Concert Review: KALEO at The Tabernacle

A nearly sold out Tabernacle greeted KALEO as they hit the stage. The band is currently on tour in support of their latest album, Surface Sounds, released in April of last year.

Last night's show at The Tabernacle was the band's first time in Atlanta since October of 2017. The band consists of Jökull Júlíusson (JJ)(vocals, guitar, piano), Rubin Pollock (lead guitar), Daníel Ægir Kristjánsson (bass, keyboard), Davíð Antonsson (percussion), Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson (harmonica, bongos, keyboard), and several touring members.

20 year-old Michigan country artist Myron Elkins got thing going ahead of KALEO. Myron and his band, The Dying Breed, are rising stars in the underground-country-sphere. His music felt like a call back to older outlaw country greats, Cash, Nelson, and Jennings all come to mind. This was Elkins first show in the Peach State. 

Bluesy, Americana-laced rock was just what the crowd wanted. The band was on their A-game and performing their hearts out. One of my favorite aspects of their performance was the addition of two touring singers, who added a nice bit of soul behind JJ's lead vocals. 

Warm instrumentation was front and center with the band. Lap steel, harmonica, congas, and hollow body guitars made up just some of the sounds you'll find on stage during a KALEO show. With up to eight members on stage, you can expect a full and rich sound. Antonsson, their drummer, absolutely stepped it up throughout the show, from his stripped back and delicate percussion during "Automobile" to his raging drum solo ending out "Hot Blood."

JJ's smoky vocals were definitely at the forefront of fan's minds. His unique rasp did wonders on songs like "Break My Baby," where he truly got to soar with the music. JJ was also not afraid to scale back. During their acoustic rendition of "Automobile" he was in full control, bring his voice down to a lower volume with a much smoother sound. 

A short setlist hide's just how long the band played. A clean hour and twenty minute long set works out to nearly six minutes per song, as the band often found themselves in quick jam sessions throughout the night. The closing songs in the main part of the set, "Skinny" and "Way Down We Go," were certainly highlights of the night.

          1. Break My Baby

          2. Alter Ego

          3. I Can't Go On Without You

          4. Vor í Vaglaskógi

          5. Automobile (acoustic)

          6. Backbone

          7. Hey Gringo

          8. Broken Bones

          9. Hot Blood

          10. Brother Run Fast

          11. I Walk On Water

          12. Skinny

          13. Way Down We Go

          -

          14. No Good

KALEO still have a couple of legs left on their current run of shows, including a headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with The Glorious Sons.

          4/01 Raleigh, NC — The Ritz^

          4/04 Nashville, TN — The Ryman Auditorium^

          4/06 St. Louis, MO — The Pageant^

          4/08 Louisville, KY — Palace Theatre^

          4/09 Indianapolis, IN — Murat Theatre^

          4/11 Cleveland, OH — House of Blues^

          4/13 Washington D.C. — The Anthem~

          4/15 New York, NY — Terminal 5~

          4/16 Philadelphia, PA — The Metropolitan Opera House~

          4/18 Boston, MA — House of Blues~

          4/19 Portland, ME — State Theatre~

          4/21 Montréal, QC — MTELUS+

          4/22 Montréal, — MTELUS+

          4/24 Toronto, ON — History+

          4/25 Toronto, ON — History+ 

          4/27 Detroit, MI — The Fillmore*

          4/28 Grand Rapids, MI — 20 Monroe Live*

          4/30 Chicago, IL — Aragon Ballroom*

          5/01 Minneapolis, MN — The Fillmore*

          5/03 Winnipeg, MB — Centennial Concert Hall*

          5/05 Calgary, AB — Grey Eagle Event Centre*

          5/07 Edmonton, AB — Edmonton Expo Centre*

          5/09 Vancouver, BC — Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre*

          5/10 Eugene, OR — McDonald Theatre*

          5/12 Boise, ID — Knitting Factory*

          5/15 Aspen, CO — Belly Up*

          5/16 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre#*

          ^ with Myron Elkins

          ~ with Des Rocs

          + with Moscow Apartment

          * with Bones Owens

          # with The Glorious Sons

Stellar show from a stellar band. This was my first time seeing KALEO live, and it hopefully will not be my last. Expect to see me at their show next time they're in town, hopefully I'll see you there as well.