Self described as “synthesized love notes,” The Flvr Blue crafts fun pop music with sweeping synthesized beats and beautifully sung/occasionally chopped melodies. Their limited catalogue has a ton of variety, offering everything from love songs, to groovy dance numbers, to party anthems. If you’ve heard Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song “White Walls” then you’ve already gotten a taste of The Flvr Blue. Hollis, one third of the group, has a vocal and songwriting credit on that song.
So to say I wasn’t expecting a good show would be a lie. However when the stage crew put two guitars on stage for them I was still surprised. Instruments! I had come to the Flvr Blue show expecting fun electro-pop. I was not expecting the three piece to be jamming on guitars. It would serve to be the first of many pleasant surprises that night.
As The Flvr Blue came out on stage, you could feel the energy of the building increase exponentially. One of the members came out decked in Alive and Well gear and people from the crowd cheered on the band by their first names; there was no questioning that this was a group from Seattle. I honestly was expecting Macklemore to come up on stage. They wasted no time getting into their set, Hollis serenading the crowd with infectious hooks, while the Lance Cadence and Parker Joe plucked away at a mini MPK’s, synthesizers, and guitars. They switched roles multiple times and the songs were just as catchy and fun when Hollis surrendered vocal duties to the other members.
They peppered covers throughout their set, tackling a Nirvana song (of course) and Outkast’s “Prototype.” Hollis also flexed her rapping skills on a Big Sean song (it was that one that’s on the radio all the time now, I don’t know what its called, sorry). The group kept the crowd moving and singing the whole time, and it seemed like every one in the building was having a good time.
Often when you see up and coming electro-pop groups, the live show is lacking. It is no easy task to transition pop music to the live venue, and The Flvr Blue did not have it perfected yet. However they seemed to accept this, and that made all the difference. They played in guitar riffs, danced around drumming on a mini midi controller, played the synth and drummed on a little snare set up. They even recruited the help of a violinist for one song. Yet they also had songs where they straight up just played backing tracks and sang. They didn’t try to fake anything, but still flexed their musicality and it kept the atmosphere fun. The group gave a little speech, thanking the Seattle fans in the middle of their set. It was much more sincere then a lot of the cheesy fan thanking speeches you get at concerts, and I really left the show rooting for the band. Hollis is a Seattle U alumni as well, so it was fun to hear a little bit of her story. They also threw on a fun playlist at the end and jumped off the stage to meet everyone. It was just a very sincere, personable show throughout.
While The Flvr Blue’s music isn’t your grandma’s boring version of oversaturated pop music, the Seattle group definitely has the potential to blow up. After seeing the energy and passion they were able to bring to their music live, I wouldn’t be surprised if The Flvr Blue’s flvr of pop is frequenting the radio before long. All puns aside, The Flvr Blue put on a great hometown show that was fun and flvrfull. (I was lying, puns are never aside). If you haven’t heard of their music, be sure to check them out quick, so you can brag that you liked them before they were on the radio.
Geran Landen / The Madagascar Penguins Have a Movie? / KXSU Music Director