BLVD | 2/20/10 | The Independent | SF, CA

Photos: Kelsey Winterkorn

Words: Sam Martin

Coming into San Francisco Saturday night was the high energy livetronica act BLVD.  Having just wrapped up recording their 5th studio album with critically-acclaimed producer Jeff Saltzman (The Killers,The Black Keys).  "Return to Center" will be released May 3, 2010. 

What immediately separates this act from their contemporaries is their high energy MC, Mario "Souleye" Treadway.  Coming out on stage after a very memorable and razor sharp set by Dubstep DJ MiMosa,  BLVD dropped into a highly electronic jam.  Featuring drummer Dylan McIntosh, electric guitarist Curtis Sloane, and bass / synth player Tripp Bains.  The sound that they create is reminiscent of the Disco Biscuits, heavy synth jam rock.  The band also makes use of layering pop tracks mixed inside of their livetronic jamming and they use every possible means of music making at their disposal, squeezing the dance music, and rock jams into a very pleasurable combo.
Souleye is an energy and force to be reckoned with.  He could stand center stage, and MC the entire night, but seeing the big picture and knowing that sometimes less is more, this is what BLVD does, and so he shares the stage.  MC'ing about 60% of the night.  This makes his appearances even more appreciated and enjoyable.

Rushing out onto the stage with the fury of tiger, Souleye spits out intimate to forceful lyrics, all while keeping the attention of the audience on the entire performance, never stealing the show from his otherwise musically supportive band mates.  The show was more of a production than a gig,  one that was a little too big for the walls of The Independent as the venue sold out with a line of fans waiting in a line down Divisadero street hoping to get tickets.

With a light show that is timed to the music and a laser show that over laps the lights, and has the potential to make this one of the hottest acts on the livetronica circuit they created a mood and environment that was perfect for the show at hand.

Souleye and his energy was relentless this night, as he would come in for a song on cue, getting the fans to participate in a lyrical montage reflective of free flowing hip-hop, yet never at any point in the show did it feel like a hip-hop show.

The instrumental jams that the band played were at times the high point in the evening as they would start of slowly with a synth-drum beat, with McIntosh adding a cracking live drum-kit rhythm and Bains layering rolling and perfectly placed bass lines. The star of the band does not exist, as the band is the star itself, the guitar work Sloane were at times jazzy, and other times spacey creating a negative space for the layered musical landslide to fill. At other times the distortion and reverb from his mean skills sent chills through the entire venue. Building and building to sometimes a crescendo that never came, some of the jams ended with something left to be said.  This all forgotten as the next track would open up, slowly, and in complete sync with each other the band performed a completely well placed livetronic soundscape, with, MGMT's "Kids" dubbed in the background, the sound mixed together in a well choreographed piece of musical art.

After getting the crowd completely pumped, green, and red lasers creating a canopy overhead, the smoke filled Independent was treated to "Stamina" with the sick and catchy hook, "Can’t stop Won’t stop Never stop Loving you", Souleye taking to the stage and with his contagious energy,  getting the crowd involved in a full blown participatory climax to the evenings events.

The show has shown how far BLVD has come in just the four months since the last time I saw them as they opened for the Disco Biscuits at San Francisco's Fillmore.  Right now they are in the middle of a tour that will take them up through Portland, Seattle and into B.C., then they will descend upon Colorado for some sure to be high energy and well received shows at the Belly Up in Aspen, The Fox Theater in Boulder and The Bluebird in Denver.

As a critic the show left me wanting more, in a big way.  Excited for what I saw, but knowing that the top has not yet been reached by this interestingly mixed quartet.  Their musical skills are apparent, the MC'ing ability of Souleye and his stage presence and confidence spews out into the crowd and is infectious.  But during some tracks the climax was missed by just moments, and other times it hit and hit hard.  This fact in itself leaves me even more excited to see BLVD next time around!

Returning to the bay area on April 2nd.  BLVD will headline a show at one of our favorite venue's, The Mystic in Petaluma.  This uniquely intimate room with it's narrow and slanted dance floor and small but tiered balcony is the perfect setting for an amazing, high energy show.

BLVD WEBSITE