In an unusual turn of events, lower Manhattan flooded on Thursday, May 22nd, leaving the Mercury Lounge inaccessible, and leaving Stone Jack Jones and his “From Nashville with Love and Torture” tour mates without a venue. Thankfully, The Delancey saved the evening, offering the four acts a stage. Unfortunately, they definitely lost some of their audience, but the people who did show up were enthusiastic and grateful.
Openers Lylas are a big band led by lanky singer Kyle Hamlett. Their sound is like stoner garage rock, and they set the tone for the evening featuring multiple repeat musicians who would make appearances in three out of four of the acts.Coupler, a solo project of Ryan Norris’ (with sound help from their tour manager) is purely instrumental. It’s psychedelic, trippy synth pop that’s extremely dark and beautiful. Coupler took most by surprise, leaving the audience in a trance, particularly because it wasn’t clear when the set began. Once people caught on, though, the otherworldly, almost paranoid sound was hypnotic, especially when Norris added in some layers with pretty, mellow guitar melodies.
Stone Jack Jones took the stage third, with multiple guitarists, including Hamlett playing impeccable banjo. His haunting, gauzy vocals took on a whole new life on the stage than they do on his most recent record Ancestor. Jones puts off this easy, cool vibe, with his steely stare and tousled hair. He did a quick, but full set, cheekily dedicating it to the Newark Water Department as a sly wink to the flooding.
His music sounds much different live, but definitely does not disappoint; rather, it shows a whole new side to his songs. With a full backing band, he’s louder and more rock and roll than on his record. More psychedelic and jam-fueled, songs like “Jackson” and “O Child” were full-bodied garage rock. His on-stage sound is less hazy and more soulful, and when he whips out the harmonica, you can see just how lost he gets in his music.
The ethereal airiness of “Joy” and the absolutely beautiful and dark “State I’m In” were showstoppers, and a nice way to break up the headier first two sets, and the upcoming minimalist acoustic sound of Wooden Wand. If given the chance to see Stone Jack Jones live, jump on it, because he puts on one hell of a show. His band was tight and cohesive, and his voice sounds even better in person than it does on his tour de force recent record.
Wooden Wand finished the show with an all too brief set—his last on this tour. James Jackson Toth’s solo project is simply he and an acoustic guitar, but honestly, that is all he needs. His songwriting is what you’re there for when you go to a Wooden Wand show, and he does that sparse Americana sound so well. With only time for six tunes, Toth played at a brisk pace. His set included fan favorites “Tiny Confessions” and “Vengeance”, as well as “The DNR Waltz”, “The Mountain” and “Eagle Claw”. This is a musician it would be nice to see more from, and he was the perfect ending to a strong line-up.
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