By: David de Young
I’ll come right out with it. I want people to know about Milwaukee’s The Good Luck Joes. And after seeing them Friday night at Station 4 in St. Paul, I’d like nothing more than to see them come back to our fair Twin Cities. Soon.
The Good Luck Joes occupy a space somewhere between our own White Light Riot and the Alarmists with a little of the college rock mainstream appeal of This World Fair thrown in for good measure. If The Good Luck Joes aren’t one the best bands in Milwaukee right now, I’m downright frightened to see the bands that are.
The Good Luck Joes formed in 2002 while the current members were still in high school. (Average age is right around 20.) The band is headed up by impassioned vocalist and frontman Andrew Martin and rounded out by guitarist Andrew Krei, keyboardist Andrew Citron (I wonder if they ever tossed around “Band of Andrews” as a possible name?) and anchored by bassist Joe Scheltema and drummer Peterson Goodwyn.
Recently, a friend from Chicago turned me onto the band after seeing them perform at the House of Blues opening for ABC, with whom they toured America and Canada in June. (Read a review of the House of Blues show here) This friend, a trusted music source to me for (gasp!) over 20 years, was just raving! Far less enthusiasm would have brought me to listen. On the band’s website I found some medium bit-rate full-length samples that reminded me immediately of Travis, Keane, and Coldplay. And though I admit I wasn’t bowled over right out of the gate, when my friend said, “See them live, you’ll see,” I made a note of it.
Remember Shadowbox? Seeing The Good Luck Joes live took me back to when I saw the former Minneapolis (now NYC-based) band for the first time and could tell right off that they had that “thing.” Someone should really name that thing, as we music writers talk about it all the time. It’s a combination of charisma, a clear understanding of how to construct a successful song, world-class musicianship and an ability to catch the attention of folks like myself who see hundreds of bands a year. Though other reviewers understandably point out that the Good Luck Joes tread the fine line between commonplace college rock and scintillating and memorable alt-rock, their feet are pretty firmly planted on the right side of that line. That “thing” I speak of must be there for me to honestly say a band has a prayer of taking it to the next level; difficult in a sea of not just mediocre but also “pretty good” bands. In this musically competitive world, merely having a prayer is a hell of a good start. The guys haven’t quite arrived, but they are definitely on their way.
The Good Luck Joes have enough hooks that you can enjoy the band the first time you see them without necessarily being familiar with their music. If you have listened to the tracks on their website, “48 Hours,” from their debut EP (which also appears on their first full length What Do You Think of The Noise) will stick in your head, as will songs like “The Sun Explodes,” a well-crafted pop song that pulls you along at just the right rate and then punches you gently in the chest with its soaring chorus. You’ll also find yourself humming ballads like “Middle of Me” as you leave the venue.
The band’s upcoming gigs this fall are mostly in Milwaukee and Madison, so if you’re from those parts, definitely check them out. And I will personally see what I can do about getting them back to the Twin Cities soon.
Photos by David de Young.
Location Info:
Station 4
Artist Info: The Good Luck Joes
Share this story:
Article comments powered by Disqus