Bleu - More Than Just A Hair Color
August 22, 2001
Warner Theatre, Washington, DC
© Nancy Yim

You can tell a lot about a band just by watching how they interact with total strangers - the potential fans -- people with whom they have to make an instant impression in order to earn their daily bread. You can tell what they're really about. So, what is Bleu about, you ask?

I witnessed a father taking his 9-year-old son and his 7-year-old daughter to the merchandise table where he purchased each child a Headroom cd. I watched as the father gently encouraged the shy children to go talk to Bleu and ask for his autograph. I watched as the smile on their tiny faces reflected the pure delight and joy of owning their very own personalized signed cd. I also watched as 2 young ladies screamed from the balcony "We love you, Bleu!" I watched as Bleu looked up, smiled and blew kisses in their direction. I watched as the girls squealed with glee. I also watched as each person that stopped by the merchandise table told Bleu how much they enjoyed the set, and I watched as Bleu looked them all in the eye and really held a conversation with each new fan. And when the table was crowded because the cashier couldn't take the money fast enough, I watched as Bleu stepped in and helped sell his own merchandise.

The other players were quietly about and making their own impressions as well. At every turn, I caught one of the supporting casts shaking hands, taking pictures and signing autographs. Bill Guerra (guitar), Max (bass), JP Powell (keyboard, background vocals) and Dustin Hengst (drum) are no silent partners by any means. They were dazzling the crowd just as well as their frontman.

Watching Bleu perform at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC was a pure joy. With the support of Bill, Max, JP and Dustin, the crowd was eating them up! Even with the uneven sound at the venue, the pure musical genius of this band was crystal clear. Unfamiliar with the songs did not stop the majority of the crowd from clapping their support, screaming their approval and swaying along to the beat - that is, when they snapped out of the trance that Bleu enveloped them in. Towards the end of the set, Bleu rocked out even more with his mates and even threw in a "rock star jump" here and there. The beautiful song "Somebody Else" will be featured in an upcoming episode of the new WB television series Smallville.

Sharing his musical potluck of gems and being genuinely interested in people are only parts of what Bleu the man and Bleu the band is all about. Bleu is also about giving back to the community. Through Bleu's site, http://www.bleutopia.com, Bing, Bang, Holidang can be purchased. The Boston Institute for Arts Therapy, a local charity that provides therapy to mentally handicapped kids, abandoned children, teenage mothers and others, benefits from all the proceeds from the sales of this great holiday album concept. The album boasts a list that reads like a "Who's who" in the Boston music scene. Bing, Bang, Holidang can be purchased from Bleu's official website. Be sure to go to the link and support a great cause. This is what Bleu is all about.

If you are looking for the "next thing," if you're tired of the metal-rap and the sugar-coated teen pop scene, if your musical palette has matured, then you must hear Bleu. During headlining band Train's set, Pat Monahan of Train said, "You just heard Bleu… Damn, that's a good band." Yes, Pat. I totally agree.