By Matt Burmeister, news correspondent
Although it was a Monday night, it felt like a weekend in Boston’s House of Blues at the sold-out show headlined by Icelandic group Kaleo. For about two and a half hours, fans enjoyed a variety of folk, pop, rock and blues from emerging artists Wilder, an energetic ZZ Ward and a powerful performance by the headliners, Kaleo.
The venue was packed, and the crowd consisted of people of all ages. Opening act Wilder played three songs to enthusiastic, albeit relaxed, applause from the still-settling audience.
The group of four former Belmont University students seemed comfortable on the big stage, with vocalist Charlie Greene belting out soaring melodies in a strong, distinctively rugged voice. All four members left their instruments to gather around the mic and sing a capella for the culmination of their second song, “The Fire/Hope.”
They closed with their debut single, “Same Way,” which is currently the only song they have released. Their thunderous outro was met with emphatic praise, despite the audience’s unfamiliarity with the Nashville-based band.
However, it was not until pop artist ZZ Ward took the stage that the audience found their excitement uncontainable. Her march onto the stage was greeted with vehement applause, and she launched immediately into the bass-drum driven “Ghost,” which prompted the audience to dance and clap along.
Many members of the audience knew the lyrics and sang along with Ward’s fierce and soulful vocals. The majority of her songs featured powerful electric guitar and drums, supplementing her mixture of blues, rock ‘n’ roll and pop. The notable exception to this was in the more subdued song, “Charlie Ain’t Home,” which showcased Ward’s expressive vocals over an acoustic guitar. She claimed her inspiration for the song came from one of her greatest influences, Etta James, and explained how the lyrics respond to a song written decades ago by the legendary singer.
Ward radiated energy and danced around the stage in her cowboy hat and high heels, occasionally pulling out her harmonica to the raucous cheering of the audience. There was never a dull moment in her 40-minute set, and she left to a resounding ovation from the crowd.
After a 20-minute intermission, capped with Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight” over the loudspeaker, Kaleo took the stage, to what was perhaps the night’s most sensational applause thus far. The Icelandic group, now based out of Austin, Texas, went right into action and began with a forceful rendition of “Broken Bones.”
Frontman Jökull Júlíusson (or, as he is more commonly known, JJ), began the following song with a haunting whistle, the trademark feature of “I Can’t Go On Without You.” Later, Júlíusson removed his jacket to reveal a Red Sox jersey, and led the audience in a delicate performance of “All the Pretty Girls,” featuring his smooth falsetto.
As the band transitioned into more heavy rock songs, Júlíusson continued to explore his higher vocal range, screaming notes reminiscent to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith or Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Although he encouraged the crowd to sing along, he didn’t display the energy or excitement that Ward did. He chose to let his band’s music speak for itself, and this seemed to be fine with the audience.
“Hot Blood” featured an extended harmonica solo by Berklee College of Music’s own Thorleif Davidsson, while in the following number, bassist Daníel Kristjánsson pumped up the crowd by jumping excitedly around the stage.
The audience stood mesmerized by the group as they performed “Vor í Vaglaskógi,” the only piece of their set performed in their native Icelandic tongue. Many thought the concert had drawn to a close when Kaleo finished their most popular track, “Way Down We Go,” however, the massive surge of praise from the audience prompted the band back on stage for an encore song, “Rock ‘n’ Roller.”
Excitement lingered in the air long after the last note finished ringing, as did the impact of Jökull Júlíusson’s words: “It doesn’t feel like a Monday night.”
Photos by Lauren Scornavacca
