Chicago-Based Indie Band Brigitte Calls Me Baby Gets A 10/10 at DC9

On Friday, February 16th, Washington DC's DC9 Nightclub was slowly–but assuredly–filling up with anticipation and concert-goers, eager to share Chicago’s best-kept secret, Brigitte Calls Me Baby. Thankfully we are in an era of music where we can have it all. The band’s lead singer croons to its older listeners while the band incites its younger fans to dance with that mid-2000s British alt rock-sound. From the silver fox adoringly watching the show at the back with his sophisticated post-work PBR to an eight-year-old belting out every lyric and dancing way past her bedtime, this band really does have something for everyone. They are able to defy the demarcation between fans because they span time itself. 

With another French-inspired moniker (a nod to mid-twentieth century sex symbol Brigitte Bardot), Brigitte Calls Me Baby headlined the almost sold out 250 person capacity venue. Like Capital Cities asserts, “You know it when you see it,” and you just know it with BCMB (the band’s acronym-friendly name proves they will be a DC fav.)   BCMB is comprised of singer / songwriter Wes Leavins, guitarist Trevor Lynch, bassist Devin Wessels,  guitarist Jack Fluegel, and drummer Jeremy Benshish. From lead singer Wes Leavins’ command of the stage and his enchanting gaze to the band’s alt-rock infused sound, there is no denying Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s energy and synergy with each other.  

The band promptly appeared on stage after The Montaines, and we were immediately jumpin’ and jivin’ with “You Are Only Made of Dreams,” the lively, melancholic love lost track from BCMB’s debut EP This House Is Made of Corners” They then transitioned into one of the band’s most popular songs, “Eddie My Love,” whose opening specifically reminds us of the Spanish all-girl punk band Hinds’ 2016 album Leave Me Alone. Entirely unrelated but rather speaks to BCMB’s effortless genre bending. They continued the set with their budding discography including the self-reflective, impressively streamed “Impressively Average” and a seamless cover of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.”  As a mirror ball was lit the room began to spin with colors. BCMB did not merely cover Michael's classic song but they  arranged in their style and embraced it as a song of their own blending seamlessly into their setlist. They also surprised the crowd with a new song, which is hopefully a forecast of what’s to come from the newly signed ATO Records’ artists, label mates to Old Crow Medicine Show, My Morning Jacket, and Black Pumas.

Having just released their first EP last November they exploded onto the international musical landscape with a successful festival season with appearances at UK-based All Points East and Austin’s SXSW.  With this sort of success we can only look on the horizon for where their career will take them.