On February 23rd, rock band Desmond Jones performed at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor.
The night began with an opening performance by Denver-based foursome Envy Alo, whose groovy guitar riffs, driving drum loops and smooth saxophone livened the mood at the popular Ann Arbor venue. Their closing performance of 2018 release “Wastin’ Time” was a particular highlight, as the group took turns soloing over an extended bridge before closing their set with a forceful outro of smashing symbols, descending electric guitar scales and a blaring saxophone crescendo that built to a climactic peak.
After a short break, Grand Rapids-based Desmond Jones took the stage to set up for their performance. Notably, the group danced quietly to cuts from Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 avant-garde jazz album “To Pimp a Butterfly” as they tuned their instruments. If not an intentional foreshadowing of the heavily jazz-influenced and mildly experimental music they were set to display, it was at the very least a fitting coincidence. The elongated tuning session and stage set-up soon morphed seamlessly into a circling build of high-pitched chordal dissonance, with the lead guitars plucking lightly, the electric synth emoting eerie, wavering tones and the drums building a slow, symbol-laden drumroll. As tension and mystique peaked, lead guitarist Isaac Berkowitz cut through the spectral soundscape with a sudden, searing guitar riff to open their first piece, “Red.” From the jump, standout drumming by John Nowak asserted itself into the musical foreground. His loud, driving grooves grabbed the audience’s attention and paced the group as they got into their set.
Desmond Jones’ versatility stood out in their performance. Many of the tracks they performed lasted 10, or even 15 minutes, taking on the form of what felt like whirling jam sessions rather than traditional songs. Between brief vocal verses, the group intertwined a variety of musical styles into vast instrumental breaks. Groovy funk loops topped with jazzy guitar, saxophone and bass solos built into full, hard rock climaxes with cymbal-heavy drum fills and simmering electric guitar progressions, only to dissolve into a base layer of jazzy funk once again.
But the group also displayed its musical variety in performances of tracks from its newest release, 2021’s “Why Not?,” an album that saw Desmond Jones venture into Americana folk rock. The group weaved back and forth between these very different musical worlds: epic jams at the intersection of jazz, funk and rock, and country-adjacent tunes with swinging drum lines, melodic guitar passages and catchy choruses. A beautiful four-part vocal harmony made the group’s performance of “Casino Cowboy” a particular standout among their more recent work, while the charming storytelling of “Wanted By the Law, But Not By You” left the audience smiling.
On top of the band’s fascinating stylistic fluctuation, their freewheeling, light-hearted performance style was particularly fun and compelling. Despite their extended and frequently complex instrumentals, the group’s demeanor remained relaxed and carefree, inviting humor throughout their performance. On multiple occasions, members paused from their part in the middle of a piece to sip their beer, and at one point saxophonist George Falk took a break from his jazzy solos to load a t-shirt cannon and fire it into the audience while the rest of the group jammed on. Later on, Falk embarked on a five-minute, seemingly improvised spoken word piece while the music roared in the background, rambling about everything from human consciousness to the vastness of the universe. And at the end of the song “Squids,” the group struck a pose, frozen in place for nearly 30 seconds before hitting the piece’s final triumphant chord.
All of these factors — musical dexterity, stylistic variety, and charming performance — made Desmond Jones’ set at the Blind Pig unique and compelling. The audience was engaged, the music was inventive, and the energy at the venue was relaxed and cheerful. It was an excellent show.
