On the Scene: Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live June 6th, 2024

Rian Nickels

Aug 8, 2024

The Harmonic Stew showcase is a vibrant celebration of emerging talent.

I've been wanting to write on The Harmonic Stew Showcase for quite a while, and on June 6th, 2024, I finally had the opportunity to visit Chelsea's Live, a venue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to experience the showcase myself. The Harmonic Stew is a local music showcase designed to shine light on up-and-coming talents in and around Baton Rouge. Though I missed the last acts of the night, Soul Jettison and Carter Patrick & The Telegram Salesmen, I got to catch South Louisiana local bands: The Dale Harris Band, Goodbye Academy, and Hey Thanks!

Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana June 6, 2024 — Credit: Rian Nickels

The Dale Harris Band

To kick off the night was Dale Harris, a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He sometimes performs as a solo act, sometimes as a duo with his brother Glenn Harris on lead guitar, but tonight, we got to experience the full Dale Harris Band with Dale and Glen alongside Adam on the bass and Mikey on the drums.

They took the stage, and Chelsea's Live was filled with jazzy tunes and electric strums of songs like "The River" and "South Bound Train" that gave anyone from Louisiana a sense of home. With Dale's soulful voice and the rest of the band's rhythmic energy, it was easy for the atmosphere to wake up and come to life. This made The Dale Harris Band the perfect warm-up for the other acts in the local showcase.

Goodbye Academy

Next on the lineup was one of my favorite Louisiana alternative bands, Goodbye Academy. The trio (bassist and vocalist Jake, guitarist and vocalist Kris, and drummer Chase) exudes a well-practiced chemistry that shines through in their performances.

They played mellow songs like "Intermission" and "Shaver, What A Last Name" to a smaller and more intimate crowd, but their audience got a little bigger with each song. By the time they got to more riotous and upbeat songs like "Thanks for the Toy" and "Best Ways, Worst Days," day-one fans sang along, and first-time listeners moved their bodies to the drum beat. Chase's endless versatility on the drums, Jake's ability to communicate with the audience, Kris's unique voice, and their entire harmony show that they belong on a big stage with all their works. Goodbye Academy did a spectacular job of drawing in the audience and keeping them interested and engaged with odes to past lovers and verses about growing up. With their deeply nostalgic lyrics and melodic guitar strums, I think Goodbye Academy makes the perfect "blueprint" for what I would call "Southeastern Emo."

Hey Thanks!

The last band I was able to catch was Hey Thanks! from New Orleans, Louisiana. They are a four-piece band with Travis as the frontman, vocalist, and bassist. Backed by bandmates Trevor on the drums and Micah and Jason on the guitars, this was their first live performance in six months, and their fans were ready for another chance to see them play.

The very moment they arrived on the stage, the crowd became fuller and more excited, and it was easy to see that Hey Thanks was locally loved and supported. Their energy immediately got people onto their feet, ready to emerge themselves into the band's pop-punk-pop-synth-alternative type beats. With older songs like "I'm Sure It's on the Way" from their first record, "Start/Living," and unreleased and untitled tracks, they had a perfect set list that shows you where they were and where they're going. Hey Thanks! brings a lot of musical variety, with bandmates playing multiple instruments, vocal range, and songs covering a spectrum of genre types and emotions. One of the things that stands out to me the most about them is their ability to bring a crowd of people with different music tastes together to enjoy just existing and listening to music.

Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live was a testament to the vibrant and diverse music we have in Baton Rouge and beyond. From the soulful, jazzy rhythms of The Dale Harris Band to the nostalgic, emo-infused melodies of Goodbye Academy and the high-energy, genre-blending sounds of Hey Thanks!, the night celebrated talent and community. Each band brought their unique flavor to the stage, creating a night of music that felt both intimate and electric. Even though I missed the final acts, the performances I did see were enough to leave a lasting impression, reminding me of the power of live music and its ability to connect us. This showcase helped to show some of the best of what South Louisiana has to offer, making it a night to remember, and I cannot wait to experience more showcases in the future.

To learn more about the bands:

*All photos courtesy of Rian Nickels

Got a show you'd like Rian to cover? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.

On the Scene: Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live June 6th, 2024

The Dale Harris Band

Goodbye Academy

Hey Thanks!

Dale Harris Band:

Goodbye Academy:

Hey Thanks!