The first time I’d ever seen or even heard of The Bright Light Social Hour was when the Austin band headlined Norman Music Festival in 2014. When the announcement was made, I remember my idiot 22-year-old self groaning and thinking, “Who the hell is this band anyway? Blah.”
I deserved a slap in the face then, and I could probably use one now too, just for good measure. But, of course, when the boys of TBLSH took the stage, I fell in love immediately with their long brown hair, drippy vibe, and ability to handle a guitar like another appendage. Like long-lost relatives of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, they completely entranced the crowd with their riffs, solos, and beats, leaving the blessed listeners in a reverie of practically spiritual proportions.
Fast-forward to last Friday night, when they were slated to storm the ACM@UCO Performance Lab stage following kickass Oklahomie opener The Wurly Birds. Tickets in hand, a couple of Sazeracs in my system, and a few friends in tow, I entered the black box of the Performance Lab to find it completely vacant save for a few lazy stragglers camped out along the wall. “Both of these bands are amazing,” I reassured my crew, planting myself at the front of the stage in anticipation of the immense crowd that was sure to descend momentarily.
But, in a sheer what-is-wrong-with-the-world moment, said crowd never came. On the one hand, I’m ashamed to say that two flawless bands (one of which has opened for Aerosmith, for God’s sake) played to an embarrassingly empty room of about 30 or 40 people, but on the other hand, I was able to sit on the stage mere inches from multi-instrumentalist Edward Brailif’s feet for the entire night, so I certainly can’t count it as a total loss.
OKC natives The Wurly Birds warmed up the crowd with fan favorites like “The Smokers” and “Take It Back,” with lead singer Taylor Johnson kicking it in a ’70s-esque patterned shirt and keyboardist Pilar Pueyo rocking a pink sequined minidress. Who cares if they weren’t the main act? They put on a damn good show that was easily worthy of an entire set. They even stuck around afterward to chat with fans and sign albums, fading into the background whenever The Bright Light Social Hour took the stage.
And man, take the stage they did. From the second TBLSH emerged until the moment they exited, the audience was enthralled, the band, music, and crowd melting into a solid, swirling, dancing mass. At first, everyone kept a respectable distance from the stage, but upon singer/bassist Jack O’Brien’s urging, we all snaked forward and got all up in each other’s grills (no one more so than the mustachioed idiot to my immediate left).
Playing a pretty even mix of favorites off their self-titled debut LP and new tracks from 2015’s Space Is Still the Place, the band really pulled in the room with the dreamy “Sweet Madelene” and the super catchy “Back and Forth.” Their latest single, “Infinite Cities,” was another major crowd-pleaser that had a couple people bowing forward (our mustachioed friend makes another appearance) in Wayne’s World “we’re not worthy” awe.
But for me, the main attraction (and the song I was waiting for all night) was “Detroit,” a five-minute track that won Song of the Year at the SXSW 2011 Austin Music Awards. Featuring a waltzlike rhythm interspersed with heavy guitar solos and driving keys, “Detroit” is simple in its lyrics yet powerful in its delivery. Singer-guitarist Curtis Roush and O’Brien belted “I need your love” at the top of their lungs, leaving the room dripping in a bluesy, I’m-desperate-for-you-baby vibe. After the last commanding chord reverberated, it was like, seriously, where do you go from here?
Enter in O’Brien going off on a “hey, man, we’re all part of this incredible moment in time that will never occur again” tangent. The crowd ate it up, gushing when he expressed his love and admiration for Oklahoma City, describing it as one of the band’s favorite places to play. After killing a couple more tracks and ending with the epic “Garden of the Gods,” The Bright Light Social Hour drifted off into the psychedelic haze of cool through which they first materialized.
So, if you were remiss in attending a concert that easily makes my top 10 list, maybe plan a road trip for July 6 to CrossroadsKC in Kansas City or July 16 to the Flying Saucer in Fort Worth. You’ll certainly be better for it.
