I first remember meeting Relient K at a festival in Ohio. It was one of those beautiful summer afternoons: the sun had just set, the rolling green hills stretching down towards the stage below, the sky blushing magnificent shades of red and gold, as this young band from Ohio filled the evening with their witty brand of beach-boys-infused pop-punk. When they got off stage, we talked about Pet Sounds and tried to figure out where we were going to sleep that night, as hotels were not provided from the festival. I think we ended up sleeping in the dorm rooms in a nearby college, if memory serves.
Since then I’ve come to know and love this iconic band. Both for their music and for who they are as friends. Some of the more careless reviews I’ve read have lumped them in with a more disposable genre of music, most often listened to in high-school. But the true music listeners know the truth. Underneath the catchy melodies, there is a hidden complexity of being Relient K. Take a second listen to any of their albums, and all at once, you will realize the true genius of this amazing band.
Every night on this tour I have been blown away by the delicate musical touches that make each Relient K song truly iconoclastic. Sometimes I wonder if these subtleties are even noticed by the folks in the crowd. Often, it feels like these elements are added for the folks playing the music on stage as much as for the more observant folks listening.
So the folks who haven’t spent time with Relient K, I’ve put together a starter kit of a couple of my favorite tunes. I hope they make you smile. I hope they make you dance. I hope they make you think twice.
And as you listen, remember: Matt Thiessen and Matt Hoopes are smirking at you and dead serious at the same time.
“God”
“Deathbed”
“Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been”
“Be My Escape”
“Air for Free”
“Forget and Not Slow Down”
“High of 75”
UPCOMING TOUR DATES W/ RELIENT K
1/21 – Fresno, CA @ Warnors Theatre
1/22 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
1/24 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
1/25 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim
1/26 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre
1/29 – Redding, CA @ Redding Civic Auditorium
1/30 – Grants Pass, OR @ The Historic Rogue Theatre
1/31 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
2/2 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
2/3 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
2/4 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo2/8 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre – SOLD OUT
2/9 – London, ON @ London Music Hall
2/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Algonquin Commons Theatre
2/11 – Portland, OR @ State Theatre
2/12 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
2/14 – Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
2/15 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
2/16 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
2/17 – Lancaster, PA @ American Music Theatre
2/18 – Rochester, NY @ Roberts Wesleyan College — Voller Athletic Center
