Royal Bliss: Back on Tour, Hard and Loud

On January 24, Iowa got its long-awaited high when Royal Bliss returned to Cedar Rapids for an acoustic performance at the Chrome Horse Saloon. Despite the word ‘acoustic,’ the sold-out show, opened by special guests Flex, was far from the stereotypical “guy on a chair, strumming guitar, quietly singing sad songs” thing. It was like a rock party for close friends (if you have several hundred close friends, that is); a unique blend of loud and powerful and personal. I tell you, nothing beats standing five feet away from the people whose music you love and watching them sing your favorite songs “raw.” Nothing.

Royal Bliss at Chrome Horse Saloon, Cedar Rapids Iowa; photo by Sofia Chesney

Formed in 1997, Royal Bliss have seen a few changes in their composition and direction over the years, but in 2018, after experimenting with southern rock/country rock, writing songs and performing with Nashville musicians, the band unsaddled their horses and re-boarded the rock-n-roll train. “We were playing both worlds, which was really cool, and we learned a lot from that time,” says vocalist Neil Middleton, “but we also learned that our home is in rock. Good music is good music, no matter who you play with, and we have the same respect for everyone.” The band’s self-titled album, their most recent one, was released in April 2019 and received a lot of attention from both fans and critics. Their single “Paranoid” has been climbing charts and has peaked at #26 in the Billboard 200 chart. Multiple other songs have become hits as well, with millions of YouTube views.

Royal Bliss at Chrome Horse Saloon, Cedar Rapids, IA, photo by Sofia Chesney

This year is going to be busy: in addition to their own U.S. tour and the spring tour with Fozzy, Royal Bliss are playing several large-format festivals, such as Rock USA, Rock Fest, Upheaval, Edge Fest, and Royal Fest. The home, cross-country tour will continue with more shows throughout Midwest, stretching to the south, to Tennessee and the Carolinas, and reaching as far east as New York. Canada and Europe are part of the band’s tentative plans, so enjoy the photo gallery from the Iowa show below, use the “Ask to Play in Your City” button on their website (http://www.royalbliss.com/tour/), and stay tuned for further announcements.

Official Website: http://www.royalbliss.com

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/roya…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Dntu…