After discussing the show in my interview with him, last Wednesday I went to see Bedouin Soundclash‘s Jay Malinowski (going by Malinowski for his latest album) play at the Moroccan Lounge. What would come was a rare, intimate and interactive show that was a joy to take part in as a long-time fan of the artist.
Opening the show was Elvis Cortez, both a solo artist and better known as the frontman for Left Alone, who I have seen live once before. While I wasn’t familiar with his music, his brand of eloquent folk/punk was very easy on my ears. Switching between songs in English (like openers “Cold December” and “Heart Shaped Eyes”), which showed off natural talent for thoughtful and moving storytelling, and Spanish (“Te Quiero”, “Paloma Sin Nido”) which spoke more to me in melody since I took French in high school. Aside from breaking out a Turnpike Troubadours cover, Cortez mainly played original songs, closing out on one inspired by Pamela Anderson’s The Last Showgirl (which I was apparently the only other person in the audience who had seen it). If you’re a fan of artists like Dave Hause, Brian Fallon or Frank Turner, then Elvis Cortez should be queued up in your playlist.
As Jay came on stage, I noticed that his Bedouin Soundclash bandmates, Eon Sinclair and Tony Rabalao were in the audience to support him. Gotta love that.
Playing solo, Jay donned an acoustic guitar and manned a kick drum as he played “Son of a Gun,” one of the darker songs from his latest album, Under a Landslide of Stars. The crowd’s cheers were so loud it surprised Jay, who joked he wouldn’t have to bring his A+ crowd work that night. He then introduced the next song joking about how they didn’t have the budget to get Aimee Interrupter out to join him for her part on the single “Shipwrecks” (though he acknowledged the joke worked better in other cities when she wasn’t just a 40 minute drive away, but she has a kid at home so no one blames her). Even without Aimee, “Shipwrecks” sounded great, and remains one of my favorite tracks off the album.
The sound was actually perfect the whole evening. From Jay’s voice to the guitar, everything was crystal clear (helped by having a respectful audience who weren’t talking during the songs).
I’ll admit I have not given a good listen to Jay’s 2014 album with the Deadcoast, Martel, so the song he played next from the collection was unfamiliar to me (but no less good). When an audience member shouted out a request for “Life is a Gun” and “Santa Monica,” Jay did something very uncommon in live shows – he actually played the requests. After some joking about how many “Gun” songs he has, and promising to have no more in the future, Jay played that song from his 2011 album Bright Lights & Bruises. Thanking the fan who made the request and brought him a water bottle, Jay then gave some background on the song “Santa Monica.” It was a song he wrote when he was fifteen, and had recorded with Bedouin before later recording it again on his solo album. The background of the track, how he wrote it for his friend Kevin after Kevin’s father had passed away, added a new depth to the song and his performance of it.
Returning to promoting his latest album, Jay explained the influence behind “Die For Love” before playing it. Following this, another audience member requested Jay play his electric guitar. Again, Jay obliged, and asked for song requests. Amazingly, he took mine – the beautiful “We’ve All Got to Be Going Somewhere” from Bright Lights & Bruises. I think this was the first time ever I requested a song at a show and it was actually played!
Following, he played one of my other favorites from the new record, the gorgeous title track (written while in Nebraska on tour with Frank Turner). The track sounded great on electric guitar, and I realized it’s one of the few new songs from this year that I can actually remember the lyrics for (it’s getting harder in my old age haha).
After regaling the crowd with the story of how “Brutal Hearts” become a #1 hit in Romania, Jay played the song, before going into two of the real loves songs on his new album: one for his son (“Deeper Than Blue”) and one for his wife (“Half Moon Bay”). For his “encore,” Jay played another old track I admit I didn’t know, and then ended the evening with “12:59 Lullaby” before saying good night.
While I sadly couldn’t make Bedouin Soundclash‘s show in Anaheim on Friday, I’m sure Jay and the band will be back around soon, and likely with new songs in tow (the band plans on recording a new album this Fall). Until then, make sure you give Under a Landslide of Stars a listen or ten, because it’s one of the best albums out this year.
The Indy Review 