The light beams against the backs of necks—purples and greens camouflaging guitars and cowboy boots alike. To your left is the swayer, to your right is the headbanger, and though they are different, the looks on their faces mimic one another. Alone in a crowd of 120 people, supported but independent, music fills every empty space the room allows. This is how Thursdays are meant to look and feel. This past week, on Feb. 16, Brule County Bad Boys brought that electrifying, yet comforting air to our Java stage for the first show of our semester’s lineup.

Brule County Bad Boys has an interesting history, one I think won’t be so surprising due to the name of their band. The group was started in a little jail cell in Brule County, South Dakota, by front-man Josh Coletto. With loads of time on his hands, Coletto took to writing as an outlet—writings that would soon turn into lyrics for songs. After his stay ended and after returning to the Troy, New York Area, Coletto met the rest of his band: Tex on bass, Zack on lead guitar, Buckley on drums, Benny on the harp, Sam on piano, and a fan favorite being Steve on the pedal steel guitar. Their style is reminiscent of a dirt-covered Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and Americana honky-tonk you’d imagine watching at a mixture of the Grand Ole Opry and one of the Allman Brothers’ earlier concerts. Their first single, “Still Nothing,” was released in February of 2020, followed by their first album, “Chamberlain,” which came out in June of 2021.

If you were in attendance at the show, there were probably a few things you noticed. There were also some things that perhaps went unnoticed by a large array of attendees, the first being the intensity of gunslinger mustaches, mutton chops, and extremely large cowboy hats—all of which embody the old-western country style our small venue took shape of on Thursday. The second would be how such small details in music can make an incredible difference. Brule County Bad Boys tugged on the heartstrings of folksy guitar fans and wailing harmonica lovers alike. It was obvious from the erratic dancing in the crowd followed by hoots and hollers that they were a hit. With the help of our amazing sound tech, Taylor Biedler ‘25, the Bad Boys gave the impression of goodness, even if it was to their dismay. Their main message of social justice and “down with the man” attitude only amplified the positivity they brought to the room. This links completely to our third, final, and invisible-if-not-really-paying-attention message. This band created, with the crowd and the space, a vibrant energy. This is something most bands hope will happen, but it doesn’t necessarily come to fruition every show. There was something there, in the fireflies of dust riddled in the lights. A show will always be at its best when you can really tell the musicians love what they’re doing. From under long hair and fringe jackets, the Brule County Bad Boys all had one thing in common—ear-to-ear grins.

Will the Brule County Bad Boys come back to the Java Barn? Only time will tell. As for now, it was a show to remember and a show to tip your hat to.