Review: JAWNY Live and Up Close in Brooklyn
SQUEEZING THROUGH A SOLD OUT CROWD – at Baby’s All Right is no easy feat, but it was worth it to secure a spot to catch JAWNY’s electrifying set. The crowd featured endless mullets and ironically cool t-shirts all waiting with anticipation for the thriving indie-rock artist.
Before the headlining performance, Wallice warmed up the room with her effortlessly sweet songs. Wallice brought a bubbly personality to the stage and played through old favorites like “Funeral”. Even through these familiar tracks, the band seemed most comfortable rocking out to new, unreleased songs like “Disappear”. If the audience wasn’t already bonded over their love for these artist’s, Wallice made sure to bring everyone together with a gorgeous sing-along to her standout track “23”.
It wasn’t long before JAWNY came out swinging with the upbeat track “Strawberry Chainsaw”. Baby’s All Right is a local Brooklyn spot with early and late shows almost every night of the week. Having the early slot for the night, the band knew that they had to squeeze in track after track without much downtime.
While this could make other artists flustered, JAWNY made sure to take advantage of the lack of time by adding effortless transitions between tracks. The production value for such a small room was impressive. Backing tracks for most of the songs weren’t overwhelming and timed lights enhanced almost every song. The bass was a bit boomy from time to time, but once the band settled into the space they put on a flawless show. This is the first time I’ve seen a full soundboard squeezed into the back of the room, but it gave the performance a professional edge.
Mustaches and long hair must be a prerequisite for the band, who not only matched the energy of their lead singer but brought it to the top. The bass player couldn’t stop swinging all over their side of the stage while the drummer made sure to keep everyone on track. It’s obvious that the three were well rehearsed and tight on every song.
The set list highlighted JAWNY’s latest album It’s Never Fair, Always True. It was obvious that most fans were there to support this record, singing along to songs that only came out at the top of the month. Fans were also eager to be seen by the band. One had a handmade cardboard sign asking for a deep cut, while another danced through the crowd with a bedazzled glowstick. Anything to solidify that they were a part of a great show.
The overall theme of the night was “sing-along”. Even with limited time, JAWNY managed to incorporate excellent crowd work. He got the audience to sing Oh No! on cue every time throughout “Best Thing”. Even new fans could get in on the fun during the bouncy track “La La La”.
He told an anecdotal tale of attending a Shawn Mendes concert, only to reveal that he was talking about himself and the show we were all at the whole time. You could tell from the stage presence and grateful “thank yous” to the crowd, that JAWNY has genuinely good energy. He and his band were just happy to be on stage giving everything to fans that couldn’t get enough.
Image courtesy of Campbell Parish
