Stalwart band to perform stripped-down versions of hits
By Brent Thompson
Surviving more than 30 years in any business is an accomplishment, but musical acts that stay prosperous for that length of time deserve an extra nod. In an industry known for ever-changing audience tastes, lineup changes, evolving technology and listener trends and incessant travel, BoDeans have remained relevant and active. Known for hits including “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” “She’s A Runaway,” “Dreams” and “Angels,” the band led by Kurt Neumann has a distinct heartland sound befitting of its Midwestern roots. On Tuesday, October 17, BoDeans will return to Birmingham to perform at WorkPlay Theatre. The venue will provide the ideal setting for the band’s current tour that offers a stripped-down format. Recently, Neumann spoke with us by phone from the band’s tour stop in Tampa, FL.
Birmingham Stages: Kurt, thanks for your time. How is the tour going so far?
Kurt Neumann: We’ve been it doing it this way where we’re out for a couple of weeks and then we go back home for about a week, so it’s very livable. We’re doing it stripped-down to make the music more spacial. We play a lot of the classics and change up the arrangements a little bit. For us, it’s been really nice to stretch it out and do different things. The whole tour’s been very streamlined.
Birmingham Stages: What is the origin of the stripped-down tour?
KN: It’s the first time we’ve gone out this way. Some people go out on acoustic tours and we’ll go out as a full band and play big outdoor shows, but this is the first time we’ve found that middle ground. I didn’t really want to do an unplugged thing and I didn’t want to do the big thing, so it was about finding that middle ground somewhere.
Birmingham Stages: If you will, talk about the creation your band’s latest release, Thirteen. Are the album’s songs newer or a combination of newer and older ideas?
KN: It’s all newer stuff. I’ve been working with a Netflix show called The Ranch and the producers of the show have been wanting me to get them as much stuff as I can. They don’t want musical snippets – they want real songs, so I’ve been sitting down and writing songs and they often will provide themes of what the show is looking for. When they first came to me, they were looking for [material] about hometown and small town America and that feeling of coming out of a small town and what’s instilled in you coming out of these middle America towns. So a lot of the Thirteen record is about hometown and where you came from and values. As the show goes forward, I’m writing based on what they’re going to be shooting this season.
Birmingham Stages: It sounds like that writing format has given you a unique opportunity – a springboard with creative freedom.
KN: It’s good for me because it gives me themes to write about and it makes the process a little bit easier. It’s not egocentric either where I go in and say, “What’s troubling me today” and it’s nice to take a break from the “me” thing.
Birmingham Stages: You’ve seen a lot of changes in the music industry during your career. How do you feel about today’s climate?
KN: I’m a fan of the ’70s and ’80s and I really enjoyed our time on [record label] Warner Brothers and having that big machine help us along and really promote the music. Artists were selling hundreds of thousands of records back then and nowadays people don’t really sell records anymore – everything is streaming. You can put your video on Youtube but there’s so much content on there that it’s hard to get noticed at all. I felt better about the way the music industry used to be. I’m not crazy about about it these days.
Birmingham Stages: How would you describe your writing process?
KN: I come up with ideas everywhere – when I’m on the road or just laying there at three in the morning or just driving around. I take those little pieces and see if I can develop them into something natural. I try not to force things anymore and let it flow.
BoDeans will perform at WorkPlay Theatre on Tuesday, October 17. Advance tickets to the 8:30 p.m. show are $27.50 and can be purchased at www.workplay.com. No one under 18 will be admitted without someone 18+ with them. A $3.00 surcharge will be collected at the door from all ticket holders under the age of 21.