Ladies and Gentlemen...Blue Eyed Jesus! This trio from Chicago draws it’s inspirations from the dawn of Rock and Roll and beyond. Formed in late 2008 by Chicago guitarist, Steve Vazquez, bassist Mike Dobervich (Duck You Sucker, Umbra and the Vulcan Siege) and drummer Zafar Musharraf (The Swan King, Toro! Toro! Toro!), the band weathered many setbacks (we’ll spare you the details) but continued to charge forward. An early demo prompted one reviewer to write:
“The trio have(sic) absorbed many styles and influences into its music. There’s definitely some blues-rock riffs combined with buzzy alternative rock rhythms and plenty of fuzzy vocals. It’s a simple, yet hearty stew."
Audrey Leon, loudlooppress.com
Playing many of the great rock clubs of Chicago, BEJ have steadily been building a loyal fan base and continue to turn heads with every show. Even the most jaded Simon Cowell wannabe’s can’t help but unfold their arms, tap their feet and let their guard down to throw in the reflex-reaction head-bob. More and more, lovers of the Rock and Roll are coming back to satisfy their cravings for tube amps, heavy-foot drums, and the rush of possible annihilation by guitar solos straight from the mouth of Godzilla. One blogger, after a second visit to a BEJ show, wrote:
"For this reviewer, BEJ continued to amaze her ears with the band's intermixing of genres heard amongst their songs. It's their use of edgy guitar hooks and upbeat tempos (even while performing the ballad -Tell Me Again) that fuels the loyal BEJ fans into a fanatic frenzy at each show. They were excited to hear such favorites Hey Beautiful, Long Hard Nights and closer Velvet Years but this band had two new surprises rockin' the stage for them…" She went on :
" New song, Too Late, jumpstarted this set with a loud rip-roaring bang in which SouthSide immediately liked the melodic rhythms ...meanwhile Your Time (new song dedicated to the people in Libya, Egypt, and elsewhere) blasted the ears with hardcore guitar rock sound. This rock anthem was the highlighted featured of this performance for the way BEJ had the stage under an electrifying glow. Who knows when and where (Blue Eyed) Jesus will appear on stage again, blogspot readers, but do visit this band..."
- SouthSide Tanya Vega, southsideonthetown.blogspot.com part 4 (Mar 08, 2011)
Another reviewer, after seeking BEJ out for an interview wrote:
“…My eyes stayed open and so did my ears. Its been about a year since I first discovered BEJ and I still like listening to their songs. “ She went on:
“…these guys have a fantastic happy energy to their music, very similar to the Ramones at times or with a quirky edge that puts me in mind of early Cure, and on some of the songs, the vocals have the sarcastic melancholy style of Paul Westerberg. “
-Dawn Casey Perreault, Rock In Chicago (Sept.2012)
Another reviewer wrote:
"Equal parts punk and alternative rock, Blue Eyed Jesus recalls bits of The Ramones, Foo Fighters, or The Replacements throughout its Velvet Years EP..."
He went on:
"...the trio is surely on the right track for those who like the raw side of the dial."
– Andy Argyrakis, Illinois Entertainer, “Around Hear”, November 2012
Blue Eyed Jesus is excited to release the new Velvet Years EP, (Recorded with Dan Glomski of Balance Audio and Metro Mobile) and will be playing often in support. They will also be recording new material in the Spring of 2012. Look for them on Facebook and ReverbNation for upcoming dates, info, lyrics, photos, and just to say HEY!
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