Girl at the Rock Shows

I hate to admit it, but walking into First Avenue on Thursday night, I couldn’t help but laugh at the shirt the headliner, Cortex, was selling. It was a black T-shirt with big white letters spelling out “Jazz is Dead” on the front. I laughed because, looking around me, it appeared that jazz was, in fact, dead. The room was empty, and the floor, usually full of people during shows in this iconic room, was instead filled with tall tables. Although I laughed at first, it quickly turned to sadness. Not pity, sadness. Why wasn’t this show packed? It was nearly an hour after the doors opened. There should be more people by now. I felt terrible for the acts but, at the same time, was excited because I knew the intimacy of this show would give me a fresh look at a genre I rarely dabble in.

Unfortunately, I didn’t understand the line-up against the timing released by the venue. Typically, doors open an hour before the music starts and, believe me, I take advantage of that “free hour” because, well, when you do this every night, you need at least a little time to sit on a couch and chill. Unfortunately, Thursday night’s show was set up differently, and it turns out that the first hour was actually a set from DJ J Rocc. Although I wasn’t there to catch everything J Rocc spun during that opening hour, I caught the tail end, and it set the stage for jazzy hip-hop-rock perfectly. My sincerest apologies to J Rocc for missing most of his time in the owner’s box high above the floor (where he was pumping out the beats).

Thankfully, I was there just in time for Adrian Younge to take the stage. To say that Adrian is a force in the music world seems like such an understatement. This self-taught, multi-instrumentalist and Emmy Award- winning composer knows no bounds. I mean that when it comes to his talent, but also when it comes to his creativity. Joined on stage by an absolutely stellar cast of seasoned professionals, with Adrian on bass, I was instantly transported to another world.

Sonically, Adrian Younge’s music spanned more genres than I have time to list. It was definitely jazz, but it also pulled in elements from everything from rock to rap, all hidden under a jazz front. Regardless of a track’s vibe or overall style, the infectious yet creative groove was undeniable in every song. I loved falling into world after world through the music and getting lost in each one, but I also loved how the note patterns and complex rhythms made me think. It was as calming as it was intriguing. Gorgeous yet complicated, and although Adrian Younge’s project, I adored that Adrian seemed to take a backseat to the rest of the band. Honestly, if I hadn’t known who Adrian was, it would have been easy to think the vocalist leading the charge was, in fact, the namesake of the group. This adds to the mystery and intrigue that comes with this musical prodigy; it also adds to the personality that shines through every note and feels painfully humble, especially given the sheer amount of talent and drive that comes from Adrian Younge.

It’s honestly hard to fathom a world where anyone is able to headline over Adrian Younge, and it definitely wasn’t an easy task, but Cortex was up for it and took the challenge head-on. Founded and led by pianist, composer, and vocalist Alain Mion, Cortex is one of those bands that, if you know, you know, and if you’re in the know, you’re winning. I wish I could say I was in the know, but I wasn’t before Thursday night. Truthfully, I picked up this show because I was already covering the one happening just a few feet away at the 7th Street Entry and because I knew that this show was going to be completely out of my normal comfort zone. That being said, between seeing Adrian Younge open up this show and just after reading what I had about Cortex, I knew I was in for a treat, and they did not let me down.

Much like the set that Adrian and his band had laid out, Cortex instantly took me away from, well, everything. The music was sweet, soft, and full of tender melodies that clashed with this feeling of energized rock music in a way. The tone of Cortex’s music ran the gamut from standard jazz to groovy funk, and there were times when I didn’t quite know where a song was going to end up, but, at the same time, I didn’t care. Alain and his cohorts on stage were taking me on a journey, and I wholeheartedly trusted them. I can’t tell you why or how I put so much trust into strangers, but it definitely had something to do with the passion I saw and heard from the stage. Although every note was flawlessly placed and every beat had the perfect amount of things happening, I knew nothing about the people on stage; here I was, unbuckled and ready for them to take me wherever they wanted. I trusted them because they respected the music. Beyond that, they respected space. If there was a pause in a song, it didn’t feel awkward; it felt natural. Maybe it was supposed to be there; maybe it wasn’t. Either way, it worked, and nobody on that stage questioned it.

I didn’t understand everything that I heard on Thursday night. I don’t have all of the right words to describe everything that was happening musically throughout the night. Hell, I don’t even know that I can explain how everything I heard made me feel throughout the night. What I do know is that this show was out of my comfort zone and, by the end of the night, all I wanted to do was embed myself in the audience (which had eventually grown to a good showing) and let the entire atmosphere sweep me off my feet with no plans of returning back to earth.

Line Up:

J Rocc

Adrian Younge

Cortex

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 42

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

J Rocc – 0

Adrian Younge – 0

Cortex – 0

Show on Deck – MT Jones / Woolly Mack

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