Book Of Skulls & Jet’s Chill Sunday Set At First Ave
The mood in Minnesota has most definitely has been tumultuous the past few days. Music can be reflective and transformative, upsetting, a motivational soundtrack… or just background vibration doing mundane tasks. I needed some jams. Hot tunes to chill out to. An elixir to relax and melt into some solid guitar and vocals. After a busy Father’s day hanging with sibling and rents, made my way to Minneapolis after checking the news for the 1000th time as everyone in MN was.
Needed a bit of escape from my hand computer, hard.
Book Of Skulls wasn’t on my radar before, but it sure is now. I think tambourines are a glaring absence from many bands; this 2002-born Southampton band filled my percussive desire. Something about the light catching the metal, freeness you can feel as the player dances across the stage. Not being familiar with their catalog, every song was new to me, and my flop detector was dormant the entire set. Guitarist and vocalist, Russell Marsden, had a great command of the stage. Tone was chef’s kiss; the crowd digging every note made it easy to get into the groove as a first timer.
After a little break for a beverage, the time was here for Jet. Slightly later starting main act at 9:15pm, the audience was brimming with anticipation, which was a pleasant surprise for any Sunday concert. Though not a sold out show, great numbers on a typically sleepy night. Not extremely familiar with their new new stuff, so wasn’t sure if they’d have the same flavor to savor. Talking to a few fellow concert goers, heard the typical refrain from each that they have ben fans for years and never miss them when given an opportunity. A few were hunting for set lists, which is always a good sign.
The energy was exactly what I needed. After a few days of Minnesota swirling in a strange chaos, the collective good vibes Jet brought were a needed relief. Everyone was bobbing along and falling into a gentle romance with the music. First Ave is a venue that you can see the act from almost every angle, and with Jet, and though everyone loves a lead singer, their guitarist and drummer were glowing during the show. Awesome interaction with the crowd. Also, they sound CRISP. Vocals were radio perfect. Formed back in 2001, they have not lost a step and can see why the fandom is still vibrating. After escaping the pit, got to observe from the back of house. Seeing the sea of technicolor colored heads, rocking out to some warm cozy Australian rock and roll, gave me another nudge of comfort and contemplation. Live music is such a life preserver when in a sea of information and opinions, and being attached to the internet almost 24/7 like we humans are, it’s easy to sink into the negativity that can bring. Even if for a few hours, a little music break from the news and chaos of current events made my Sunday. Book of Skulls + Jet = A good fricken time.
