REVIEW: Bahamas soothes troubled souls at LA’s Ace Hotel
Canadian folk singer Bahamas performed at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Friday evening. (Photo from Instagram)
On Friday, Bahamas brought his indie folk-inspired music to The Theatre at Ace Hotel, fostering an uplifting energy among audience members through his charming melodies about love and loss.
Bahamas, whose birth name is Afie Jurvanen, swayed the sold out crowd with his banter about “Canadian-ness” and his favorite La Croix flavor.
Bahamas kept his performance simple in every aspect. Dressed in earthy tones (alluding to his latest album “Earthtones”), Bahamas and his band’s outfits proved that they were purely focused on musicality, while the sparse stage ensured that the spotlight remained on the music.
Bahamas and touring artist Christine Bougie traded lead moments on guitar on rock songs like “No Expectations” and the country-influenced “Can’t Take You With Me.” Backed by vocalist Felicity Williams, the harmonies were especially gratifying on “Lost in Light” and “No Wrong.”
It would be wrong to simply classify Williams as a background singer, as her notes were soaring and instrumentally resounding. “Opening Act (The Shooby Dooby Song)” brought fans back to music of 1970s bands Allman Brothers Band and Elvin Bishop Group.
On certain tunes, Bahamas’ sound was also reminiscent of country rock.
Bahamas’ eras and genres of influence were apparent, yet his music still original. Compared to other indie artists that make use of electronic elements in music production, Bahamas relies solely on vocal and instrumental skills, harkening back to popular styles of the past, without sounding outdated.
The setlist spanned his entire discography, as far back as his debut 2009 album “Pink Strat.” Bahamas mostly played from “Earthtones,” but received an especially warm reception with the opening tune, “Lost in Light” from his 2012 album “Barchords.” The haunting opening plucks of the guitar set off instant cheers from the crowd. Mid-song, Bahamas and Williams harmonized on the line “leaving me on my own,” before Williams’ haunting, wordless solo.
At times, the crowd got a bit unruly, with questions and requests to which Bahamas responded: “I like that we’re in the Q&A portion of the concert.”
He then reminded the audience with a smile, “Now guys, I’m in charge.”
The show’s spontaneity kept the performance lively. Midway through the set, an audience member yelled out, “Chattahoochee,” referring to a spur-of-the-moment cover Bahamas posted on his YouTube channel.
Bahamas took a comedic pause. “Are there any aspiring musicians out there?” he asked, laughing. “I have a word of advice: Don’t put anything on the internet.”
Overall, the beauty of this concert stemmed from its authenticity. Bahamas played his truth on stage, generating real emotion from the audience in return. There were no screens, video nor fancy graphics to distract from the music. Bahamas’ show stirred a sentiment of returning to the basics with music that comes from the heart.