Leo Blais, singer-songwriter from Lowell, MA, flipped the atmosphere of the Den with his original tunes and songs this past weekend.
Blais impressed the Phillips Academy community with his voice, lyrics and performance on the guitar and keyboards.
“It was cool how [Blais] played two instruments and sang as well,” said Aliyah Belinkie ’13.
After the Peasekeepers’ performance, Blais and his band appeared before the spotlights. His band members included Dave Eisman on guitar, Dave Brophy on drums and Dave Osgood on base. “So it’s three Dave’s and Leo,” Blais joked during his interview with The Phillipian.
The band first performed “I Meditate.” This song came across as a very simple song. It repeated the lyrics “I meditate” countless times, separated only by some instrumental solos that added flavor to the piece.
“‘I Meditate’ is always a fun song when we play it. [The song] kind of allows you to lose yourself. It’s a real simple song, but that’s the point. Music doesn’t have to be so complex,” said Blais.
Besides “I meditate,” Blais sang ten other songs that made the students tap their feet and nod their heads to the melodies and rhythms of his music. A group of students really enjoyed themselves and even air-guitared to the songs performed.
In an e-mail to The Phillipian, Blais said, “The set list changes from show to show for the most part. I try to keep things up beat, you know? There’s always slower songs you could play, but who wants to go through that on a Saturday night,” said Blais.
Throughout the concert, there were times when Blais and his band brought back the familiar atmosphere of the Beatles. The song titled “All in All” definitely had similar tunes with the Beatles.
Another song titled “Slow Drivin” mentioned how people need to sometimes slow down in their journey of life and how much more meaningful life becomes when things slow down.
“Slow Drivin” was one of the slower pieces played that night, and the speed of the song perfectly fits the song’s title.
Blais, as a songwriter, writes about life and the journey we are all on. “[The topics I write about are] never limited, and you can pull from many different areas for inspiration,” said Blais’s brother.
Blais also revealed that his grandfather played nine different instruments. “Although I never met him, I feel a connection and have that same love of music and art,” said Edmond.
Blais’s inspiration for his songs also comes from other famous artists, such as Radiohead, The Band, George Harrison and The Beatles.
Many songwriters face trouble creating their own musical line. “Initially when you first start writing, you haven’t found your voice yet. The challenge is to continue to work until you have something that is yours only,” said Blais.
Blais has a clear vision and goal when he writes his songs. “Understanding exactly what’s necessary and what isn’t for a song is important. It’s all about negating the ego, which is what we aim for when arranging a song. There’s a place for everything and a time where some instruments need to be heard more than others, but the balance needs to be right,” said Blais.
With his own skills and inspirations from his grandfather and various other artists, Blais is now rising as a songwriter and performer.
Altogether Blais has published three albums, and one of his songs, “Show me Love,” was selected to be in Dunkin Donuts’ new commercial. “Show me Love” has an upbeat rhythm and simple lyrics, making it the perfect song for commercializing donuts.
Finding joy in performances, Blais and his band have shows every week around the Boston area at Prep schools, restaurants and colleges. Next week, they are scheduled to play at a restaurant in Cambridge and Boston College.
“It was pleasure to perform at PA and we all enjoyed ourselves,” said Blais. In addition, he also posted on his website (leoblais.com) a thank you note to the Phillips Academy community.
It was a great opportunity for students at Phillips Academy to enjoy Blais’s music while sipping on some drinks and nibbling on snacks from The Den.
