The Brook & The Bluff returned to Proud Larry’s on Thursday, Oct. 21st bringing nothing but a sold-out crowd and a magnetic performance. This was the Birmingham-born and Nashville-based band’s third time performing in Oxford.
“We’re so excited to finally be back in Oxford tonight,” the band said when asked for a comment about the show. “The Ole Miss students have always given us the warmest reception here, and we’re stoked to be playing a sold-out show at our favorite venue on the square, Proud Larry’s. Hotty Toddy.”
When I say the performance was magnetic, I don’t mean it lightly.
The Brook & the Bluff’s first song, “Misnomer,” effortlessly captivated the crowd. Throughout the concert, there wasn’t a moment where someone wasn’t singing or dancing along. Each member immediately brought a unique energy that blended to create what their website calls “groovitational pull.”
That “groovitational pull” was present throughout the entire concert. Guitarist Alec Bolton often took the lead and got the crowd moving with guitar solos that blended rock, soul and funk. Bolton’s soulful playing during “Back Through the Lens” and “Don’t Go Slippin Away” emulated classic rock guitarists but had a smooth twist that perfectly matched the band’s music.
Songs like “Everything Is Just a Mess” balanced the powerful guitar moments. The beginning of this song is easily a classic indie-rock hook that future bands will look back on and try to emulate. Vocalist Joseph Settine’s performance style was highlighted during this song. Although the audience would occasionally catch him dancing and moving, he stayed front and center most of the time, showcasing his vocal talents.
Audience member and sophomore journalism major Phoebe Goodwin noted the impact of seeing the band live.
“Listening to them in person, I just realized this effortless romance they have in their music,” Goodwin said. “Joseph, his voice is just like magic.”
Songs like “Lover’s Rock” showed the romanticism that Goodwin mentioned. Everyone in the audience was arm in arm, swaying back and forth, emulating bassist Fred Lankford’s laid-back, consumed-in-the-music performance style.
A personal favorite moment was when the band took a break from their original songs and performed a cover of “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. The band brought up drummer John Canada to show off his equally impressive vocal talents and skills on the acoustic guitar. For people like me, who grew up listening to their grandmother’s old folk records, this was an intimate moment that skillfully nodded to the band’s folk-rock influences and southern roots.
A few people joined The Brook & The Bluff at their performance on Thursday. Kevin Canada joined them, acting as their keyboardist.
WILLIS, a Nashville-based band from Florence, Alabama, joined as the opener. Murphy Billings, the band’s bassist and vocalist, said that this was the band’s second time in Mississippi and first time in Oxford.
For WILLIS’s first time in Oxford, they made an excellent impression.
Their mix of blues, surf rock and indie set the tone for the night. During their song “Fight the Vegans,” the room felt like an intimate house show with 300 close friends swaying back and forth.
Their soulful performance of “I Think I Like When it Rains” was also a standout that got the crowd singing along.
WILLIS set the tone for the night, and The Brook & The Bluff ended it with a bang, performing their hits “Halfway Up” and “Doobie Bronson” and coming back for a brief, energy-filled encore.
Long-time fan Bailey Dykes said she expected an intimate environment, beautiful harmonies and to hear “Misnomer” live. Dykes, who was one of the first fans in line, got all of that and more. She was able to grab the setlist from the stage after the show.
Next time The Brook & The Bluff visits Oxford, get your ticket early because this is a band you need to see.
