Cold War Kids & Joe P @ House of Blues Cleveland (2/26/24)
Joe P
Joe P opened for Cold War Kids last night at the House of Blues in Cleveland. I met Joe Parella a couple years ago in 2019 and 2020 and right before the pandemic shut down live music and touring. The New Jersey native was the frontman and lyricist of his old indie rock band Deal Casino. I saw them three times! Twice in Cleveland, and a final third time in NYC, literally right when the pandemic just started to slowly but surely lock us away inside. I remember listening to a lot of Deal Casino during the early months of lockdown. It was a comfort for me to rock out in my bedroom with Joe’s brilliant songs. Deal Casino may no longer be a band together that exists, however Joe really is the soul of it all. He went solo as “Joe P” and rearranged some of the Deal Casino songs he wrote with own personal perspectives and musical nuances. I have listened to him grow as an amazing artist, with each release being a new favorite song on my indie rock rotation. His explosive and mellow musical style is very groovy, catchy with relatable and vivid lyrics that paint pictures of childhood and the innocence it carries into adulthood. For me, his lyrical storytellings hit just right for someone like me: an adult trying to navigate through life and develop self-realization of identity.
Joe P with his bassist and drummer opened with “Color TV” from his French Blonde EP. I found myself singing along as I was taking photos in the pit, very joyful to be hearing him live again. Joe played his catchy songs such as “Fighting In The Car” and “All Day I Dream About”, which is my personal favorite. Ending with his most popular song “Off My Mind”, I saw and heard that it was performed differently from the studio recording. As the last song to send off to the audience before the headliner, Joe started the song slowly with just his steady guitar strums and sang the lyrics ballad-like and sentimentally. Once he reached the chorus a second time, the band rejoined to take the rest of the song to soaring and fantastic heights. A lot of folks who haven't heard of Joe P before really liked him, as I overheard many newly found fans comment on how they enjoyed the opener.
I hope to catch Joe P with another headliner tour of his own in the near future.. I highly recommend listening to his first solo album “Emily Can’t Sing” if you are new to his music!
Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids is on tour promoting their tenth album. It’s a special album to celebrate two decades as a band, ultimately self-titled as Cold War Kids. Since 2004, frontman Nathan Willett has led the blues rock soul infused group with his honest songwriting skills. I found myself really moved by the genuine stories in each song. Nathan’s lyrics and incredible bluesy soulful piano solos really drive important narratives of love, pain, resilience, hope, and prevailing against hardship.
The five piece band opened the set with the song “You Already Know” off their second part of the New Age Norms trilogy albums. From the start, the band’s passionate energy excited the audience with them singing along. I saw many fans really letting their hearts out and deeply singing the blues rock songs with such emotion and vigor, especially on a Monday night! In particular, I saw an old man, maybe in his 70s or so, with intense energy, completely moved and engaged with the music. I think that’s the beauty of blues at its core, amplified by the power of rock. It moves and shakes your inner being, and lets out very expressive dealings of personal spirituality.
Cold War Kids played hit songs from all across their vast discography of ten albums, such as “Miracle Mile”, “Hang Me To Dry”, “First” and the recent single released last month “Heaven In Your Hands”. To know that they released their tenth album named after themselves goes to show that the band has grown and matured throughout the years. They continue to tell important personal stories for audience members to relate. I feel like fans who have seen them in Cleveland many times before have grown with them over the years. And that the new album is as much a part of the fans as it is part of the band’s identity too. Three songs played live from the self-titled album included “Run Away with Me”, “Double Life”, and “Another Name”.
A unique highlight for me during the show was when Nathan took the stage solo. All the stage lights went off but then focused solely on him and the vintage piano the band tours with. He began “We Used to Vacation” from Robbers and Cowards on his piano slowly and beautifully. Singing melodic lines that narrates a man’s struggle with alcoholism. It’s a very moving song where the character in it examines their inner demons. Then partway, he counted to four and the rest of the band rejoined to pick up the tempo back up. It was a great song to see live as it tells an important story that perhaps some people may relate to. And hopefully moving songs like that can help people cope with their own struggles, and that they’re not alone, that help is around them.
Cold War Kids ended with an encore of two songs, “Love Is Mystical” and “Something Is Not Right With Me”. When the show ended, Nathan thanked the audience and wished the audience peace. Nathan told us an important message before leaving the stage, one that amplifies what many songs that night conveyed: for us to be good to each other.
Photos by Kevin NG
Joe P
Cold war Kids
