Where’s Jai have sold out their first headline concert at Spark Arena’s boutique pub venue, and they are ecstatic.
The visual heart of the group are the two lead singers Grace Allis and Leigh Edmeades, who bounce around the stage and whip up the energy levels.
Their unison vocals at times recall the great B-52’s and their doubled female singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Strickland. Here’s an idea, maybe they could try a cover of 52 Girls on their live act.
They come from Auckland’s North Shore, and they were formed at the height of lockdown madness in 2021. That crucible evidently fired out some well-tempered musical material.
They start with opening album track Greenhouse. A Power Pop intro leads into some strafing guitar blasts underpinned by a solid rhythmic drive. The quirks of the song is where the shadow of the B-52’s loom.
Occasional boomers are likely family. They may recognise the New Wave energy that surfed in on the Punk explosion of the latter Seventies.
Ka-Cash is bouncy white Reggae (of the early Clash variety) where the voices threaten to break into Cyndi Lauper she-bopping.
Call Me Tonight slows down the tempo and comes across as seductive.
I find out it’s a television/streaming musical drama, from an original book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, about a Rock band set in Seventies Los Angeles. It screened in 2023.
Sounds like Rock Follies, which was a similar show us Boomers watched in the actual Seventies, about a similar band but based in hip London.
The band covers River, which rages as ecstatic Power Pop. Then do their version of Suki Waterhouse’s Dream Woman. She was one of the main actors from the series. Comes across as sensual Donna Summer Euro-Disco in style.
Less opaque is War Underwater, which Allis informs us has its roots with a father she had a difficult relationship with. It is a sweet ballad, but it is those lyrics that cut.
To lose me, your silence/It hurts more than your violence.
Opening the evening is Emerson, who is Emma Wagner.
She has played predominantly in bands before, but as Emerson the solo artist, she lays out her single Bored for us, and it is a tasty alternative Pop banger.
She is playing behind a guitarist and drummer, and it took a few songs to warm up. She was complaining of a raspy, hoarse voice.
She lays out a brand-new song, Counting Sheep. A minimalist drum lead and she takes the opportunity for her voice to soar. The scratchiness is banished.
George Villa is George Woolston from Hamilton, although of late he is based in Auckland.
This opens some interesting polyrhythmic sounds, around what is a diverse Indie Rock band. George himself has an effective tenor voice.
Shifting Shapes has nice jangle guitar riffs and coasts along nicely on a Power Pop wave
Time and Steer Clear open out with elements of Country Rock and sounding like Pop versions of Americana.
Some of the air of a Little Feat about this delightful band.
Lover is distinctly Blues on the extended guitar coda.
Where’s Jai gets the mass of enthusiastic women jumping to Rosaline, which is another ecstatic banger off the album. The band get a chance to come out front with their rhythmic drive on stage tonight.
They may slow the tempo down for Tell Me but then come back with heavier Rock riffs on The Square and City. The singers match the rise in intensity.
They all bounce back to encore with the title track Fresh Out of Air. Two harmonising violins are playing.
A triumphant celebration of their debut album for Where’s Jai.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Azri Azizie
Where’s Jai
George Villa
Emerson
