MAY 30TH IRVING PLAZA TICKETS BELOW
“In My Kingdom” by The Bogmen
Song feature
"In My Kingdom" offers a rare fusion of sophistication and unfettered entertainment. It possesses the ability to grab the attention of listeners, urging them to prioritize checking out The Bogmen's tour schedule immediately; the song encapsulates everything that makes a favorite among gig-goers. It's intelligent yet uncomplicated, and is substantial yet exuberant and full of life. It's akin to a 1960s muscle car that can kick into another gear (or two) even after seemingly reaching its peak performance. Those extra gears are engaged after the three-minute mark.
The Bogmen begin the song with a recipe for Utopia. Initially, the thought might be that it’s similar to John Lennon’s “Imagine.” But “In My Kingdom” doesn’t imagine that there’s no religion. To the contrary, the intro lists personalities from various faiths whose advice would be valued, although not necessarily for their views on theology. Moreover, there is a King; however, “In my kingdom, everyone would be King for a day.” Still, this potential Utopia has no law, since there isn’t a need.
The band was originally formed in 1990 by lead singer Billy Campion and bothers Billy and Brendan Ryan. By 1992, bassist Mark Wike, percussionist P.J. O’Connor, and drummer Clive Tucker were added. The Bogmen disbanded in 1998. But they are now working toward an album release in May. “In My Kingdom” is the title track. The album can be pre-ordered at via Bandcamp https://thebogmen1.bandcamp.com/album/in-my-kingdom. The Bandcamp site explains:
“This is the first ever vinyl release by The Bogmen! Written in the heart of the pandemic as a way of coping with the loss of a good friend as well as being inspired by the unusual circumstances of the world being shut down - In My Kingdom, has everything fans of The Bogmen love about them, it is melody driven, poetic and seamlessly goes from sounding old-timey and rootsy to orchestrated and electronic, Americana with an ethnic flare, lyrical themes of grief, love, rebirth and transcendence through imagination, populated by old friends, animals and colorful mythological characters yet intensely personal so people can relate to it.”
The official video for the title track is almost as entertaining as the song itself. Interesting information about the video includes:
“The animated music video ‘In My Kingdom’ was created by Jack Powell (Opus Thimble, Hot Mustard). Musically, the song is classically Bogmen-ian, but could be considered a bold proclamation in today’s fractured times - a message of inclusion that reminds us of our universal desire for openness and kindness, one that illuminates a path forward. A path to the sacred, precious and always hard-earned love, compassion and understanding that has characterized The Bogmen’s music for more than 30 years.”
“Jack Powell created a hypnagogic video by extracting album artist Gregory Stovetop’s artwork and turning it into animation. Campion and I discussed various religious iconographic images, natural and spiritual concepts with Gregory, as well as, like the Star Wars Bar, were all a little freaky and different. He nailed it with the album art and Jack took his work, ran with it to create this amazing phantasmic video.”- Billy Ryan
BOWERY BALLROOM NYC
New York City’s 'The Bogmen' reunite for a 9/11 tribute show, release brand new music and premiere a new music video for ’Summer of Soul’
As the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, New York City’s 'The Bogmen' will be performing a show at Webster Hall on September 11th to honor lives lost and families affected by September 11th, 2001. The Bogmen’s community was hit hard on 9/11. Their fan base consisted of many people that worked in the towers as well as firemen and police who bravely died in the line of duty. The band was directly affected by the loss of keyboard player Brendan Ryan's wife Kristy, who worked in the World Trade Center. Being that the Bogmen was a hub for many people affected by 9/11, the band decided to play two special shows at Irving Plaza in December, 2001. The goal was to help ease the pain if only for a brief moment, and to commune with the souls who were lost. Those two performances raised over $200,000 for people in need, mainly children in Kristy’s honor. The event also became the subject of a feature length documentary called “We Will Go To Them Tonight’ released in 2006. Now, 20 years later, The Bogmen are doing it again, this time raising money for the Fealgood Foundation, a foundation created for first responders of Sept. 11th.
This time around the band will also be releasing their first new music in over ten years. In 2020, core members Billy Campion, Billy Ryan and Brendan Ryan found themselves under the dark clouds of Covid and with the sudden tragic death of close friend Greg Kline, the three childhood friends began making music again as a form of therapy. The rest of the band Clive Tucker, Mark Wike and P.J. O’Connor later joined the others at Carriage House Studio in Stamford, CT and started recording the first full length record in 20 years. With 3 new songs just released to Bandcamp, the band is excited to premiere a new music video for ‘Summer of Soul’ directed by close friend and longtime collaborator Chris Cassidy. The band tells Look at mt records! that the video “gives the sense that we are all perpetual teenagers, no matter what age. Like the character Huck Finn, always looking at life with a sense of adventure and wonder, yet frightening at the same time. The perpetual cycles of life’s hills and valleys.”