Indie-rockers The Brook & The Bluff took to The Canopy Club on April 5, delivering a mesmerizing set of melodic guitar hooks, expressive melodies and introspective lyrics.
The concert was held in The Canopy Club’s Big Room, where people squished up against each other with barely any space to move. The lights shone out into the crowd, illuminating the audience in purple fluorescents as they danced and swayed to the music despite the limited space.
Hotel Fiction and Josh Spinner opened for the group, rocking out onstage and hyping up the crowd for the main act.
24-year-old Amanda Linville said she learned about The Brook & The Bluff through Spinner and drove for almost three hours for the concert.
“I’m here to support Josh, but I recently started listening to The Brook & The Bluff’s music, and I’ve been vibing to it,” Linville said. “I’m most excited just to sing along, to enjoy the energy. Everyone is already singing along to the songs that are playing, I can’t wait to see the energy that everyone else brings tonight. It’s going to be a good night.”
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According to The Canopy Club’s website, “The Brook & The Bluff is perfectly poised between the past and the present, at an unexpected crossroads where indie rock and folk rock have found new frontiers and possibilities online.”
The band took the stage at 11 p.m. amidst high-pitched cheers and blinding lights.
Without any introduction, they started with “Tangerine,” a simple and upbeat song from their latest album “Bluebeard.”
“I was not familiar with (The Brook & The Bluff), but once I heard Spinner was playing with them, I was like, ‘sweet,’” said Hunter Fulton, senior in LAS. “I’m looking forward to seeing the main act — I don’t really listen to their music, but I love their vibes. Their aesthetic is pretty awesome, and I can’t wait to hear what they sound like.”
Throughout the night, The Brook & The Bluff continuously switched from moody ballads to experimental rock songs; their lead vocalist Joseph Settine danced on the stage as the crowd screamed along to the lyrics.
“I heard that The Brook & The Bluff were playing, and I’ve been a huge fan of them for a really long time,” said Abby Martinez, senior in ACES. “They came a year or two ago, but I wasn’t listening to them yet. After I heard that some of my friends went to the concert, I thought that I would give them a chance. I found out that they were coming again, and I’m just so excited.”
Martinez expressed specific excitement for one of her favorite songs by the band “Long Limbs,” which, according to The Canopy Club’s website, “is a song about the highs and lows of being in love, and the work that goes into a relationship, but also a reminder to just be present and let yourself be with someone that makes you happy.”
The Brook & The Bluff’s performance fused folk, rock and electronic music, forming groovy melodies and warm harmonies led by a steady drumbeat and rich guitar hooks.
“You guys havin’ a good time tonight?” Settine asked into the mic while shredding on the guitar. “If you’re havin’ a good time, say oooo-oo!”
The crowd jumped and screamed in response, the echo of the guitar resonating from the stage as ambient lights and thick fog drifted into the audience.
“This is our second time here in this room,” Settine said to the crowd. “And there’s a hell of a lot more people than the first time, so thank you guys so much.”
Throughout the night, the audience sang along to the band’s catchiest songs, their energy never wavering.
“There are a lot of people, and they’re all very engaged,” Fulton said. “I like that a bunch of people came out together. It’s nice to see this place packed out.”
The Brook & The Bluff’s performance ended around 12:30 a.m. after they returned to the stage for an encore and delivered one last angsty guitar ballad.
“All of their songs are on repeat,” Martinez said. “ I’m just so glad that they came here again.”
