An Evening with BoDeans

An Evening with BoDeans

With countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of energy you’ll take home with you, BoDeans continue to contribute to the American songbook as a tried-and true institution. Founded and led by original front man, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kurt Neumann, the band’s catalog consists of generational anthems such as “Good Things,” You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho,” and “Closer To Free,” just to name a few. However, they still reflect the soul and spirit of the modern American experience on their fourteenth full-length offering, 4 The Last Time.

BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, WI in 1986 with the seminal debut, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following Outside Looking In [1987], Home [1989], and Black and White [1991], Go Slow Down [1993] yielded “Closer To Free,” which famously served as the theme song for the smash hit television series Party of Five. With a sought-after discography, their music landed hundreds of television and film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit. Most recently, 2017’s Thirteen arrived to widespread acclaim from The Chicago Tribune and Glide Magazine who spotlighted the music’s “understated grace—an attribute that no doubt fuels the steadfast approach Kurt Neumann has employed of his thirty-plus years as a ‘BoDean’.” Along the way, NETFLIX’s The Ranch also utilized over 70 tunes from Kurt, and he launched his own podcast Staring At The World.

In the midst of the Global Pandemic, he wrote and recorded what would become 4 The Last Time in his Austin, TX studio.

“When Spring came in Wisconsin, everyone rolled their windows down and turned the radio up,” he recalls. “The music sounded so good. This is meant to be one of those songs that makes you crank the volume and have some fun. In light of difficult times when you’re dealing with depression or challenges, sometimes you’ve got to go out and do some shit that seems a little crazy.”

“It wasn’t until later I found out my mom sent me to the ER when I was two-years-old for getting fingerprints on the dining room table,” he sighs. “I was just surviving as a kid. I have children, and I want them to know how much I love them and how much they mean to me. I didn’t get that from my parents. It’s a message to my kids that I’m going to make sure they know how important they are.”

In the end, BoDeans make an impact through such honesty. “For the next year, I’m going to be showing up in towns everywhere and trying to bring people together a
little more,” he leaves off. “Come to a BoDeans gig, sing along, and forget about everything else. That’s why I play nowadays. I’d like to keep pushing that message as long as I can.”