“This is a song about the road,” said Bartees Strange of the cleverly penned “Lie 95,” a song from his third studio album, Horror, recently released via 4AD.
The song, which references Interstate 95, appeared early in Bartees’ recent set at 9:30 Club, which was a bit of a homecoming for the longtime DC resident. He now lives further north along that same highway, drawn to Baltimore for its affordable cost of living.
On Feb. 15 at 9:30 Club, “Lie 95,” a song about looking for love with the road as an allegorical device in that search, was a standout song in part because Bartees was joined on vocals by his drummer, TK Johnson. They both had great vibes, and TK was a terrific driver of Bartees’ pop R&B.
Watch the official music video for “Lie 95” by Bartees Strange on YouTube:
Prior to “Lie 95,” Bartees was keeping it local with a track named “Baltimore after his new home. It’s a pretty smart song in that it’s clever but simple; I envision great audience singalongs to it at future shows.
Horror dominated the setlist, although Bartees reached back to recognize his previously two albums, Live Forever (2020) and Farm to Table (2022). He played Farm to Table’s “Heavy Heart” at about three-quarters through the set, and he delivered a two-song encore consisting of “Stone Meadows” and “Boomer” from Live Forever. Bartees has a history of defying genre stereotypes, but he’s got plenty of personal charisma, which glows up his R&B stamp of approval. What I like about him, however, is his workmanlike attitude. He’s very interested in the mechanics of his music, and his performance revealed the thoughtfulness that he gives his music. He’s been performing with a like-minded crew, and it’s very cool to see them carefully lend their skills to the overall sound. Other than some well-earned flourishes and asides from Bartees, there is very little grandstanding or showboating here.
Rounding out the Bartees Strange band were Graham Richman (guitar, keyboards), John Daisy (bass, synths), and Daniel Kleederman (guitars) — all really good players. I recommend catching any one of them in their other endeavors; John Daisy for example can be seen as a member of DC soul band Oh He’s Dead.
Catch Bartees Strange on tour!
Here are some photos of Bartees Strange performing at 9:30 Club on Feb. 15, 2025. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
