Divided Heaven and Brian Marquis at The Silverlake Lounge

Brian Marquis and Jeff Berman of Divided Heaven

Divided Heaven, Brian Marquis, The Silverlake Lounge, November 2, 2017

Divided Heaven and Brian Marquis kicked off their West Coast Tour at the Silverlake Lounge, with fans and friends showing their support for two of the most underrated singer/songwriters in the business. Brian Marquis and Divided Heaven mastermind Jeff Berman played on the Vans Warped Tour several years ago, and their paths have been crossing ever since. After a brief tenure with Equal Vision Records as well as with the Acoustic Basement Stage at the Vans Warped Tour, Brian Marquis found himself taking time off from music.  Marquis played a comeback show at Republic Of Pie in The NoHo District last month – and now has a brand new rock and roll single on ITunes entitled The Romantic. Divided Heaven unveiled their Pacific Avenue EP earlier in the year, and have already been in the studio recording brand new songs. Both Brian Marquis and Jeff Berman may always be spotted at each other’s shows, so a tour together makes perfect sense. And what a terrific evening it was, in the warm and intimate Silverlake Lounge, being serenading with some absolutely amazing pop rocking songs!

First up was Brian Marquis, opening with the endearing Drink You Up from his Blood & Spirits album. Performing with just an acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica, Marquis really knows how to present a song – whether it’s the spirited ode From Boston or unveiling the intricate refrains of ’84 Rookie Card, Marquis presents each and every song with imagination and flair.  In the area of covers, Brian delivered a vibrant rendition of the Dawes songs All Your Favorite Bands that had the audience singing along. And as a tribute to the late great Tom Petty, Brian invited Jeff Berman from Divided Heaven up onstage to perform a sparkling rendition of Mary Jane’s Last Dance. For the final song, Brian Marquis performed his brand new single The Romantic backed by the talented musicians of Divided Heaven. It is a real pleasure to have Brian Marquis back on the radar at last! And judging by what’s been heard on his new single The Romantic along with a renewed passion for playing live, Marquis is ready to launch into the next glorious chapter of a brilliant career!

Jeff Berman of Divided Heaven and Brian Marquis

Divided Heaven is touring the West Coast as a three piece power trio, and they are sure to rock your world. Kicking their set into supersonic gear with the rousing inflections of Mourning City, Bleeding Town from the Pacific Avenue EP, Berman and Divided Heaven unleashed a rip roaring set of tunes!  Their cover of the Beatles’ classic Eleanor Rigby was absolutely inspired! And looking ahead to the future, Berman and company presented a brand new entreaty entitled 1983 – a dynamic effort previewing what is sure to be an exciting new collection of songs! The cleverly-titled Bipartisanshit was another stunning highlight from the new EP, documenting a relationship gone very wrong! Brian Marquis was invited to join Divided Heaven onstage, and they concluded the evening with an impassioned (if not timely) performance of Daughters and Sons. If you are fortunate enough to live within the vast confines of the West Coast and enjoy inspired acoustic and pop rock and roll songs, be sure to check into the Divided Heaven and Brian Marquis tour and discover (or re-discover) these two absolutely vibrant singer / songwriters!

(Review and Photos by Ken Morton)

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