DOMi & JD Beck Were Pure Magic At Fillmore
Last day of September deserves a special show. Luckily, DOMi & JD Beck was on the schedule for a wonderful Wednesday night.
An unseasonable change in the weather, some humidity joined the party in the Twin Cities. Knew those cool autumn breezes wouldn’t be staying long. Popped onto the lightrail to head downtown, my destination being the last stop on the blue line for Fillmore. Been really digging taking the train and soaking in the city through its panel windows. Zooming by, Minneapolis rushes and blends past, blurry blotches of fall color now dotting the former patches of emerald green. The light fading faster than usual, and sunset mixing into dinnertime versus holding out til dessert. But, Minnesota being Minnesota, will always keep you guessing weather-wise.
After grabbing my credentials, walked down to Inbound to eat my wee salad, baby bag of chips, and snag a beer. It was toasty enough for the brewery to crank the garage doors open and give us plenty of fresh air to accompany a frosty brew. Inbound is beginning to be my favorite brewery in Minneapolis. Not only do they have friendly staff and a chill vibe, but their IPAs are just so solid. Every new one they come out with is a winner, but my go-to is Hazy Shades if you are a pinetree flav friend.
The atmosphere inside the venue was calm and tranquil. Got there about a half an hour before tunes were set to start. Unlike a lot of other shows and events, wasn’t greeted by muted top 40 jams or just silence, but with an interesting sound amalgam of gentle rain and wind. Melding with the mood, I caught myself closing my eyes and absorbing the calming effect a few times. Slow pulsing light also anointed the breath before the performance began. Having toured through the Twin Cities before, this was DOMi & JD Beck’s first time headlining a show in MN. On top of that, no opening support. Quite a cool juncture to be part of. The crowd was slowly filling out the floor of the Fillmore, upper level covered in curtains so all the people would be on the main level versus being split for this show.
About 15 minutes past the start time of 8:00pm, the lights did a final dim and the crowd cheered. On stage was a double keyboard for DOMi and a drum set for JD, facing each other connected in a beautiful instrument chimera. Greeting the audience warmly, the duo sat in their respective seat and began the performance after thanking the crowd for coming to their show. The drum and keyboard were lit with LED lights, reflecting playfully off the lacquered keys and brassy cymbals with every nuanced note. They are honestly a dreamscape come to life when witnessing live.
Floating on top of a synth fantasy and blushing bursts of energy, the ebb and flow of their soundscape is hypnotic. Feeding and thriving, the songs would bleed into the next with a few pauses occasionally to symbolize a more stark transition from movements. Love how seamlessly the duo can inject midi and chip tune into classical jazz with ease. Funky at times, then drifting into a melancholy medley, I was astonished at how DOMi and JD Beck work together. Feeding off of the music and feeling of the other musician. Their set was so intricate but went by too fast, as all good times tend to do. The audience and myself were entranced throughout.
I will jump across a canyon to see them live in concert again. An 11/10 show.
