The band behind the iconic song "Kilby Girl" is hitting the road for their North American Tour, and MUD was there to see them do what they do best.
The Backseat Lovers made a recent stop in Columbus, Ohio as a part of their ongoing Turning Point Tour, and when I say it was phenomenal, I mean it with my whole heart.
The indie rock band hailing from Utah sold out the Newport Music Hall. Eager college students and other Ohioans waited in line, wrapped around the block in the freezing night temperatures of winter for a chance to experience their magic live.
The guys come out on stage and play the first few notes of their opening song and the crowd loses it; it’s “Kilby Girl,” which currently boasts more than 100 million streams just on Spotify.
It seems as no one in the building can resist screaming the lyrics back to the band, and at moments you lose the sound of the vocals as the overzealous crowd drowns them out. But it is not just the upbeat songs that receive that kind of enthusiastic reaction, even the more low-key songs like “Pool House” have the most rhythmic beats that you cannot help but obnoxiously dance and step on the toes of others in the tightly packed venue.
We are two songs in and the stage lights go down after the astounding performance of “Pictures,” the crowd is going absolutely wild, and lead vocalist Joshua Harmon has the biggest grin plastered across his face. Trading laughs and smiles with fellow bandmates, lead guitarist Jonas Swanson, bass guitarist KJ Ward, and drummer Juice Welch, you can instantly tell that these guys have such a genuine passion for what they do, and they want to be nowhere else but in the middle of the Midwest playing for a bunch of college students. That energy never fades for the rest of the concert, making The Backseat Lovers a show to never forget.
It is no secret that The Backseat Lovers have a natural knack for turning heartbreaking lyrics into the catchiest songs that have you screaming at the top of your lungs with no reprieve.
The band makes you feel the music throughout your entire body: you can feel the beat in your chest and the lyrics run though you as the band pours it all out on stage. Each member has immeasurable talent. If you were to replace any of them, the atmosphere would be worlds away from the magic the Backseat Lovers create on stage together.
The band make you feel as though you are in a dingy basement hearing an undiscovered band play a private show. The ability to create a sense of intimacy in a jam-packed venue is another hallmark of the brilliance The Backseat Lovers have when it comes to performing live. I moved around throughout the show, and I felt like the band was playing just for me when I was a mere few feet from them and when I was in the back corner of the balcony. The Backseat Lovers are so genuinely passionate and it’s this love for their art and sharing it that made their performance truly transportive and magnetic.
The show closes out with an encore performance of “Sinking Ship,” and when I say that their performance will be a memory I hold onto forever, I mean that. There was something in the way the entire venue grew quiet to hear the raspy vocals and subtle instruments the band opens the song with. Growing in volume and energy, the band puts all they have into one last song and you can tell that no matter how tired they are, they would keep playing until the sun rises if they could.
You can purchase tickets for the Backseat Lovers North American Tour here. Don't forget to follow the band on Instagram.