Ben Barnes and Friends Take on The House of Blues

On a blue stage, a raised drum kit sat, flanked by electric guitars, basses and keyboards. From the shadows, a figure approached the mic at center stage. As venue lights brightened, the mysterious shadow was revealed to be Ben Barnes. 

While known for his career as a TV actor, Barnes (“The Punisher,” “Westworld”) stopped at the House of Blues Jan. 22. His Chicago appearance is part of a worldwide tour supporting his budding singer-songwriter career and debut album, “Where the Light Gets In,” released Jan. 10. 

Barnes — who was involved with choir and band in his youth — said he reconnected with his musical roots during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t prioritize putting out something of my own and making some music,” Barnes said in an interview with The Daily Illini.

Barnes’ musical style blends ‘70s-tinged pop and soul with cookie-cutter singer-songwriter aesthetics, like slow guitar ballads with forced vocal gravel. For his House of Blues debut, the result was an underwhelming setlist that was reminiscent of department store music.

Barnes’ backing band members opened the show with solo performances. Barnes said he purposely chose musicians with solo careers to open and play for him, fostering an environment with different styles and genres of music.

Guitarist Aaron Childs went first with a series of acoustic soul songs — “I BEEN UP!,” “Butterflies & Benefits” and “Sunshine” — as well as an acoustic cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

Sophia James, keyboardist and former “American Idol” contestant, dominated the stage. Her looping machine allowed her to layer guitar, keyboard, percussion and vocal levels while live on stage. A stand-out track was “Circadian Rhythm,” whose percussive backbone is made up of tongue clicks and raspberries. 

The final opener, keyboardist Charles Jones, embodied heartfelt emotion with his covers of Radiohead’s “Creep” and Nat King Cole’s “Smile.” Jones’ instrumental veracity was apparent in his effortless keyboarding paired with his impassioned vocals. 

After a short break, Barnes took the stage to perform “Beloved,” backed by the openers as well as electric bassist and vocalist Zoe Sparks and drummer Paul Hammy Hamilton. 

“Where the Light Gets In” followed, with Barnes’ soaring voice contrasting Sparks’ soft background vocalizations — sometimes even disrupting and overpowering Sparks’ vocals.

“Nevermind” began with bare-bones acoustic guitar and Barnes’ meek falsetto. In the second half, however, the keys and drums pummeled their way to a poignant punch of sound. 

“Stolen Time” returned to a laid-back — albeit groovier — sonic landscape. Red, orange and yellow lights created a golden hue on stage, matching the song’s nostalgic sentiment. 

Before performing “Pirate Song,” Barnes led a call-and-response with the audience, aptly asking them to make their best pirate sounds. But, not even this fun exercise could save the seasick song from walking the plank.

Next, Barnes covered Bishop Briggs’ “River” with ferocity. Despite the band’s impressive stunt of switching instruments mid-song, the performance faltered by the end due to Sparks’ restrained vocals. 

Before starting “Slow It Down,” Barnes explained his inspiration for the song precipitated from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” while noting how fitting it was to play it in Chicago. 

Afterward, Barnes’ band left the stage for a break, allowing Barnes to perform an excessively passionate piano ballad entitled “Ordinary Day.” Still alone, he began “The In Between,” with members of the band returning one by one to complete the composition.  

Barnes prefaced “Take Me To The Moon” by bluntly saying, “This song is about sex.”

While the lyrics may have been sensual, his awkwardly erotic performance was less sexy and instead evoked the bland amorousness of a Chevy truck commercial.  

However, the following “One Minute More” was a surprising highlight. A duet with Jeames, the duo’s soft, yet sharp voices intertwined in harmony over the full instrumentation. Unfortunately, the subsequent song didn’t “Rise Up” to expectations, being sung overly vibrato yet somehow still resonating as one-note. 

“You need to get your heart broken three times to write this next song,” Barnes said before transitioning into “Three New Hearts.”

Despite the song’s emotional lyrics, his performance consisted of shouts at the audience rather than the intended passionate delivery. 

Segueing into a slew of covers, Barnes let the audience choose his next songs, ultimately performing John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” and Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So” — the latter being his best performance of the show.

The closing song, “Someday,” featured insanely infectious guitar riffs by Childs set to disco-like rainbow lights. 

Much to the fans’ delight — and others’ dismay — Barnes returned to perform one last song, “11:11,” starting it off solo. After the first verse, the entire band returned to finish the song, with Barnes conducting the audience to sing the last chorus, closing off the night.

Barnes gave a noble effort, with his strong connection to the audience and dedication to the ‘70s sound. Yet the actor-turned-singer was outshone by the sheer skill and musicality of his band. When surrounded by such immense talent, a good performance turns mediocre.