Waiting for Jake Bugg Without My Glasses
I got to Metropolis a bit late. Usually, I always come before the doors open and wait in line and then run to the stage once they let us in. This time I wasn’t in the second or third row, but I could still see the stage pretty clearly. However, the only thing I regret is not bringing my glasses. I hate wearing them because they make my face look weird but they could have come in handy, since I could only make out the shapes of the musicians and couldn’t see their faces.
By the time the first band came on, the venue was full. It was mostly teenagers and young adults in the front rows but in the back you could see people in their 40s and 50s who came around to appreciate Jake Bugg’s music. Everybody was there. They don’t call Jake Bugg the reincarnation of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash for nothing.
The Skins
I’ve checked out the Skins on youtube prior to the concert and they didn’t really appeal to me. Their songs showed promise, but they weren’t exactly catchy. They’re a rock band with R&B vocals, an interesting combination that proved itself to be amazing at their show. It’s not something you’d usually expect to sound catchy and nice but it was exactly that. The Skins are Brooklyn-based, consisting of siblings Bayli, Reef, and Kaya McKeithan and Daisy Spencer and Russell Chell.
Bayli (lead vocals) had a nice onstage presence with energetic dance moves. On top of having an amazing voice she had amazing hair and a very cute outfit. In the first few songs, you couldn’t really hear her voice as it was being covered by the guitars and drums, but this band is definitely worth being checked out. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the future.
Albert Hammond Jr.
If you know me, you know that The Strokes are my all time favorite band so you must imagine how excited I was when I found out that Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist of the Strokes, was opening for Jake Bugg! I liked his music from his first solo album and his EP was sounding good so I was excited to hear him play live. I really liked the opening song that played when they got on stage. I don’t remember the lyrics but it was something about girls and the beach. Pretty catchy. This was my first concert in 2014 and there’s something I really missed about concerts: when you’re listening to the band play and the music is so loud you feel like your ears are bleeding but all through your body starting from your feet you feel this vibration and everyone around you is moving and some people are yelling out the lyrics to the song and others have their cellphones out and are recording the whole thing but none of that matters because you’re here now and you’re listening.
Between songs, Albert said something that really stuck with me. He said, “This is awesome you guys make me feel like I’m Julian.” At first I thought I imagined it but he did indeed say it. It must of sucked being overshadowed by Julian Casablancas, but I’m sure he meant well and it was just a joke. I think I’m the only one who’s paying this much attention to this and obsessing over this statement.
The only thing that would have made Albert’s set perfect was if he played Bright Young Thing:
But, he didn’t. Instead he played Rude Customer twice. It’s a good song but playing it twice was really trying your luck
Jake Bugg
First thing I have to say is that Jake Bugg sounds live exactly like he sounds on the record, which is amazing. There were so many people there, everybody bobbing their head to the music and clapping their hands. I feel awkward during concerts because I don’t know what to do with my body. Do I just stand there and look at the band play? Do I try to dance? Well, no matter what you do, nobody is going to care because they’re immersed in their moment. There was one over-enthusiastic fan in the front row who kept jumping up and down, dancing like crazy. I guess Jake’s music really does make people swoon. My favorite part of the concert was when Jake played Broken
Not to sound cheesy but it almost felt magical. Everybody stopped talking and they just listened.
After the show on my way to the coat check all I could hear was “He’s so cute!” and “I wanna marry him!” Altogether it was a really good show. Jake Bugg gave us a performance I’ll never forget.
