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Durand Jones Setlist
Kaina Setlist
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Leap Day is a rare calendar day that only occurs once every four years, and in addition to being Superman’s birthday, it’s an extra chance to get out and see something special--
For the lucky that acquired tickets at a sold-out Bottleneck in downtown Lawrence, KS, that meant experiencing the soulful revival sounds of Durand Jones and the Indications.
The evening began with a forty-minute opening set from Chicago native Kaina Castillo who stylizes her name as KAINA and is out in support of debut full-length, Next to the Sun (on Sooper Records). Her soulful and emotion-laden delivery can be sometimes Sade-esque, other times the first-generation Venezuelan-Guatemalan reflects her Latin culture, and always is proud of her Windy City roots.
‘Ghost’ was written about “something no longer serving you”, 2016’s ‘Honey’ had the crowd learning then repeating the song’s chorus, and the title track, while having a positive message about the duality of human beings, is purposely delivered with some underlying sadness.
The salsa-flavored last song of the set, ‘Green’ was punctuated by the lighted disco ball spinning above, something the artist noticed hanging from the ceiling mid-set, and asked for it to be activated, which put the audience in even more of a dancing mood.
We’ve followed Durand Jones and the Indications for a few years now, and continue to be impressed with their evolution as artists and stage performers. Revival soul is still peaking with numerous acts taking their inspiration from Stax, Atlantic and Motown sounds of the 60’s and updating things, resulting in a fresh take on a timeless sound, and while someone like Leon Bridges is more Sam Cooke, Jones and group are more influenced by Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, and Curtis Mayfield, for a refined, but sometimes edgy delivery.
Jones, along with Aaron Frazer (drums/vocals), Blake Rhein (guitar), Steve Okonski (keys), and new bassist Michael Montgomery began their ninety-minute set with a silky ‘Smile’ followed by ‘Circles’ from most recent full-length, last year’s American Love Call (on Dead Oceans Records) with Jones’ soulful voice complimented by Frazer’s distinctive falsetto.
‘Cruisin’ to the Park’ was dedicated to any low riders in the crowd (by everyone singing along, you’d think the whole crowd had them) and things slowed down for ‘Walk Away’ but quickly built back up for the following three socially conscious-themed songs, a mini-set dedicated to a foundation Martin Luther King Jr began, which embraces equality and non-prejudice.
Jones was an ideal Curtis Mayfield for a cover still-poignant and lyrically relevant, and their own ‘Morning in America’ and ‘Make a Change’ echoed themes of Inner City Blues-era Marvin Gaye.
The past met the more-recent present during an extended instrumental medley showcasing the band members and putting soulful spins on riffs originally on Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, and N.W.A. records, which they dedicated to the local record shop around the corner they made a stop at.
The crowd again became vocal for the chorus of ‘True Love’, swayed left and right for ‘Sea Gets Hotter’ which featured Frazer’s high-pitched vocals, and KAINA and band couldn’t resist jumping back on stage to dance along to the get down of the set-ending ‘Groovy Babe’, extended to give the band members each a proper intro.
The encore began sweetly with Frazer crooning, to the audience’s delight on ‘Is It Any Wonder’, which had a few women swooning, before Jones re-emerged (in his third different shirt of the evening) to help end things with the appropriate ‘Long Way Home’, thanking everyone for selling out the room for their first local show in three years.
A (love) call was sent, and that call was answered as Lawrence filled the room to groove along with Durand Jones and the Indications, making for one very memorable Leap Day experience.
(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)
Remaining tour dates:
Mar 5 Bentonville, AR Meteor Guitar Gallery
Mar 7 Savannah, GA Stopover Music Festival
Mar 12 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Apr 11 Yokohama, Japan Motion Blue
Apr 13 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note (ブルーノート)
Apr 16 Honolulu, HI The Republik
May 1-2 Nashville, TN Sevier Park Fest
May 1-3 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
May 13 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
May 14 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
May 15 Ventura, CA Majestic Ventura Theater
May 16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl
May 18 Fresno, CA Fulton 55
May 19 Reno, NV Cargo Concert Hall
May 21 Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Berkeley
May 22 Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Berkeley
May 22-24 Monterey, CA California Roots Festival
May 23 Felton, CA Felton Music Hall
Jul 4 Washington, DC D.C. Jam Festival
Jul 10 Marshfield, MA Levitate Music Festival
Jul 12 Ottawa, ON RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
Jul 17-19 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
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Durand Jones |
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Durand Jones |
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Durand Jones |
Durand Jones |
Durand Jones |
Durand Jones |
Durand Jones and the Indications at Bottleneck, Lawrence KS (29 Feb 2020) |
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