Indie pop darlings, known for hits like “Ballerina Out of Control” and “Vanity Fair,” The Ocean Blue, gave St. Louis a visit this weekend on April 26 at Delmar Hall, performing their first two albums, released over 35 years ago in 1989 and 1990, respectively.
Their self-titled ‘The Ocean Blue’ was released under Reprise Records just a few years after the band began. The members met in high school in the small town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. This continued interest of fans, old and new alike, has helped the band be able to tour to this day, showing the real staying power of the band and its music.
My friends and I arrived to the show a little after doors opened and realized quickly we were one of the youngest groups there. Many older fans were excited by us, asking how old we were and what we thought of the band, and telling us how they were our age too when they first heard the band. The Ocean Blues’ jangly guitars and droning sound evokes many bands they were listening to in the 80s as well. The Lead singer, David Schelzel, spoke of how The Smiths were his all-time favorite band, and even ended the set with a rendition of their song, “Please, Please, Please.”
Schelzel told many stories throughout the set, about the band, their beginnings, stories from tours, and many different song meanings. When introducing their song “Ask Me Jon” he said many people asked what that specific song was about, he launched into a tale of when the band was opening for The Psychedelic Furs, and a few members of R.E.M were in the crowd. After the set, Schelzel ran into Michael Stipe and was given the advice “don’t tell people what your songs are about, because it will ruin their interpretation of it” so Schelzel ended the story with, “so I won’t tell you what it means” launching into the intro as the crowd laughed.
These songs Schelzel wrote when he was only a teenager have poignant lyrics that make them universal but poetic. He talked about some songs and how they were sometimes based off simple ideas, love, fear, experiences, but what they mean to him has changed with age, and makes him still able to put real emotion into his performances. He talks about the stories of these songs, one track off of their sophomore album, “Cerulean,” was based on a scene the movie “Rebel Without a Cause,” because in college he studied the film and many other masterful 60s directors. The track “The Planetarium Scene’ was played with the scene from the movie played on the projector behind them. And although I had never seen the movie before, I felt a connection and understanding of it I wouldn’t have had before. Schelzel can form lyrics that are simple but put a bigger meaning together, songs that deeply appreciate nature, the world around us, love in all its forms, for people, places, ideas, all with a warbling guitar behind it and a youthful voice singing it into you. The crowd was electric, some traveling from their show the day before in Lawrence, Kansas, to see the set again.
Overall, the two-hour set brought you back in time to a simpler, less industrial view of the world, full of appreciation, admiration, and excitement for the future. These messages are how The Ocean Blue sets itself apart from many other bands of the time and their devotion to the music and the bond between them keeps the band going after so many greats of that time long since dissolved. Their tour continues into Illinois, then Washington, and California. After touring for over 18 months, the band shows no signs of slowing down, soon to perform at music festivals over the summer and announcing more shows as they go. If you ever get the chance to see The Ocean Blue and have a soft spot for indie rock, give them a shot.
