Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October on Wednesday, March 31st at the KCDA Studios
If I could see a mini concert like I just did every day during my lunch I would be one happy camper. I was really blown away with the personal touch that Justin had with the thirty or so people in the KCDA Studio Concert Hall. He was very kind and normal… he wasn’t a cocky stuck up rock star and that was refreshing. He said he was nervous but I couldn’t tell during any of the songs he played for us. When he sang you could see the emotion just bursting from his face and body movements, he loves what he does. He cares about it.
He played the first song he ever wrote in high school, then his favorite song “Hate Me” which really was a defining moment in his life. It was cool to hear him talk about his songs. He told us how “Hate Me” isn’t a love song, it is an apology to his family and friends for a way he was acting and the choices he had made with drugs. We were allowed to ask questions and a guy asked how did the name Blue October come up? When he was a kid he was put in to a place in October and it woke him up, he never wanted to go back; hence the Blue October.
Another thing that just made me really, really like him as a person was how he said that his songs are there to be a voice for people that have a mental illness. That he wants people to be able to relate to his songs. He wants to be a poster child for that, to have his stories and music be the voice for some people who can’t. I thought that was remarkable and very honest.
His latest single which is played on 103.1 KCDA “Should Be Loved” was the last song he played and this one had an interesting story behind it. Steve Lillywhite who produced “Approaching Normal” told Justin, hey we don’t have that hit so you need to write a song. Justin wrote “Should Be Loved” in two days on the piano and not only is it a hit song but a favorite of Justin’s. That is amazing to me, very talented.
Now Justin is a father and his writing is taking a small turn, he is more protective. We laughed as he said that you would think he would write happy songs yet he is more shielding his daughter. I really am eager to hear more songs from Justin and Blue October, just from getting to know a small bit of him in thirty minutes. I have a lot of respect for him and the band now.
It was such a cool experience during the middle of the day, to watch an intimate live performance and snack on yummy food! Like I mentioned earlier would do it any day of the week!
Learn more about Justin and Blue October here.
photos by Jason McCollim