BoDeans released their debut record Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams in April 1986. Frontman Kurt Neumann is celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary with a lengthy US tour that touches on all facets of the band’s career. BoDeans brought their tour to the beautiful HOPE center in Springfield, MA and reminded everyone of their 4 decades of classic songs.
Please scroll down for MIsplacedStraws BoDeans live photos and review –
BoDeans kicked off a night of celebration in a fitting way with “Fadeaway”, a classic track from their 1986 debut. For song 2, the jumped from the first record to the last with “Ya Gotta Go Crazy” from 2022’s 4 The Last Time. This was a perfect opening as it signaled that this night would be filled with songs new and old. While Neumann may be the only band member to last all 40 years, his current lineup was more than up to the task of bringing the band’s history to life and combining the classic sounds with modern flair.
The stage was sparse with a giant screen behind the band. Kurt Neumann’s dry wit was on display all night as he introduced songs and told stories behind some of them. I particularly enjoyed how the band used the screen. Each song had the title and year it was released on the screen, allowing you to follow along through the band’s career.
BoDeans split the night into two sets, each lasting about an hour with a 20-minute break between sets. The band sounded fantastic with Set 1 songs like “Dreams” (which included a chorus of Modern English’s “I Melt With You”), “My Hometown”, and “Only Love” sounding fresh and vital. Set 2 saw the band reach to perhaps their biggest record, 1993’s Go Slow Down for “Idaho”, “Texas Ride Song”, and the monster hit “Closer To Free”.
Neumann talked a few times through the night about the impact of AM radio on him growing up. That influence comes across in this setting where you can experience the band’s entire history in 2 hours. Much like AM radio back in the day, BoDeans’ career cannot be summed up in a single genre. Throughout the set there were songs with a country tinge, pop hits, and punk-adjacent early songs, and the crowd loved all of it.
Probably due to the fact that the band played a few shows in the area at more well-known venues the Springfield, MA crowd was sparse. However, BoDeans played as if the place was packed to the rafters and those in attendance were singing and dancing along with the band. Not every band can last 40 years, and not every songwriter can create a catalogue that spans 4 decades, but Kurt Neumann has done that with BoDeans and nights like this bring back memories of those classic songs.
