‘BARNYARD’ TOUR CEASED AT LA’S BELASCO THEATRE

 Australian duo Good Morning (which many know for their 2014 break-out record “Warned You”) performed at the Belasco in LA to close out their 2022 tour that began in March spanning across North America. Lead singers Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair are recognizable for their emotional and melancholy sound which is reminiscent of indie alt-rock music. This tour was centered around their most recent album “Barnyard” which is their first album since 2019 that is centered around finding peace and moving on in life. This album features standout tracks like “Country” and “Burning” which are both very thoughtful and enticing tracks that are begging to be performed live. 

I arrived at the venue around the time the doors opened and there was already a line around the corner to get into the venue. I was thoroughly impressed by the sheer amount of engagement from the fans as they all lined up for merchandise before the show and spoke with some of the team members about how much they loved each one of the bands. As everyone filed into the main hall, we were quickly greeted by a DJ who played music for about an hour before the opener came out. The first band to play was Toronto-based band Packs, which is a female-led indie rock band with some punk influences intertwined. They played tracks from their most recent project Take the Cake, which features some up-tempo tracks like “New TV” and “Silver Tongue” that were perfect to build the energy for the night. Shortly after, the second opener, Ginger Root, came out with a very interesting setup for their performance. Their lead singer Cameron Lew had a vintage cellphone on stage to use as a mic to create this throwback feel for their performance which made it very immersive. They received quite a bit of crowd interaction as they performed their song “Weather” where the crowd yelled “I” as a response to Cameron's energy-filled chorus section. 

After Ginger Root ended their incredible set to applause from the crowd it was time for Good Morning to play. I was immediately captivated by the way their stage was set up with a piano in the center of the stage which is not usual for many alt-rock bands. They encaptured this intimate feeling in a relatively large venue by being extremely interactive on stage with each other. Lead Vocalist Stefan Blair showcased his versatility as he went from playing keys in the middle of the stage to then letting their lead guitarist play the keys while Blair took a step back to play lead guitar.

All throughout the show, the band rotated from instrument to instrument, talking and smiling at each other showing the bond that they had formed as a band. This energy was extremely contagious to the crowd as everyone felt a part of the music that was being played as everyone sang along. The track “Boy, I’m Just a Loser for Your Love” was a big standout during their performance for its absolutely beautiful melodic breakdown that is accompanied by an intoxicating lead guitar solo that was performed by Blair. Parsons was on lead vocals for this song performing with a very smooth folk-like demeanor as Stefan backed him up on the keys and guitar simultaneously which I think shows the great lengths to which their chemistry goes. They ended the night with “$10” which was a somber send-off to their tour and a crowd favorite as everyone danced along to the beautiful track that asks the question am I living life to the fullest.

 Good Morning is a band that has been putting out music for over a decade, yet their chemistry as a group seems as strong as ever. They continue to release music very consistently and even remix songs from time to time which I think is a strong testament to their love for the music.