the fans who came out to see them. They rounded out the evening with “Promise Me,” a track dedicated to staying young, to blissful moments, and the rich truth that if two people find each other, regardless of the circumstances, they can change their destiny in unison.
And then die together.
Truthfully, it was the perfect song to end a concert with, stirring the emotions of the crowd who also didn’t want to face the truth that the night would also grow old and die. But for everyone who was there, this was one hell of a production, and while the night might be dead, the memories I’m sure will continue to stay vibrant well into the future.
Badflower
Weathers
Dead Poet Society
All images © Jess Beck
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