From The Road: Charlie Burg
PERHAPS EVEN — Charlie Burg himself never expected a mosh pit at his shows, but when “Dancing Through The Mental Breakdown” came on during the encore, the Nashville crowd held the most peaceful and rhythmic moshing circle ever.
As Luna chats with Burg for a mid-tour catchup, he’s been on the road for just the first few dates of his US national tour, but the first week of his touring schedule is so densely packed that the word “whirlwind” may not be enough to summarize the chaos.
Prior to the US tour, Burg and his team had a short run in Europe in support of the release of his newest album, Infinitely Tall. For most touring veterans and Burg alike, traveling in Europe provides much more nuisance and convenience for obvious technical reasons (shorter distance, different cultures every day, etc.). Among all the European stops, London stood out with all the city glories it had to offer. However, an early highlight of this current US run for Burg has been something a lot less glamorous, yet equally as beautiful for all the right reasons: the aftershow in Syracuse.
The 15-track, one hour and five minutes–long Infinitely Tall can be vaguely divided into three sections: Pre-Syracuse, Syracuse, and Post-Syracuse. While it goes without saying that the college years spent as a baby artist in the city leaves a foundational presence in Burg’s discography, the influence of Syracuse in the new album is subtle and ever so prevalent. It’s not that he’s name-dropping coffee shops around the corner in the lyrics, but certain grooves and tempos in Burg’s music carry a particular sense of ease and excitement all at once. Deep within the tracks there are phantoms from the basement shows he used to play, feelings that remained from finding a sense of community for the first time as a lifelong outcast.
Being on tour allows Burg and his Blue Wave Band to give new life to the album. Between their Nashville show and short Texas run, they’ve come up with a new version of “The Five-Month Song” that carries a country twang. And, of course, “Chicago (Take It Or Leave It)” turns out to be one of Burg’s favorites to play live, though it is certainly a bold choice to open each night with your favorite.
Burg also closes his set with another favorite, “Dancing Through A Mental Breakdown.” It's a challenge to start from a high note, steer the crowd through an emotional journey through his discography — feeling nothing short of time traveling — then somehow circle back to an absolute thrill again, but Burg and the Blue Wave Band win over the crowd with their near-perfect execution every time.
If given the chance, though, Burg would love to give “Break The Rhythm” the moment it has always deserved, or even the 8-minute long title track, “Infinitely Tall.” Then there’s “Gold Sounds 3am,” which used to be part of the set, but as they are now missing a horn player for this leg of tour, they haven't been able to perform the song.
At the time of chatting, he looked forward to the LA show in which he and his band will play the iconic El Rey Theatre. Following this performance, there’s the New York show, where keyboardist Cisco Swank and NYC’s own indie princess Anna Shoemaker will join Burg for a homecoming night.
During the in-between moments, Burg has been writing again. For him, writing on the road is actually easier than you think. On the day of our call, Burg recorded a short voice memo that he was looking forward to playing once they got to their Airbnb for the day.
Like any other time, writing works as an outlet for the singer-songwriter. In the grand scheme of things, Infinitely Tall is a compilation of moments that at the time felt so prominent, grand and infinite in their own ways, that ultimately were just fleeting feelings that would have otherwise trickled away had Burg not coined them into permanent melodies.
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