They began the night by saying that their set would be “ALL NEW MUSIC”. Which I thought was a very bold and creative move. I have been to many shows and that was the first time I have seen a band perform only new music. At the beginning of one of their songs Drew even stated “This song is so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet!”

This was all in typical Jack Lion fashion as they are known for sampling things on stage and making up new renditions to their songs on the fly. This creates a very spontaneous atmosphere and keeps the audience interested as every show is different than the last.

The one thing that was instantly obvious to me was how talented Brian, Drew and Justin all were on their instruments. They all seemed very comfortable on stage and were all quite engrossed in their instrument. I think this passion is what makes the trio work so well together and enables them to continue making new sounds.

Undoubtedly the most impressive factor about Jack Lion is their fusion of jazz and electronic. Two genres that could not be much more different from one another. Jazz is a genre rooted in improvisation and spontaneity while electronic is based on the ability to pinpoint and control every aspect of the song. Smith has described this process as “trying to marry two worlds even though they are very disparate.” The blend of these genres makes for an fascinating and inspiring sound and also brings out an interesting audience as there are fans from both sides of the spectrum.

I felt like the music of Jack Lion and the venue itself were made for each other. The combination of electronic and jazz music mixed with plenty of down tempo beats played off of the dark/grunge feel of the upstairs at Gabe’s perfectly (this may be bias as Gabe’s is one of my favorite venues). Not to mention the sparkling lights that cover the ceiling enhanced the atmospheric feel of Jack Lion’s sound.

Overall, this show was admittedly a difficult show to write about for several reasons. One, the whole set itself was about forty minutes long which didn’t leave me with an ample amount of content to cover. Two, all the songs were new and completely instrumental which made it a bit more difficult to discuss the content of the music. And three, the stage presence of the band was somewhat uneventful with minimal movement of the members and only a small amount of interaction with the crowd.

With all that being said I am incredibly happy I chose to review Jack Lion and looking back I would not have picked a different show if given the opportunity. The music they create is truly its own thing that does not to be combined with any extra factors to make for a moving show. I have never been to a show that is more, for lack of a better word, inspiring. Jack Lion demonstrates that the possibilities in music are only limited by you, arguably the most beautiful aspect of music. They are an incredible band to see live, and I encourage everyone to attend a Jack Lion show.

For more on Jack Lion check out their Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter.

The post Witching Hour: Jack Lion @ Gabe’s 11/05/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Accompanied by Kill OG and Ricky Remedy, the trio put on an electrifying, bass-filled performance.

As this was my first time seeing a dubstep show in Iowa City, I was not sure what to expect. I arrived to the show at around 10 o’clock and was instantly greeted with bass heavy enough to shake the building. Kill OG, an Iowa native, had just taken the stage and was doing an excellent job of amping up the crowd with a dubstep driven set.  As I took in my surroundings, I was immediately surprised by the large turnout. Secondly, I was ecstatic to see people wearing merch from many of my favorite artists from GRiZ to Excision. The Iowa City EDM scene appeared to be thriving more than I thought it would be.

Following Kill OG with no intermission, was Rick Remedy, an up and coming artist in the electronic trap genre who has collaborated with many big name artists including Diplo and LOUDPVCK. For someone like me, who admittedly isn’t always into trap, it was not my ideal set but he didn’t disappoint. He was able to use a combination of trap and remixes to multiple popular songs to keep the crowd intrigued and dancing throughout his set. My favorite part of his performance was when he dropped “Supernova”, a song he made with Big Makk, who recently passed. It gave me chills as he shouted “Let’s do it for my brother” and the whole place raged in his honor.

Bear Grillz was set to start at 11:45 and the crowd seemed to be getting more excited with every minute that passed.

Finally, it was 11:45. As Bear Grillz came out on stage in the dimly lit venue, the illuminated eyes and mouth on his newly redesigned bear head shone brightly throughout the room. Wasting no time at all in getting to the heavy songs, Bear Grillz opened his set with a remix of Phiso’s “Jotaro” There was a surprising lack of ‘wow, another “Jotaro” remix, who would’ve guessed?’ type of fans like I’m use to seeing at shows. “Jotaro” got the majority of the crowd head banging and warmed up for the rest of the set.

Next up was a new song by Funtcase, this seemed to be a crowd pleaser and set the bar high for the rest of his set. Throughout the night he continued dropping new songs from many notable artists including Jauz, Bro Safari and Kayzo. Not to mention, a heavy rendition of “Don’t Let Me Down”, because what set would be complete without a Chainsmokers remix? 

He played all of his classics as well, such as; “EDM” and “F*ck Off”, which were both greeted with lots of enthusiasm from the audience. Bear Grillz did an excellent job of choosing the right songs that kept the audience interested and excited. Through the combination of his classic songs, plenty of heavy drops and music from many different popular artists in the scene, he was able to create a memorable mix of music from start to finish.

Bear Grillz spent much of summer 2016 making stops at music festivals all over the country, from Dancefestopia in Kansas City, MO to Moonrise in Baltimore, MD. This was very apparent as he was able to easily bring the hype and atmosphere of a large festival, and project those vibes all throughout the Blue Moose making for one incredible performance and night.

For music from these artists, click here: Bear Grillz, Kill OG and Ricky Remedy.
To keep up to date with where I’ll be next follow me on Twitter.

The post Concert Review: Bear Grillz @ The Blue Moose Tap House 10/13/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.