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Their hour-long, sold-out set Friday night at Union Hall secured the D.C. trio’s buzz worthy praise that has been over a year in the making. Reserved to the downstairs room of the 5,000-sq. foot mega bar, Jukebox funneled their happy-go-lucky melodies to an after-work party crowd animated from the Hall’s two Bocce courts (main floor, behind the main bar) and those fresh from lounging along the built-in library wall units (hanging above various living room-like common areas.) Playing the basement of a bar isn’t the most glamorous thing in the world, but the show did nothing short of live up to the band’s reputation for having fun. Opening with the piano-pop driven “Good Day,” lead singer and classically trained pianist Ben Thornewill, guitarist Tommy Siegel and drummer Jesse Kristen showcased songs off their infectious debut LP Let Live and Let Ghosts. “Empire,” with a guest flying onto stage for tambourine and “Hold It In,” which drew the loudest cheers, seasoned their set list along with their cheerful affection for love and the apocalypse one in the same. You could say Jukebox the Ghost are Spoon’s kid brother, or compare them to Ben Folds Blah Blah, but shying away from the piano rock norm and instead embodying a creative, head bop-able body of work is something they do very well. In an industry saturated with sound-a-likes, Jukebox's indie rock formula comes with pitches and pianos, fuzzy hair, unpretentious modesty and a pure, unadulterated good time. Jukebox the Ghost - Empire - LIVE @ Union Hall from Some Guys and Their Cameras on Vimeo  |
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