When Blue October singer-guitarist Justin Furstenfeld decided to call his current tour “An Open Book,” he sure wasn’t kidding. Over the course of nearly two hours last night at the Beachland Ballroom, he delved into all the details from his past, confessing to cheating on his then-girlfriend with the woman who would become his wife and discussing his battles with drug addiction. The format suited him well and made for an engaging performance.
The concert started very formally as Furstenfeld’s roadie/handler came out and warned against heckling during the show. He was serious, too, as he regularly worked his way through the crowded room during the set to hush any one who spoke above a whisper. Fans were on their best behavior, however, and the ballroom grew hauntingly quiet as Furstenfeld arrived on stage and began reading from the book of lyrics he’s published. He started at the beginning, recounting how he quit his high school band after the other members’ parents called a meeting to discuss the content of his lyrics. “I decided right then that I would never let anyone tell me what I could and couldn’t say from the stage,” he said before playing an acoustic rendition of “Black Orchid,” the song that got him into so much trouble with his band mates. Though overwrought, the somber tune had a certain power when delivered in an acoustic format and Furstenfeld’s soaring vocals sounded sharp.
This article appears in May 1-7, 2013.
Ah, Beachland Ballroom, can’t wait to see another show there
Were you at the same show I was at the ballroom that night you got a lot of what was shared with us by Justin wrong if you have the show on tape you need to go back and have another listen or better actually read the book but thanks so much for having us great evening most of all thanks Justin for keeping Cleveland on your map like I said after the show .. mad love Starr
You’re a complete idiot. This article is slander, lies and bullshit!!!
Wow….. I’m guessing this is written by someone who doesn’t understand what his “Open Book” tour meant to his fans, his family… to him…
Courageous, talented, honest
It’s amazing to hear that someone who’s so gifted is just as real as his fans….
Did you even go to the show or did you just not pay attention, take notes or record it? You have so many things wrong. To start, Hate Me was written for hid Mother, everyone knows that as his mother appeared in the video. You should have taken notes or perhaps actually interviewed Justin prior to posting this, it’s actually offensive to have so many errors in your story.
I have to wonder if you even attended this show. If you weren’t familiar with Justin and Blue October then you should have done your research or let a qualified person do this review. Your “Concert Review” is filled with so many major errors, you are a moron.
uuuuummmmmm what they said…….do your research. Hope you do better next time you decide to write a “review”