Elijah Johnston has made a name for himself in Athens, Georgia following the release of his four studio albums. On Friday January 14th, Johnston released his fifth album, Day Off and performed it for Athens to hear live for the first time. Here is our review and breakdown of Day Off.
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A Hypnotic Hangout: Illiterate Light
Georgia Theatre 5/9– The Illiterate Light duo ended their set with “Growin’ Down” and walked off the stage while the crowd cheered. Their initial thoughts are filled with excitement and positivity about their performance. We got to sit down and talk with Jake (drums, vocals) and Jeff (guitar, vocals) in Athens while they were touring with Shakey Graves.
Mission Accomplished
Illiterate Light is a rock duo from Virginia and their music has been spread far and wide since we last saw them in December. From recently playing Shaky Knees, to upcoming festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, Illiterate Light has grown immensely.
After the show, Jeff described to us that “It’s an interesting feeling to play to hundreds of people who have no idea who we are. You kind of have to win the crowd over a little bit.” They make it their mission to impress the crowd with their set. And we believe that they did just that. After seeing them open for Post Animal a couple months ago, we fell in love with their sound and that encouraged us to learn more about them and download their music. At the end of their set on this night in Athens, the crowd was clapping and in awe of the musical ability that these two people possess.
Illiterate Light makes an effort to hang out by their merch table and talk to people after their set. They relayed to us that they really enjoy meeting new people and spreading their music to others. So, if you ever want to chat with these guys, you know where to find them!
Inspirations
Many different artists, have influenced Illiterate Light’s music. Jeff described that he is most inspired by artists like Flaming Lips, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters. Jake explained that he has been listening to a lot of St. Vincent, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Thief recently. Jeff described that “Artists like Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Wilco were my go-to. I really wanted to craft my musical vision based off of these artists.”
Jake told us that he likes to mix aspects of various performers in order to find something that fits with the music that Illiterate Light creates. “I have a really strong love for very weird performers. We like to have the energy for sure and have fun.”
“It sets us apart”
If you’ve ever seen this band live, you have probably seen the beloved floral crop top that Jake wears. One thing that stood out to us when we first saw them, was that half-way during the show, Jake took off his shirt and underneath that shirt, he wore a pink floral top. On this night, we were eagerly waiting to see if the tradition remained and when he showed it off, we were excited to get the chance to ask about the origin of the ritual.
“While touring in another band, while living in Virginia, we used to tour by bike. I wanted to keep the sun off my back while remaining cool. I stopped into a thrift store and was sorting through the racks when I found it. At first, I started wearing it as a joke but eventually it started feeling natural.”
Shaky Knees: “It was killer”
After recently playing Shaky Knees, Jeff relayed to us that “It felt weird performing on the main stage, the stage where Tame Impala played and then having people come up to us and congratulate us on our performance.” There are a lot of new faces at their shows and the continuous growth of the band has brought them many opportunities and experiences. “Some days we truly don’t know what to do with it, but I think that’s a good thing. It means the timing is right for our band.”
“Have you grown up yet? Does the war make sense?”
The songwriting process is always a very important one. Illiterate Light described for us where they get their inspiration for writing. They try to write songs that are moving between their emotional and relational lives. “Also our observations of our culture and of the world at large. Therefore, we don’t stray away from writing about politics and war. We want to be a part of the conversation.” With the world that we live in today, it’s important that there are artists in the industry discussing these topics.
The Show
Before the interview, we had the opportunity to take pictures of the band while singing and dancing to their songs. They opened with their hit “Nuthin’s Fair” and had the whole crowd bobbing their heads and moving to the music. They played through songs off of their EP, Sweet Beast and played an outstanding cover of “Vampire Blues” by Neil Young. You could tell that the crowd was surprised that two people could create the sounds that they were creating. By the end of their set, you could tell that the audience was impressed and eager to listen to more of their stuff!
What’s next for illiterate light?
The band recently signed with Atlantic Records and is planning to release an album in October! They have an EP on Spotify, Sweet Beast, which you should definitely check out! They actually just released a new single a couple days ago called “Carolina Lorelei.” Illiterate Light (@illiteratelight) is constantly creating new music and they will be going on multiple tours throughout the rest of the year. If they come around to your town, you should treat yourself and go! Seeing them perform live is a great time!
Mystic Truth Tour 2019
“Away We go”
Our first concert since we got home from Texas was Bad Suns… and we were pretty excited about it. I (Britt) spent all of high school listening to their album Language & Perspective and was stoked to see them live for the first time. We left Greenville around 4:30 and made our way to the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta.
We arrived at the venue while the opener, a very talented 18 year old from Wisconsin, Carlie Hanson was performing. Hanson’s music can be described as pop punk and alternative. She was assisted by a drummer and a guitar/keyboard player and had amazing energy as she was jumping from side to side on the stage!
feels like home
The lights in the venue dimmed and the members of Bad Suns made their way to the stage and opened with “Away We Go”, the first song off their newest album, Mystic Truth. They played through songs off of their other albums, Language & Perspective, and Disappear Here. After performing “The World and I”, the lead singer Christo, approached the microphone and asked “Who’s been here since our first record?” Half of the audience put their hands up and shouted. “Thank you guys for being here for that long! Now who’s ready to fucking dance?” The band then proceeded to play “Rearview” off of their first record. Christo encouraged the crowd to dance and jump along as he sang the lyrics.
The continued playing through their set and then… “Cardiac Arrest” came on. This song is super nostalgic to me because it is the first song that I listened to by them and it introduced me to their music. It was one of my favorite songs to listen to throughout high school and hearing it live felt insane. Jenna and I jumped around and belted out the lyrics with the crowd. Before ending the song, Christo yelled into the microphone, “This feels like fucking home tonight!” And it sure did.
“away we go” Part 2
Unfortunately, after this song, Jenna wasn’t feeling well so we had to cut the concert short and head home. We were thankful to hear some of our favorite songs like “Violet”, “Rearview”, “Daft Pretty Boys”, and “Cardiac Arrest” though! We made our way to the merch table and I bought a record and Jenna bought a t-shirt (per usual). We gathered up our things, took some pictures outside of the venue and made our way back to our car with blisters on our feet from dancing and messy hair.
Overall, we had a great time at this concert. Bad Suns sold out this show and put on a great performance! If you ever have the chance to see them on this tour, you definitely should! The energy and enthusiasm that this band puts into their stage presence and songs is super dope and you can feel the love and gratitude that they have for their fans. 10/10 would recommend!
Texas Travels
About two weeks prior to our spring break we saw an ad for an upcoming music event with some of our favorite artists. The only problem was that it was in Texas. To be quite honest, the distance was never the issue at all, it was the getting there part that seemed a little hazy.
It became clear to us that we were going to go, despite the distance and everyone’s thoughts against our plan. So, I (Jen) began to plan out every detail in order for this to work. Our cars were in no shape to drive across the country, so I asked my biological father if he wanted to swap cars for a week. It took a while to get an answer but he willingly agreed.
Now came the saving up part. This trip was not going to be cheap. Fortunately I have a lot of relatives that live in Texas, so no hotels for us. Our expenses would mostly be food and gas, mostly gas though.
The most difficult preparation was the packing. We both struggled in this area, but what do you expect from two indecisive girls? I (Jen) packed two bags, my 16 y/o cousin brought one, and Britt brought 4. In Britt’s defense, her main suitcase wasn’t as big as ours were. We somehow managed to fit them in the back of our Honda Civic.
On Thursday, March 15 we drove away from Greenville at 4am, and rode into the sunrise. Britt drove first, just like we planned, and then we switched four hours in when it was time to refuel. We kept this up for 14 hours. The ride was filled with music, and naps and our silly “song roulette” game. As we passed through states, our minds were filled with the desire to travel and live our lives on the road. We counted down the hours until we would be in the Lone Star State baby!
We arrived in Burleson, TX around 5:30pm and were greeted by my grandparents. This would be our home for the next week, and we couldn’t contain our excitement about the adventures to come.
VIsta Kicks, but as cowboys
On Saturday, we drove an hour to Denton, TX for the first show of our trip. We got lucky with this show, it wasn’t apart of the plan at first. We decided to leave Burleson around noon so that we could do a bit of exploring, which turned into shopping (watch our vlog to see a full haul of our purchases). We ate, and then headed down to the venue.
VISTA KICKS was still doing sound check as we waltzed in. After they got off the stage, we were quickly greeted with hugs and how-have-you-beens. It was exciting to stand aside and watch all of the new and young fans that they had gained since we saw them last.
Their opener was an energetic band called Jonathan from Croatia. We stood to the side with Sam and Trevor and watched them rock out on the stage.
When it came time for the boys to go on, we made our way to the front so we could get some good shots of them. They played through songs off of their albums and included some songs that we’ve never heard live before like “Mona Lisa” and “Circles”. They put on a great show as usual and we were looking forward to their showcase in San Antonio.
stay bad showcase
We arrived at The Paper Tiger around 6pm and stayed around to explore the venue. The venue was outdoors and had string lights and murals to decorate the area. We sat on one of the a picnic benchs and waited for the show to start.
The Shakes came on around 6:30 and played through their set with a relaxed and mellow vibe. Their song “Golden State of Mind” is super calming and easy to chill to. The next performers were a group called Gymshorts based out of Rhode Island. They jumped onto the stage with high energy and an angsty sound. The lead singer kept the crowd engaged by handing off the microphone and leaping off stage.
The next performer was a solo artist named Derek Ted from California. His music is mainly acoustic and is weirdly reminiscent of summer and old lovers. His sound can be described as being soft and nostalgic. If you’ve never checked him out, you definitely should!
Arms Akimbo was the next band to perform. They had everyone bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to the sound of their music. Based out of California, Arms Akimbo brought the ultimate alternative and rock sound. These goofy guys put on a great show and continued smiling throughout the whole thing.
Hate Drugs came onto the stage around 10pm. Also hailing from the Golden State, they brought the dream indie sound. These guys were so into the music they were playing and it showed. They had the whole crowd engaged and no one took their eyes off of them for a minute. They recently released a new album, Tsunami Soul I, so they played the majority of their set from this album. These dudes are extremely talented and you should check them out on Spotify or any other music platforms!
Vista Kicks were the last set that was scheduled for this show. They came out and opened with “Million Dollar Seller Pt. 1” and played through some of the same songs from previous shows, with surprise performances of “Work for Me” (Thanks Trevor!) and “Love & Paranoia”. We can honestly say that these guys never put on a bad show! The energy and effort that they put into not only their songs but into their stage presence and performance is unlike any we have ever seen. We’ve said this plenty of times before but if you EVER have the chance to see Vista Kicks live, please do! We have a feeling that these guys will be big very soon and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to see them in an intimate environment!
Back to reality
In between concerts, we spent our days exploring nearby cities, going to Target way too many times, and ultimately just living it up while we had the time. This trip was nothing short of amazing and it was a great way to spend our spring break and to get away for a little bit. We already have some new adventures planned, but for the meantime, we will be saving up some money for our next venture! We hope you guys enjoyed this travel post and make sure to check out the vlog that we made regarding this trip! Also make sure to check out the pictures that we took while on this trip on the gallery on this blog or on our instagram @hypnoticbolt! Stay groovy!
What’s Spinnin’? 4
Welcome to the fourth edition of What’s Spinnin’? We’ve been on the hunt for some new tunes and we hope you’ll find these worth the listen! Oh, and guess what? Adding these songs to your playlist just got a whole lot easier, you’re welcome! We have a Spotify, and we have added all of our editions onto their own playlist! Happy listening!
Jen
- Not What I Meant (ft. Lewis Watson)- dodie
- break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored- Ariana Grande
- Fingers Crossed- COIN
- I Want It All- COIN
- Make Me a Robot- Tessa Violet
- Bad Ideas- Tessa Violet
- Wings- The Jacks
- Olivia- The Jacks
- She’s A Mystery- The Jacks
- Kinky Toe- Baby Boys
- The Start of Something- Voxtrot
- Heart Made of Metal- Post Animal
- Dirtpicker- Post Animal
Britt
- Kill the Medicine Man- Ron Gallo
- Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me- Ron Gallo
- Wild Coyote- The Nude Party
- Sway- Duncan Fellows
- You Were Not There- Post Animal
- Goggles- Post Animal
- The Breeze- Dr. Dog
- Even In My Dreams, I Can’t Win- Bad Suns
- Moonage Daydream- David Bowie
- Forest Gum- New Madrid
- Magnetoception- New Madrid
- Just a Little Bit- The Jacks
- Heart Eyes- COIN
United Steaks Tour 2019
Part I
Athens, GA February 27, 2019- The first show we went to was at the Georgia Theater. We had seen Post Animal at this same venue back in December and were excited to be back.
“Fresh Squeezed”
The first performers were a group from Austin, Texas called Duncan Fellows. They played through songs from their album Both Sides of the Ceiling. They had the crowd bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. Their music is reminiscent of summer and reminded us of sunshine even in the dreary February weather. Playing through hits like “Coffins”, “Fresh Squeezed”, and “Sway”. Duncan Fellows introduced their music to the Georgia Theater and gained new listeners.
Flame Impala
Post Animal made their way to the stage around 9pm and opened with “Gelatin Mode”. If you’ve never listened to Post Animal before, we recommend starting with this song. The upbeat sound and heavy guitar that eases into slower parts only to pick back up makes for a great song to dance your butt off to.
They played through songs off of their recent album, When I Think of You in A Castle and older songs like “You Were Not There”, and “When I Get Home”. They created the same dreamy psychedelic experience that you hear in their songs. They ended their set with “Dirtpicker” and gave the crowd something to remember them by.
Who Are You? Point To It!
Ron Gallo entered the stage around 10pm. Jenna and I had been studying his music and we were excited to see him perform live. He and his ensemble put on an incredible show. He incorporates a lot of pedals, instruments, and uses effects like an echo on his mic to give him that grungy, kaleidoscopic sound. He played through songs off of his albums HEAVY META, Really Nice Guys, and Stardust Birthday Party. He kept the crowd engaged by running across the stage, passing the microphone to people in the crowd, and inviting Post Animal back onto the stage to sing one last song. Great guy and an even greater concert!
Part II
Asheville, NC February 28, 2019- The next day we headed up to our favorite place, Asheville for round two. We arrived at the Mothlight and got our spot right in front of the stage. The Mothlight’s atmosphere was a lot different than the Georgia Theater’s. The stage was lower to the ground and it made for a more intimate and insane show.
Duncan Fellows
This show was way different from the first. Duncan Fellows had a bigger fan-base in Asheville and it was enjoyable to jump around and sing along to the lyrics with the members of the band. They were surprised that people knew and listened to their music and we could tell that it meant a lot to them to have people dancing to their music in a confined space. Their set was energetic and uplifting and if you haven’t checked them out, you definitely should!
Ron Gallo
Ron came out next at this show and brought the fire! The whole crowd went crazy when he started playing and the energy of the crowd only intensified as the show went on. When he started playing his crowd-pleasing song, “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me”, the audience went crazy. Everyone in the venue was jumping and bumping into each other and slowly started forming a mosh pit. Ron finished his set with “You” Are The Problem” and left the crowd giddy and ready for Post Animal.
Everyone Hit “Gelatin Mode”
The members of Post Animal came out shortly after Ron Gallo. We want to preface this by saying that this concert was something we have NEVER experienced before. Once Post Animal started playing “Gelatin Mode”, the crowd went wild! Everyone was jumping, head banging, throwing their fists in the air, and crowd surfing. We have never been a part of such an intense and reckless environment. As the show went on, we became immersed in the crowd and continued screaming the lyrics along with everyone. They absolutely KILLED this show! The raw energy in the Mothlight was indescribable. They were feeding off of the crowd’s energy and the mixture of the vibrating floorboards and sweaty bodies made this show memorable.
“Tire Eyes”
These past two days have been amazing even with our lack of sleep, empty stomachs and our hearts racing from all of the energy drinks we have been consuming. Post Animal always puts on a great show and these shows have introduced us to new music such as Duncan Fellows and Ron Gallo. If you ever have the chance to see any of these bands live, please do, they will not disappoint!
A Hypnotic Hangout: Mommy’s Little Boy
‘Wasting All of My Time’ on Valentine’s Day
February 14 is the day of love, and it also happened to be the day that Mommy’s Little Boy released his first full-length album. Jake Derting, from Denton, Texas sat down with us to discuss his album Wasting All of My Time.
In 2018, he released his first self-titled EP, Mommy’s Little Boy. This EP was his way of introducing his music to the world. His most popular song “She Cries”, just recently hit 2000 streams on Spotify, so check that out if you haven’t already.
The Sound of Mommy’s Little Boy
The “She Cries” singer gets a lot of his musical inspiration from artists like Roy Orbison, Current Joys, Lala Lala, Surf Curse and a local Denton friend, Ian Salazar. Throughout a lot of the songwriting process, Jake listened to these artists and gained a new perspective on what sound he wanted to create.
Jake described that he gets his inspiration for his music from observing people in his life and putting it in his perspective. He said that “The way I write is that I perceive things and I watch people’s lives and then I can write about it from my perspective”. He went on to talk about how he had lived with some friends from college this past semester, and how all of them were individually going through stuff. He took it as an opportunity to put himself in their shoes and write about those experiences.
In his song “Wasting Time”, Jake incorporated an acoustic guitar with multiple pedals and pitch shifter to get different sounds from the same instruments. He’s been passionate about music from a young age and has the ability to play many instruments.
When we asked about how he would define his genre of music, Jake said, “I don’t think that I could really put into one genre.” He described his music as a mixture of Dream Pop, Low-Fi, Bedroom Pop, and Punk. With this new album, he has been able to shape his sound into his own and now when you listen to his music, you know it’s a Mommy’s Little Boy song.
“Things Are Great” and so is “Oatmeal”
Two of the most influential songs on Wasting All of My Time are “Oatmeal” and “Things Are Great”. Jake relayed to us that after working for hours recording different parts of what was originally a nameless song, he was craving oatmeal and the name of that song was born. We all shared a laugh about our mutual love for oatmeal. He continued to say that he poured out all of his “angst” into this song and it easily became one of his favorites off of the album.
He saw “Things Are Great” as a song that he could go somewhere with. He used this particular song to shape not only his sound but his message.
A Wake-Up Call
When we asked about why he titled the album Wasting All of My Time which was pulled from his song “Wasting Time”, he described that he had an awakening and decided to settle down. He went on to say that his first record was just for fun, and nothing too serious. With this new album, he discovered that this was a true passion of his and he dedicated more time and effort into it.
A Message from Mommy’s Little Boy
Jake is super proud of this album and he wants his listeners to know that you shouldn’t waste your time doing things that you aren’t passionate about. He hopes for people to listen to his music and become inspired to not give up on their goals and aspirations.
He laughed and sat back in his chair. He stated, “Actually I have been filming a music video for Things Are Great and it should be out in a couple weeks!”
Keep an eye out for any new projects and releases from Mommy’s Little Boy. Check out his music on all music platforms! We want to thank Jake for taking the time to have this interview with us, go check him out!!
Heart Eyes
Hello! Happy (late) Valentine’s Day! We have a special blog post for you all! We had a lot of fun shooting these pictures and thought that it would be fun to include a list of our favorite love songs as well as our favorite “f*ck love” songs, enjoy!
Britt
❤
- I Can’t Think of Anybody But U- Vista Kicks
- Flower Power- Greta Van Fleet
- Head Over Feet- Alanis Morissette
- One Day (At A Time)- John Lennon
- Green Eyes- Coldplay
- Soul One- Blind Melon
- I Would (Stripped)- COIN
- Warm Ways- Fleetwood Mac
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- Walk Away- Kelly Clarkson
- Babe I’m Gonna Leave You- Led Zeppelin
- Human Leech- Willow
- I Fall Apart- Post Malone
- A Change of Heart- The 1975
- What Kind of Man- Florence + The Machine
- Everything I Own- Bread
- From the Dining Table- Harry Styles
Jen
❤
- Loving Is Easy- Rex Orange County
- Love and Some Verses- Iron & Wine
- Gimme Love- Vista Kicks
- Butterflies- Kacey Musgraves
- Intertwined- dodie
- Only Angel- Harry Styles
- Leather and Lace- Stevie Nicks
- All My Loving- The Beatles
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- Never Gonna Happen- Lily Allen
- Blue- Marina and the Diamonds
- You- Dodie
- Dead to Me- Kali Uchis
- She- The Monkees
- Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
- I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)- Susan Egan
- List of People (To Try and Forget About)- Tame Impala
More Like Galentine’s
February 14th is a day to celebrate love, even platonic love! There is no love stronger than the love you share with your best friends! Spend this day with the people you love the most and if you feel like it, you can listen to these songs while doing that. We hope you guys enjoyed this post and as always, stay groovy ❤
All the love, Britt & Jen
‘Fingers Crossed’
When we found out that COIN was playing in Atlanta on their upcoming tour, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them. We got home from our classes, changed into our best outfits and headed down to Georgia. Listening to music with the windows rolled down, cruising on the highway as the sun was setting, we had a good feeling about this one.
Play it Cool
When we arrived, we waited in a line that wrapped all the way down the block and struck up a conversation with some cool people with the same interests as us. When we entered the venue around 7:15, we raced to get a decent spot on the left side of the stage.
Tessa Violet was the opener and she created a welcoming and energetic feel with her songs. She transitioned from her sit single “Crush” into some slower acoustic songs that had the crowd swaying back and forth with their arms raised. Tessa engaged with the big crowd and retold personal stories in between songs.
“…so keep on dancing”
The members of COIN made their way to the stage around 9pm. They made a grand entrance with their hit song “I Don’t Wanna Dance” which ironically had everyone jumping up and down and dancing. They played through songs off their albums “HWYKIYNT”, “COIN”, and their singles “Cemetery”, “Growing Pains”, “I Want It All”, and “Simple Romance”. And let me tell you, these guys had everyone dancing their asses off. There was something about the energy of the crowd mixed with the energy of the band that made that venue feel indestructible.
The lead singer of COIN, Chase created a special bond with the crowd. I believe that even people way in the back or on the balcony could feel a connection with him, which I think is insane. He sang to all parts of the crowd and made sure that no section was left out. There has yet to be a concert that we’ve been to that had that same type of energy throughout the whole venue. There was a time in between songs where he asked how everyone was doing and then proceeded to say “This is a safe place. A safe place to cry. A safe place to dance.” You could literally feel the love and appreciation that they have for their following. It was something so special.
“How Will You Know If You Never Try?”
They ended the set with “Fingers Crossed” and made a lasting impression on the crowd. After the crowd started to disperse, we headed over to the merch table. There was a line for Tessa’s merch and also the chance to meet her and take a picture with her so obviously we got in that line first. When we went up to meet her, she complimented our outfits and thanked us for coming to the show. We took a picture with her and Jenna struck up a conversation with her about Dodie. I found it so admirable that she spent the time meeting and having genuine conversations with everyone waiting in that line. She was such a humble and down to earth person and if you haven’t listened to a lot of her music, you should! (Plus her hair is super badass!)
After meeting Tessa, we went to the COIN merch table and picked up T-shirts and vinyls (of course). We gathered up our new goods and headed back to the parking garage and prepared for our drive home.
“Heart Eyes”
This was our first time seeing COIN but it probably won’t be our last. The environment in the Buckland Theatre was insane and it really opened our eyes as to who COIN is and how well they perform. If you EVER have the chance to see them, please take the time to do so, they will definitely make it worth your while!
Laid Back with The Jacks
“Hello My Friend”
1/2/2019 Atlanta– The sun was shining and we were en route to Atlanta. The night before, The Jacks graciously responded to a comment we made about their “house party” show. They DMed us the address, and asked us if we wanted to come. Of course we couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so like always we hopped in the car and drove.
We arrived around 2PM, and we were escorted to the open backyard. We walked down the porch steps and walked closer to where the stage was set up. The party host, Alex was so sweet and accommodating. He was shocked that we had driven so far to see the band, and promised to make it worth our while.
He introduced us to Tom (guitar/ vocals), Josh (drums), Jonny (vocals and guitar), and Scott (bass/vocals). The band was just as excited as us about being there.
“Shake it up baby now”
The guys made their way to the makeshift stage and started playing their set around 3:30. They opened with “Holy Roller”, played through some of their unreleased songs, and covers of “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”, “Hey, Jude” and “Twist and Shout”. They kept the crowd energized and on their feet through the duration of the show. Jonny engaged with the crowd by getting off the stage and sharing the microphone. We made connections with the guys while they were performing and we never missed a beat. They finished the set with an encore of “Twist and Shout” and had everyone twisting in their shoes.
The Dirt (on our shoes)
After the show, our shoes were muddy, the sun was setting, and the crowd had dispersed. We met up with each of the guys and struck up an intriguing conversation. We were curious to know what was next for their career. They mentioned that they recently got signed to EDGEOUT Records (a record label under Universal Music Group). Thanks to their new record label, they were able to participate in the Superbowl performances. Jonny explained that because of this big milestone in their career, they will be releasing new singles soon and are planning on going on tour in the upcoming year.
Josh was curious to know where we had discovered them. We explained that Vista Kicks had mentioned them and we were interested in learning more about them. We did our best to persuade Scott to go on tour with their pals, Vista Kicks. Scott asked us where we were from and was open to any suggestions on venues to play at when they come back around. We mentioned that we recently went to a concert at the Radio Room in Greenville. We continued the conversation talking about psychedelic rock bands.
In our conversation with Tom, we found out that they cover songs that fit in their genre of music. “We do this because if the crowd isn’t familiar with our music, it gets them interested in our sound.” He then added that they do like to add their own twist to the songs that they cover. For example, he mentioned that he loves covering “Hey Jude”, because “It’s one of the best songs ever written and we love to add our own spin to it.” “
“Hello, Goodbye”
The sun had set and we were bidding our farewells. We thanked Alex and his roommate Murphy for the billionth time for hosting the party, and made our way to say goodbye to our new friends, The Jacks. We had mentioned the blog in our previous conversation and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a picture with them. They were more than happy to, and thanked us again for traveling down to see them. We bid our farewells and promised to see them again soon!
“…a little taste”
If you have never listened to The Jacks, you definitely should! These guys create some badass rock and roll music. Their music is influenced by the 1960’s and 1970’s rock invasion. Keep an eye out for any new music they will be releasing and if you ever have the chance to see them (even at a house party in the middle of Atlanta) you should take that opportunity!
Thank you guys again for inviting us and being so down to earth and genuine! This will be an experience that we will never forget!
Hypnotic Bolt 