Country Music Band Gone West Takes the Stage at Troubadour
“Sailin’ off to search the islands/ Gone west for somethin’ new/ Found paniolo and wave riders, but choose neither,” sings American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat to a full house at the Troubadour in West Hollywood on May 10. The audience stands in the middle of the room cheering, dancing, and singing along to the country bop, “I've gone west, rollin' down the highway like a tumbleweed/ I've gone west, where the canyons fall into the deep blue sea.”
After much success as a pop-folk solo artist, Caillat returns to stages with Gone West, a band composed of long time friend and collaborator Jason Reeves, Country Music Television (CMT) award winner Nelly Joy, and her fiancé, Hawaiian recording artist Justin Kawika Young. The country group takes us down a feel-good journey with their contagious self-titled upbeat bop “Gone West,” a song explaining why they ultimately came back to the west coast after living in Nashville, Tenn., for about two and a half years. Guitars, banjos, and tambourines fill the intimate mini-concert room at the Troubadour, a different sound for Caillat known for her melodic pop style.
Keeping the audience engaged and asking for more, the band played for about an hour and a half non-stop, delighting those who came for a good time. “Confetti,” the third recording on their EP titled “Tides,” kept the ambience going with a message of empowerment. “Yeah, my heart didn't break/ When I broke into that old bottle of fancy champagne/ I’ve been saving for the perfect time/ You can't rain on my parade/ Got my freedom, gonna celebrate/ When you left I was so damn ready,” they belt out in impeccable harmony.
“This Time” encouraged listeners to take a minute to appreciate the things, people, and moments they are given, “I'm gonna stop right now and call my mama/ Gonna take a sick day when I'm feelin' gray.” The song was beautifully stripped down to an acoustic guitar that made it all the more meaningful. Joy and Caillat’s voices implored the audience to live life at its fullest, because no one knows what will happen tomorrow.
Toward the end of the night, the group surprised the audience with a few throwback tunes individually. Caillat picked up an acoustic guitar and performed her first hit “Bubbly” from her debut album “Coco” back in 2007. The audience chanted along with the American songstress. Young also took the stage performing one of his own songs in his native Hawaiian.
Gone West kicks off the start of their tour with a bang and is set to release an album in June. Their next performance will be May 11 in Phoenix, Arizona. Their EP “Tides” released on January 18 and is available on iTunes.