Bleu Edmondson ~ A bad, bad, man.

To be a Bleu Edmondson fan is to be rewarded in many ways.  Stellar shows whenever you see him live… an ever evolving musical sound when listened to on record…and a candid, no BS personality to be around when in person.  Any followers of this website know we are biased when it comes to Bleu’s music, but when something is that good, you just keep wanting more!  And he never disappoints.

“I think I want to be the Little Weezy of Texas Country, just start dropping mix-tapes every couple of months”.  Yep, that got said.  You never quite know what’s going to get said when interviewing Bleu (which we recently had the chance to do at Blue Moose Lodge—glad to see a place like that get itself on the map), but you know it’s going be from the heart, and it’s going to be sincere.

So not to take the last quote out of context (although we love the idea!), but fans don’t always understand what it takes for bands to take the time out to ‘live through’ what makes their music, find time to express it in word, and finally…get it out to the masses.  And then to set yourself up to have your life diagnosed under a microscope based on the words that come out of your mouth, that’s a tough gig.  No one is tougher on themselves than Bleu.  “I just recently was listening to my first couple of albums and it made me cringe.  But those records are a reflection on what is going on with a 21 or 22 year old, which I was at the time.”  By those he of course is referring to his first two studio efforts, Southland, and The Band Plays On.  Though he may be judgmental and hyper critical, his fans loved the albums and they helped put Mr. Edmondson on the forefront of the Texas Country boom that encompassed the late 90’s/early 2000’s.  Years of hard work and a relentless tour schedule kept his fans around for the next chapter.

By the time it came around to recording his next album, 2007’s groundbreaking Lost Boy, Bleu had “grown up a lot” and consequently “been kicked around a lot too” and finally felt he had the right material to get out to his fans.  Taking “a heavy left turn” from traditional country music, Bleu dropped the hammer on some rock and roll and unleashed some of his badass storytelling put to beat of his career.  Heavy hitting songs with softer moments of self-reflection blended together beautifully to show the world the true inner workings of a confused late 20’s artist just trying to find his way.  “I finally felt like I knew what I was doing and actually had something to say that someone might care about.”  He certainly did.  Eleven masterfully crafted songs about life, love, and the pursuit there-of.  The album even secured Bleu his first music video on CMT for “Finger on the Trigger”.  We asked him what his thoughts were on his ravenous fans going unglued during his live performance of that song, given its perception as a darker song.  “To me it’s about people celebrating where they’re not.  They’re out with friends, drinking a beer, having a good time and not sitting in a car somewhere alone by themselves.”  It is his altered way of surveying the landscape around him and attention to detail that has led to his incredible songwriting abilities.

Not too long after the success of Lost Boy, Bleu hit the studios again trying to channel the same intensity.  What followed was another barn storming declaration of loves lost and won compactly spaced through 10 songs to make up The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be.  Producing five hit singles, the album is another bold step out further towards left field of traditional country sound, but a step well worth the risk.  “I just try to tell stories.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t”.  Modest as he may be, what did work was another glance into the fragile mind of a man really coming into his own.  “I’m still learning how to write a fast passed rocker song that is about positivity.  I don’t really come from a place where that’s everyday life.”  When asked what his favorite song off the album is, “Riot Night, for sure.  The piano in it is just the heart and soul of the song and I love the way it all came together.  It’s a love song, man.”  From the opening rocker “Blood Red Lincoln” to the introspective closer, “I Got My Yesterdays”, the album is quick to the punch and high on emotions and intensity.

So where does that leave Bleu Edmondson today?  He just recently collaborated with Kylee Sackley, a female Australian songwriter, to write “I Can’t Run” which has already become a crowd favorite.  “I feel vulnerable sitting down with anyone and writing, but especially my first time to write with someone and my first time writing with a woman.  She was/is so awesome and I hope to write with her again.”   Does he think he’ll tackle more themes like the perceived notion of Religion on Lost Boy?  “That certainly wasn’t on purpose, it just happened organically.  I wrote the album in different spurts and I guess subconsciously it worked its way in.  It just went with what I was thinking or what the character was thinking or should be doing.”  “As far as the future goes, I’m hoping to have new music out by the end of the year, whether it be a full album (hopefully) or who knows.  Maybe in this iTUNES world we live in it is better to just release songs that way or an EP twice a year.  I’m looking to revive a couple of songs as well that only old school fans will know. So just keep your ears open, you never know” 

Bleu Edmondson is a killer performer, songwriter, and singer who knows how to balance his banter with the music and give the crowd just what they want.  He is his own biggest critic, which is a shame, because the joy he brings to his fans is plentiful and abundant.  Many of the fans he has have been following him for years and it’s because of him that they keep coming back to show their support.  He is steering a course that not many other artists are willing to sail these days, and that is to carve his own niche in an otherwise branded market.  It takes some true courage, character, and most of all talent to do so…and Bleu has all three with some to spare.  We personally can’t wait to see what the future brings and what the next step in the evolution will be. 

SETLIST

Bleu Edmondson ~ Live @ Blue Moose Lodge

 Last Last Time

American Saint

I Can't Run

Good Thing

Resurrection

Not Scared To Be Alone

And The Band Played On

The Echo

Dallas

$50 and a Flask of Crown

Traveling Man

Tougher Than The Rest - (Springsteen)

Laughing Right Out Loud

Just A Little Bit Crazy

Curtis Lowe - (Skynard)

Finger On The Trigger

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Bleu Edmondson ~ Unplugged and Brutally Honest

To see a Bleu Edmondson Band show has been called anything from a revival, to perfection, to just plain loud.  To see the man by himself with nothing but a guitar and baseball hat to hide behind is to see into his soul.  And the road has had its way with that soul, but it seems to have opened up the creative process for a very talented and genuine artist.

Bleu Edmondson seems to have two ways of writing; one, with intricate storytelling using characters to express the things he sees and hears, and two, just laying his heart on the line and letting the chips fall where they may.  He sings with all he has; he doesn’t leave much room for thought on where he stands, and he is unabashed in his search for the meaning of life or just a good time.

 To hear the stories that lead to becoming songs is what makes acoustic shows so special.  Bleu got his start by working these same types of events burning up the blacktop between College Station and Dallas, and probably just about anywhere else that would have him.  He can seem uneasy and uncomfortable when offstage and surrounded by others, but it is the stage that seems to be his sanctuary and where he truly belongs.  He can show the nervousness of a new kid in school and hide behind his pulled-too-low-to-notice-me baseball hat, and that’s too bad.  He has the charisma of a natural born leader, the charm of a salesman, and the feel of someone important when he walks on stage.  He was born to be a performer and now has the years of experience to fulfill his pedigree. 

So whether it is a full band show or just a man and his guitar, go check Bleu Edmondson and get ready to not just hear the music, but feel it.

Before the Holiday season got into full swing, we had a chance to see Bleu perform at the Firehouse Saloon here in Houston.  Here are some of the songs he played and a few funny stories to go with them.

UNPLUGGED & BRUTALLY HONEST

-“Not Afraid to be Alone” -- but “scared to death of being lonely”.  Great play on words.

-“Finger on the Trigger” -- a song written by Brandon Jenkins also was a video for Bleu on CMT.  Still to this day I wonder if all the people singing and cheering along actually listen to the lyrics.

-“American Saint” -- story telling at its best and paints such a broad stroked picture of life in West Texas.

-“Good Thing” -- written by Matt Powell and tells the (sometimes) heart wrenching story of loves both won and lost...both eloquent and real at the same time.

-“Blood Red Lincoln” -- 1^st and only number 1 song

-“Back to You” -- sounds like his version of a love song.

-“Can’t Run from you Baby”?!? -- Bleu has a new album coming out and apparently this time it was a bit of a departure from “getting drunk and waking up the next day and saying WTF, a song about fire trucks?”  Sounds like it will easily be a staple of the set list.

-“Jesus is Crying” -- “freedom is a hard luck drug and I’m a strung out fiend” Wow.

-“Laughing Right out Loud” -- Only 21 when he wrote this song and though he has played it and numerous other songs for years, he has a tendency to forget the lyrics from time to time and that is part of his charm. 

-“Resurrection” -- Quite possibly the only song you’ll hear that will make “making love in a bathroom stall” sound sexy.  He and Wade Bowen wrote this together and it’s amazing to hear both of them play it and hear how different they sound.  Both are amazing and the song actually has a bigger message that unfortunately gets lost in the before mentioned lyric.

-“$50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown” -- Another song written by Matt Powell that first put Bleu on the map and is still probably his calling card (for better or worse).

-“Dallas” -- A Jimmie Gilmore cover that has been in the set list for many, many years and happens to be Bleu’s hometown.

-“The Band Plays On” -- Title track to second album and seems to be hodgepodge of different people from different cities as seen through the eyes of a performer.

-“Just a little bit Crazy” -- Just how a man feels after the heartache sets in.

-“Last Last Time” --   My personal favorite and said to be written in the ghetto of Dallas.

-“Highway Patrolman” -- A Springsteen cover that I believe I heard Bleu say before was his favorite to play.  Bruce has been/is a huge influence on many artists here in Texas (and the world) and it is pretty typical to hear at least one song by the Boss played excellently by Bleu.

-“Traveling Man” -- Just a lonely man in search of a beer, who can’t relate?

-“The Echo” --  Bleu’s self-anointed love song.  Though the word love never appears. 

Bleu Edmondson ~ Southland

When trying to figure out how to start this blog I could only think of starting with someone who I was familiar with and whose music I already had a working knowledge of, Bleu Edmondson.  I decided to do things differently in that I wanted to start from the beginning with his first album, Southland, and see how it has fared over the years and to see where it has in fact led him.  To me it is always amazing to see the transformation an artist makes along the way to becoming who they want to be. 

 

Southland was released in 2001 and was produced by the famed Lloyd Maines which, in its self, is amazing to get a highly respected producer to even consider helping you after only learning how to play the guitar a few years prior.  Obviously Mr. Maines saw something in both the man and the music that others did not see.  As far as the album goes, it is a solid effort put forth all the way around that produced some great sing along songs, insight into the workings of a young twenty something, and glimpses into where Bleu wanted to go lyrically. 

“$50 and a Flask of Crown” is not only the first song on the album and his first ever single but still widely the song most associated with him.  It is a song penned by Matt Powell who is also a very talented and gifted songwriter/performer and is just a good natured song about hitting the town up big and having a good time.

My favorite song on the album will always be “Travelin Man”— not for the scene it paints of driving down the blacktop late at night and observing all that is around you, but more so as just a simple song about wanting a drink and every damn store being closed along the way.  This was Bleu’s second single and is a great number to get your feet moving.

“It’s About You”, “What I left Behind”, and “Further Down the Line” seem to all trace back to failed relationships that we all go through and the struggles that can be had by someone who chooses Bleu’s line of work.  They speak of the past, misfortunes, longing for, and ultimately coming out on top and getting the last laugh.  He has a keen wit that seems to always prevail when love has lost.

Looking back on “Coming Down”, it may have been the pivotal song on the album.  Not from the standpoint of that it should have been a breakout single but from Bleu being able to paint a portrait outside of himself and tell the story of a fictional character.  It is very graphic in its portrayal of a man who does what he thinks is necessary to provide for his family though the end result is jail time and postcards from your woman living with her new man.  It is not so much the story but the way Bleu was able to see outside of himself and create a set of characters.  This was main instance on the album where you saw Bleu painting outside the lines and would lead to some beautifully crafted songs in future albums.

A clever ‘ode to the truck driving man’ written by Brian Rung is “Hell on 18 Wheels”.  Who knew that truckers and band mates had so much in common but it makes a lot sense when you think about it. 

“You Don’t Know Me” seems, as a song, to be Bleu’s defense after a difficult breakup.  It features one of my favorite lines, “a drunken king with a handmade crown”, and seems to be just a song about a man beating himself up over and over again not thinking he’s good enough and not letting others get close to him because of how he feels.

The album is rounded out on a positive note with “Live Oak Lullaby” and “Laughin Right Out Loud” as they are songs about finding new love and making plans for the future as well as sitting around drinking and enjoying the smaller things in life. 

In the end, it’s certainly not Shakespeare but it is a very solid freshman effort from a man that was young and was trying to find his way in the ever evolving music scene that is/was Texas Country.  He has gone on to release three more studio albums and two live albums that are stellar and will be reviewed in the coming future and is a relentless touring act that can now be caught throughout the country.