SPILL LIVE REVIEW: BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH w/ CLEREL @ COMMONWEALTH BAR & STAGE, CALGARY (AB)

BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH w/ CLEREL

@ COMMONWEALTH BAR & STAGE, CALGARY (AB)

MARCH 21, 2025

To celebrate 20 years of their monumental album, Sounding A Mosaic, Bedouin Soundclash is touring across Canada. For the second stop on the tour, they took to the Commonwealth Bar & Stage in Calgary along with Clerel for a highly memorable and incredibly entertaining show.

Clerel opened the night perfectly with his unbelievably beautiful voice, joyfully upbeat personality, and tenderly groovy guitar playing. Those who did not know Clerel before going to the show would have undoubtedly become fans once his set ended. With “Rainbow”, he got the audience to sing along and snap (or clap) to the beat of the song. The warmly relaxing R&B vibes of the song, Clerel’s wonderful voice, and his gorgeous guitar playing had everyone moving along. Clerel also sang “Velvet Tears”, a mesmerizing tune he has yet to release. Another highlight is “Le Tour”, a stunning French number with a lovely melody.

CLEREL

Bedouin Soundclash put on a magnificent show for a jam-packed audience. Most of the set featured songs from Sounding A Mosaic, but they also performed songs from various albums. One of the biggest takeaways from the songs from Sounding A Mosaic is Jay Malinowski’s vocals. They sound just as powerful and transcendent as they did 20 years ago. “Living In Jungles”, “Money Worries”, and “Rude Boy Don’t Cry” showed off the impressive rhythm and technicality of the band. “Murder On The Midnight Wire” was explosively electric, meanwhile the infectious catchiness and energetic attitude of “Nothing To Say” was an absolute delight. Of course, their timeless hit song “When The Night Feels My Song” was one of, if not the best part of the night. Not a single person was standing still during this part. Everyone was either jumping around, dancing with loved ones, or singing the song as loud as they could.

PURCHASE “WHEN THE NIGHT FEELS MY SONG (REIMAGINED)” LIMITED EDITION 7” VINYL

The songs not from Sounding A Mosaic were just as terrific. They did a tremendous 4-piece version of “Clock Work”. The recorded version utilizes lots of trumpets and horns, so translating it to a live setting with just guitar, bass, drums, and keys must have been quite tricky, but Bedouin Soundclash nailed it as it sounded just like the recorded version. “Clock Work” and “Salt-Water” showed the dynamic range and versatility of the band, as both are quite different from the sound of Sounding A Mosaic. The band also performed terrific renditions of tunes from Street Gospels. “St. Andrews”, “Walls Fall Down”, and “12:59 Lullaby”, all sounded absolutely amazing and had the crowd incredibly engaged and happily singing along, especially the anthemic “Walls Fall Down”. Near the end of the show, they also did a brief but very heartwarming version of John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads”.

Once the show ended, Clerel and Bedouin Soundclash interacted with fans. They listened to the stories people had to share, signed merchandise, and took pictures with fans. The rest of the 20th-anniversary tour is sure to be just as magnificent as the show they put on in Calgary, and if you are looking to have a night out with great music, you should catch one of their shows.

SPILL FEATURE: IT’S JUST PURE CONNECTION – A CONVERSATION WITH JAY MALINOWSKI OF BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH

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Photo Credit: Mike Neal