Blu performed on a Monday, a day with the weather to match his sound: that of an aimless, rainy afternoon spent warming hands with a cup of coffee at the Monte Alto. He was accompanied only by a guitar and sang his songs with a voice like a whisper. It lent a lull-a-bye-like quality to his words that lured me, like others, into the cozy couches of the Fireplace Lounge.
Blu hails from El Paso, Texas and has been building a name in the Austin music scene since 1998. In addition to bringing music to the masses on campuses, bars, and coffee shops across the States, Sanders works as a songwriter for a company in Nashville. His songs have been covered by a number of artists, including “A Little Bit” by Jack Ingrahm and “By Your Side” by Whitney Dunn.
Speaking of names…
You may be asking yourself, “What kind of a name is Blu, anyway?” It isn’t a stage name, to be sure. In his website journal, he explained that his full name is-say it with me now- Bluford Bradford Sanders, III. Okay, take a deep breath and bask in the realization that you have just spoken the… Best. Name. Ever. Being the owner of such a moniker has provided Sanders with a number of encounters and his rant about such experiences inspired an excellent comic adaptation (http://www.ericfmyers.com/blu) by Eric Myers. It’s entitled “Mean People Suck”. Oh, indeed.
The most powerful aspect of Sanders’ performance was his lyrics. While his smooth vocals were working for me, most of the songs he performed had the same pacing, and towards the end I felt as though his set list was perhaps a little too mellow. His flow needed to be broken up a bit more so as to keep his audience engaged and, more importantly, awake. Despite the near over-chill song selection, most people in the audience stayed for the duration of the show – myself included. His music was a great catalyst in finding the perfect alchemical balance to the chilled, drizzling day.
Want more info on Blu Sanders? Stop by http://www.blu.net where you can download select songs and purchase a copy of his latest album, My Gemini Self. He can be caught next at The Living Room in NYC on Tuesday, April 12t, at 10 p.m.
For upcoming shows sponsored by the fine, fine folks at PACE, visit http://www.paceevents.org.