BoDeans

BoDeans Live at Arlington Music Hall

Come join us for a night of incredible music with the legendary band BoDeans! Get ready to rock out and sing along to all your favorite hits. The show starts at 8 PM on Friday, June 28, 2024 at the Arlington Music Hall. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience!

With countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of

energy you’ll take home with you, BoDeans continue to contribute to the American songbook as a tried-and-

true institution. Founded and led by original frontman, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kurt

Neumann, the band’s catalog consists of generational anthems such as “Good Things,” You Don’t Get Much,”

“Idaho,” and “Closer To Free,” just to name a few. However, they still reflect the soul and spirit of the

modern American experience on their fourteenth full-length offering, 4 The Last Time.

“The music of BoDeans has defined much of my life,” muses Kurt. “I consider myself fortunate to be able to

do what I enjoy. I wanted to creatively do something positive for the world instead of just taking from it. So,

this is what I’ve chosen to do with my life. The music was always about the blue-collar dream of a better life,

and it still is.”

BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, WI in 1986 with the seminal debut, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams,

produced by T Bone Burnett. Following Outside Looking In [1987], Home [1989], and Black and White [1991],

Go Slow Down [1993] yielded “Closer To Free,” which famously served as the theme song for the smash hit

television series Party of Five. With a sought-after discography, their music landed hundreds of television and

film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2,

Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm

Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently

entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit. Most recently, 2017’s Thirteen arrived to widespread

acclaim from The Chicago Tribune and Glide Magazine who spotlighted the music’s “understated grace—an

attribute that no doubt fuels the steadfast approach Kurt Neumann has employed of his thirty-plus years as a

‘BoDean’.” Along the way, NETFLIX’s The Ranch also utilized over 70 tunes from Kurt, and he launched his

own podcast Staring At The World.

In the midst of the Global Pandemic, he wrote and recorded what would become 4 The Last Time in his

Austin, TX studio.

“We have a classic guitar-driven midwestern rock pop sound,” he goes on. “I wanted to make sure there was

still some music out there with guitars on it. I feel like I’m getting better at this in my fifties. So, there are a lot

of those big rock songs we’ve done for years. I got that vibe down on this record.”

Fittingly, BoDeans kick this chapter off with the high-energy anthem “Ya Gotta Go Crazy.” It charges forward

with roots-y countrified swagger punctuated by an unshakable chant and hummable guitar solo.

“When Spring came in Wisconsin, everyone rolled their windows down and turned the radio up,” he recalls.

“The music sounded so good. This is meant to be one of those songs that makes you crank the volume and

have some fun. In light of difficult times when you’re dealing with depression or challenges, sometimes

you’ve got to go out and do some shit that seems a little crazy.”

Then, there’s “A Little More Time.” The stomping groove gives way to another anthemic refrain as he pleads,

“Come on baby won’t you give me just a little more time.

”

“On the day Tom Petty died, I was really sad,” he admits. “I’ve always been astounded by how good he was—

from the time I discovered him at 15 until now. This is my little nod to Tom and The Heartbreakers for what

they gave me.”

On “I’m A Mess,” he examines the two lives of a career musician. “I’ve done this for 35 years,” he says. “As

you get older, you start a family. When you’re on the traveling circus, you feel really disconnected from your

life at home. You’re a mess without the other half of your life.”

“Anyone But You” unfolds as a poignant love song over dreamy piano. Meanwhile, the title track “4 The Last

Time” captures the breaking point of a relationship through an emotionally charged vocal originally

popularized through an early incarnation of the tune on The Ranch.

“It’s about the despair you go through when a relationship is dying and you can’t save it,” he continues. “It’s a

tough and painful place to be. When ‘4 The Last Time’ was on The Ranch, I got so many messages asking for a

full version. I thought the title might get everyone talking since we’ve been around for so long. Is this the last

time? It’s a topic of conversation when you mention the history of the band.”

The opener “Loved” importantly doubles as a mission statement. With its robust guitars and wild solo, it

culminates on a promise to his kids, “You’re gonna know you were loved.

”

“It wasn’t until later I found out my mom sent me to the ER when I was two-years-old for getting fingerprints

on the dining room table,” he sighs. “I was just surviving as a kid. I have children, and I want them to know

how much I love them and how much they mean to me. I didn’t get that from my parents. It’s a message to

my kids that I’m going to make sure they know how important they are.”

In the end, BoDeans make an impact through such honesty.

“For the next year, I’m going to be showing up in towns everywhere and trying to bring people together a

little more,” he leaves off. “Come to a BoDeans gig, sing along, and forget about everything else. That’s why I

play nowadays. I’d like to keep pushing that message as long as I can.”

Event Venue

Arlington Music Hall, 224 N Center St, Arlington, United States