NFV Song Spotlight: Kesley Bou's stuck in atlanta

Kesley Bou played a recent WFNM night at Bar Lubitsch. She played a short 5 song set with three of those songs coming from her recent 2024 Bad Dream album. The set opened up with "in the dark" that has the lyrics, "You told me to move on, but I can’t let this one go." Yes, the album is filled with sadness. The next song was also from the album and got the introduction with a chuckle, "This next song is less sad. Give or take. It's called 'the end.'" This one has the lyrics, "Flowers wilting underneath. The weight of your feet." 

Kesley Bou at Bar Lubitsch

While at the job earlier in the day, I listened to the music of the various artists performing that night and I was most intrigued by Kesley Bou. She did not disappoint. Her set was first introduced by a friend who encouraged everyone from the bar section to come on into the venue part. She played the set with just the use of a ukulele and a loop pedal. The ukulele was decorated with various stickers. One sticker was her own sticker that had a palm tree replacing the "l" and a ghost replacing the "o." While doing my research for this blog post, I learned she grew up in Florida so the palm tree seems to be a homage to the state. As for the ghost, a love for the supernatural?

With a "Sorry, whoever's pedal board that is, I keep stepping on it," she used her loop pedal for the song "London Boyz." The song is from her 2022 EP Orange Juice. That's got to be another Florida reference, right? It took a fun long time before she was actually able to start the song. She briefly interrupted her set when she noticed her friends in the audience and gave them a shoutout that she was "so glad to see them here." Then she had to stop the song when her foot missed the button to start the looping. When she got it correct, she raised an arm and said, "Slay!" It was worth the wait for the interaction of the looping, ukulele playing, and vocals. 

Kesley Bou at Bar Lubitsch

The song "stuck in atlanta" is also from the Bad Dream album. Like the prior two songs played from the set, there is a sadness to the music. That sadness is what intrigued me so much while listening to her tunes on Spotify. The music video on Spotify, has her standing in front of a church in a wedding dress. The camera focuses on three images during the video: the cross at the top of the church, the picking up of rocks, and a bridal bouquet. (As a note that in another Spotify video for the song "look away" that bouquet is on fire.) A marriage that was supposed to last forever under the eyes of God were destroyed by stones? A reference to the woman caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees who wanted her stoned?    

My sins are forgiven

Don’t know what you’re missing

During the set, she mentioned that she's from Nashville so at some point she got herself out of Atlanta.

Kesley Bou at Bar Lubitsch

There were two other songs from that album that I really fell in love with ("work it out" and "better left alone") that weren't played during this set.  

Comment of the night: Thank you to Bar Lubtisch. Is that how you say it? 

Setlist: in the dark, the end, London Boyz, stuck in atlanta, coastal boy.