Northwest Arkansas has been experiencing their yearly winter weather, a little snow and a whole lot of ice.  As the week progressed the icy conditions continued and by Wednesday February 1^st St. Paul & The Broken Bones would perform and bring the heat to help melt away the winter tundra.  Starting the night off was acoustic singer-songwriter Rett Madison.  Her debut album Pin Up Daddy may have just came out in 2021, but Rett performs as if she has been doing this her whole life.  With a very soulful voice and songs that touch on knowing who you are, sexuality, loss, and great storytelling, Rett Madison is a musician that can be put up against her contemporaries.  Expect the name Rett Madison to be spoken about in the future.

There aren’t a lot of bands out there like St. Paul & The Broken Bones.  For starters, being an eight piece band, they have maintained their core members, each member’s talents can stand on their own, and their live show can get anyone dancing no matter how old they are.  It helps that lead singer Paul Janeway is probably the most unpredictable, exciting, and fascinating front man.  He alone draws everyone in to watch in awe.  By the fourth song, “Sanctify”, he was in the crowd singing and giving high fives to where he finishes the song on the second floor of venue.  From there he will disappear as the band will play a sort of intermission song that is reminisce of Booker T and The MG’s which featured a trumpet and a mesmerizing drum solo.  When Paul returns to the stage he explains this tour was to try out some new songs, and if you don’t like them don’t let them know for they have fragile egos he said jokingly.  St. Paul & The Broken Bones latest release, The Alien Coast, came out last January, but lately on social media they have been promoting they have new music coming this February.  It isn’t know if this is a new album or just singles, but the first new song, “Sea Star”, had vibes that it could’ve be on their second album Sea Of Noise.  This song has been used in their social media posts and the song will impress fans while fitting in perfectly to their set. 

After the new song they would go into “GotItBad” which would be extended with a great guitar solo and an impressive saxophone solo by Amari Ansari.  The way St. Paul & The Broken Bones highlights each member during their live show is always the best, the solos are hands down incredible and you won’t hear these on their albums.  Before they played another new song, which the title wasn’t given, Paul asked the crowd for one Razorback cheer to which the crowd sang in unison to which the band applauded.  The second new song was just as good as the first new song and featured great vocal harmonies by everyone in the band.  Before St. Paul & The Broken Bones ended their set with “Call Me”, they played “Broken Bones & Pocket Change” to which if you been to their show before you know Paul will get a little crazy.  His shoes will be taken off, he will sing while crawling on the ground and for tonight he threw the mic stand to the floor and kicked it while stumbling around like he was drunk.  Writing what happens is one thing, but this is something you have to see in person.  From start to finish, a St. Paul & The Broken Bones show is a show everyone needs to witness once.  Words don’t do it justice and I can guarantee that once you see them live one time you will want to go again and again.