Just obsessing over the St. Louis band with promising prospects...you do not want to miss this group on fire!
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I've been on the search for another band to really hone in that classic blues-rock feel that comes purely from the soul for such a long time. My obsession with Greta Van Fleet had been rewarding in the sense of finding a community that truly has a knack for the tunes created at the time our parents were born in, but equally burdensome in finding other artists that are still alive to fully encompass that feel-good sound that also riles you up. In today's age, you're not coming across a whole lot of artists who are creating for the sake of expression. It's an endless, wishy-washy cycle of people trying to be other people.
Feeding into this pessimistic view, I was hopeless. To my luck, however, fate had other plans. I was scrolling through Instagram during a deep episode of post-concert depression back in September, when I stumbled upon a page with a particular username: @thebandcalledfeel. Maybe the algorithm gods were finally smiling down on me, maybe it was sheer coincidence, but something was gnawing at the back of my mind. I had to check them out. Clicking on their Spotify, I found that they had a single released only a month prior in August 2023, "Find A Love". For anyone that knows me is quite aware of the courage I have to muster up to beak out of a cycle of listening to the same old shit (I personally would like to thank my music elitism for that horrible habit).
Clicking on the track, I listened intently and didn't look back. The opening of the electrifying track brought by guitarist Tyler Armstrong's killer riffs and lead vocalist Garrett Barcus remarkable pipes had me gripping on the edge of my seat. Drawing into each verse, chorus, and bridge, I was absolutely infatuated with their sound. Each second that progressed, the single felt more whole and true to the very essence that is rock n' roll, thanks to drummer T.J. Steinwart and bassist Rodger Lenhardt. It was like a cosmic shift within my soul and for the duration of the nearly 5 minute track, I was whisked away into a separate world of purely good vibes and maximum groove. Imagine the love-child of The Black Crowes mixed with a musical sermon that will genuinely have you feeling good inside; FEEL is a breath of fresh air and one that you've truly been missing out on. And as many of you are quite aware, I do not throw these praises around lightly (peep my previous article).
As the excitement of being the "first" to be on the FEEL radar, I grew slightly heartbroken to realize that this band, as new to the scene as they are, didn't have a whole lot of releases yet. Earth-shattering ballads such as "Brother" pricked my eyes with tears as my heart thumped and my body swayed, each essence of my being drawn from one element the next. Like the burn of the smoothest bourbon that has graced your senses, you're gently sucked into a rabbit hole of this complex world. Now imagine that bottle is not really bottle per-say, but a shooter. Just a glimpse, a taste even, without more to come back to. What made this even more gut-wrenching was the fact that they weren't playing any shows close to my home. I had to observe and admire from afar. Well...almost. Remember that funny thing I told you about fate?
Blessed with a break from my intense academia, I was yearning for an escape of sorts. I had bought tickets with a friend to go see Hannah Wicklund down in Cincinnati. Amped up for a getaway with someone I enjoyed hanging with and some sweet tunes, you could imagine the figurative bricks I shat when I found out FEEL was opening up for her, only 24 hours prior to the concert. Day of, we trekked down to the venue and were blessed enough to achieve barricade status. Passing the time by with laughs and jokes, the lights suddenly grew dim and four figures graced the stage in flares you'd envy. A wail from a guitar, I was suddenly experiencing the same feeling I felt back in September as I listened to the opening of "Find A Love" rip through the speakers except this was way more intense. Looking to my side, I watched my friend give me the "oh shit" look.
Showtime.
For the first time in several months, my faith in the direction of today's rock was completely and utterly restored. Throughout their relatively short set, I danced and sang about to the point that none of my pictures/videos turned out clear or steady. That's how you know it's good. Playing tracks new and newer, my favorite thus far had to be their unreleased piece titled "B.C.", a song so smooth and sultry, it's as though the notes filling the air made their way into your body and proceeded to make sweet love to your eardrums. As they wrapped up their set, I was overcome with so many emotions. Disappointment that it was ending, excitement that I was going to have the chance to personally commend them for their rockin' set, and anxiety because I was clearly not the only person in that crowd who wanted kiss the very ground they walked on.
It's so terribly obvious that this band is going somewhere, so hop on the train while you're early and snag those bragging rights of "well, I listened to them before they blew up". And FEEL, if you do end up reading this, thanks for curing my months-long writer's block. Right on!
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