ALO’s 11th annual Tour d’Amour made its final stop at Portland, Oregon’s Wonder Ballroom on Saturday night. After a winter that was exceptionally cloudy and wet, including the wettest February on record, the good people of Portland have been impatiently awaiting a return of the light. Occurring just two days before spring, the ALO show was eagerly anticipated by those who know this band, and how they consistently deliver healthy doses of aural sunshine.
ALO wasted no time in connecting with the crowd, opening with “Barbeque,” a song that encourages you to let go of broken dreams and get a fresh start. That song segued into “Dead Still Dance” and the night was off to a great start.
Midway through the first set, opening band Kuinka (formerly known as Rabbit Wilde) joined ALO for a spin through Miike Snow’s “Genghis Khan” that got hands waving in the air. ALO then played the popular “Plastic Bubble” off of 2007’s Roses and Clover. A powerful rendition of “Monday,” from the same album, closed out the first set.
After a short set break, ALO came out swinging, opening with “The Ticket” from their 2015 album Tangle of Time. After a run through “Falling Dominoes,” a cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” brought the already enthusiastic crowd even higher, blissfully dancing and singing along. That song is featured on the freshly released Love Songs, a four-song studio-recorded EP featuring covers of the band’s favorite love songs. The second set continued with more ALO favorites, including “Roses and Clover” and “Animal Liberation,” which closed out the second set.
Being the last show of the tour, the band was far from finished, and came back out for an extended encore. “Walls of Jericho” picked things back up, and featured drummer David Brogan on lead vocals. More prime ALO jamming ensued, as the band kept things rolling through “Suspended,’ “Storms & Hurricanes,” “Fly,” and “Hot Tub” before finally giving one last thanks to the audience and calling it a night.
Brogan (drums) and Steve Adams (bass) lay the groundwork from which ALO’s compositions soar, freeing up Zach Gill (keyboards) and Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz (guitar) to improvise and utilize their next-level instrumental skills. The ensemble has the experience and the chops to explore the outer regions of a composition while remaining firmly tethered to the groove. Their lyrics explore life’s wonders and hardships in fun, quirky ways that connect with people and always drive toward redemption. It’s celebratory, happy music delivered with tight, focused jams. ALO’s Tour d’Amour XI left Portland a little warmer, and a little brighter.
Opening Saturday’s show was Kuinka, who have been touring as Rabbit Wilde for the past few years. After dealing with name-related trademark issues, the band decided to go ahead and change their name. The rebranding comes just before the upcoming release of their new EP, Stay Up Late. Kuinka (the Finnish word for “how”) also altered their sound just a bit, adding a synthesizer to their more traditional instrumentation to help deliver their high-energy brand of folk-pop. A clarinet/saxophone player added another dynamic to a few songs during their set.
ALO, Wonder Ballroom, Portland, Oregon, 3.18.17
Set I: Barbeque > Dead Still Dance, Push > Waiting For Jaden, Genghis Khan (Mike Snow cover with Kuinka), Plastic Bubble, Monday
Set II: The Ticket, Falling Dominoes, Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order), Room for Bloomin’, Roses and Clover, Animal Liberation
Encore: Walls of Jericho, Suspended, Storms & Hurricanes, Fly, Hot Tub
