Durand Jones and the Indications, an R&B/Soul group from Indiana, have been touring like mad since 2021. The group’s popularity has exploded in recent years – their song Witchoo, for example, was featured on Barack Obama’s 2021 list of favorite music. While their name and sound simply seem to be in the zeitgeist, many folks got their introduction to the band through 2020’s cult-followed Hulu show High Fidelity which showcased “Is It Any Wonder“.

The band played Portland’s Crystal Ballroom on mid-May Wednesday evening. While the show was not technically sold out, it felt like it might as well have been – the room was standing room only, shoulder to shoulder. La Doña, a Chicana singer/songwriter from San Francisco, opened the show in a fantastic, fiery red matching pantsuit. With the first notes she sang her jubilant music spurred an immediate reaction from the crowd,  “I don’t want to hear no ‘Oh Yeah’s’ if you’re not shaking your ass” she called out to the crowd. 

La Doña commented on the diverse crowd in Portland (including a shout-out to her fellow Chicanos) and she was on the money – while many shows in Portland tend to draw crowds that look like they would have sat at the same lunch table in school, the crowd at this event was as diverse as it was large. Not only were Black and Mexican Portlanders here in stride, but social groups at the show ranged from high school tween girls to middle-aged couples out for a night on the town. There was not even any one style of dress that seemed to link the audience members, only the desire to scream and shout and, for lack of a better word, boogie as the night wore on. 

As expected, Durand Jones deftly commanded the room. The show opened with “Circles,” a song that, in this context, feels full of anticipation. But this was only a warm-up though because, by the time the band began playing the third song of the night, “Love Will Work It Out,” we were blessed with Jones’ signature voice – long, high, and clear, holding on to the words as if to stretch them out for eternity. To say the crowd went wild is an understatement. 

There was no sign of the grueling tour schedule in his voice – or the band’s playing for that matter. Even more than that, it appeared that every little interaction, from opener to headliner and between band members, was approached with a smile and a laugh. In a packed venue where the crowd has been waiting over an hour to see the band play, it is not uncommon for tensions to rise. Here, however, the jovial attitudes spread from band to audience and back again. 

While both La Doña and Durand Jones and the Indications toy with a vintage flair, the alchemy of music, laughter, energy, and joy on stage kept us solely in the present. In an era where almost nothing feels new anymore, this show captured the ever-evasive authenticity that everyone seems to be chasing.

The post The joy and alchemy of Durand Jones and the Indications appeared first on Quip Magazine.

High Pulp, signed to ANTI Records, have made waves lately with their compelling blend of shoegaze, hip hop, and electronic music (a lot of other stuff mixed in as well) that fits alongside their obviously well-honed jazz chops. Unlike Jack London, I wouldn’t describe High Pulp as “old-fashioned” – did jazz players in smoky rooms of yore make use of Prophet 6’? Were their saxophones running through pedalboard rigs? Did they sport Backwoods t-shirts? Probably not. High Pulp are taking some of the fun things about the jazz genre (freedom, improv, unbelievable musicianship) and infusing it with their own modern, even futuristic, twist.

High Pulp started the show with “Serena Williams” before jumping into “All Roads Lead to Los Angeles”, a track off of Pursuit of Ends that had the crowd nodding along to its frantic pace as dual saxophones rang out the main riff. A Black Country, New Road-esque minimalist synth breakdown towards the middle of the song preceded a saxophone freakout that showcased the group’s skills for compelling spontaneity.

High Pulp allow their music to push and pull creating a lush, unified whole while leaving ample room for their individuality to shine through and come to the forefront. You can feel the spontaneity and jazzy underpinnings that inform the group, but unity and musical togetherness are also clearly seen. Each member of the six-piece plays an important role in driving things forward or slowing things down when necessary, supporting the overall structure and sound and shooting off into the stratosphere with a burst of individual inspiration when called for.

Drummer Bobby Granfelt’s magic on the drum kit is certainly a catalyst for the direction that the songs go in, providing the energy and pace that his bandmates feed and play off of. “Kamishinjo” was a good example of this, as a breakneck but constrained pace pushed things forward while a lush guitar (Trevor Eulau) created the feel and atmosphere (adding to what keyboardists Antoine Martel and Rob Homan have built up already). Bassist Kaeli Earle locked in with the beat to provide the groovy backbone, and saxophonists Andrew Morrill and Victory Ngyuen’s bursts of energy presented a focal point for the audience to latch onto and be transfixed by.

The nature of High Pulp’s performance means that no members of the group can really be pinned down in terms of their function; just when you think you have the beat figured out, Granfelt switches it up, Homan and Martel push off into short piano and synth riffs out of the left-field, Earle’s basslines jump and rumble, Eulau weaves together an earworm solo, and Ngyuen and Morrill tap their pedal boards and spit out applause inducing flares of sound.

There’s a certain technique and control within the madness that High Pulp have a knack for, and it makes their music and performance sound authentic and something all their own. They’ll certainly draw in fans of all musical genres, not just jazz, as they continue on their spring tour and their subsequent rollout of Pursuit of Ends. 

The post High Pulp kick off their tour in style at Portland’s Jack London Revue appeared first on Quip Magazine.