- Pain, misery, old house, blah blah blah ...
Blue October’s Pick Up the Phone Tour — which is tied to a half-dozen suicide-prevention and help groups — was originally scheduled for last year, when the Houston alt-rockers released their fifth album, Approaching Normal. Ironically, frontman Justin Furstenfeld suffered a severe mental anxiety attack and the tour was scrapped. The singer, songwriter and guitarist is OK for now, but he has bipolar disorder, so there’s no telling when the tour and band may come to an abrupt stop. Not so surprisingly, Blue October put listeners in the position as Furstenfeld’s therapist, as he bitches, whines, seethes, rages and howls at (to borrow the title of Approaching Normal’s opening cut) “The Weight of the World.” Furstenfeld asks a lot of his fans. Not only are they expected to absorb his glum tales of drugs, depression and infidelity, they must endure his voice, which climbs a couple steps on the annoyance ladder the more excited he gets. But there’s a strong connection between Blue October and their fans, even if the music puts the rest of us on the ledge. Blue October play House of Blues at 8 p.m. Tickets: $25. —Michael Gallucci (follow me on Twitter @mgallucci)
