This past winter in Buffalo has been brutal. And thankfully, Jimkata saved my life. Okay, so that may seem like a far-fetched
statement. However, as a Florida girl
finding myself in the coldest weather in which I have ever lived, Jimkata
became my beacon of warmth during this otherwise artic winter. I discovered
this Ithaca based four-piece at the Night Lights Fall Music Festival this past
summer and it’s been a growing courtship ever since. Sometimes, I am secretly convinced that
Jimkata was conceived just for me. Somehow the music gods decided that I deserved a
band that encompassed my love of 80’s new wave and 90’s alt rock with a
jamtronica twist. To my soul, their music is the perfect blend of every
sound I love.
A simple walk through the crowd at Nietzsche’s Saturday
night was an insightful view into the cross section appeal this band
possesses. Heads to hipsters dig this
band. There are no cliques at a Jimkata
show. Instead, what you find is a sea of
variety in search of the very same thing - that “sound”. And Jimkata’s sound is so hard to describe
because it spans over decades and genres. They don’t sound like anyone else,
although at the right moments I am convinced I hear a homage to the Talking
Heads or a tad bit of Umphrey’s McGee, but I can never be quite sure. There is a 90’s alternative rock vibe that
they own but I can’t quite put my finger on where its influence lies; perhaps a
sign that these guys have actually done it right. They are paying tribute to some of the greatest
pop/rock music of the last thirty years without obvious recognition. They’ve
created a sound out of love not imitation.
Last night, I noticed something about the way these four
create and play their music. Generally,
like the rest of the crowd, I am too engrossed in the dance party that is a
Jimkata show to watch the interaction amongst the band. However, last night, as I captured the band
through the single lens of my camera, I caught a brotherhood and passion that
comes from a place of love. There is no
pretension. As I watched these four guys play with the crowd and for the crowd,
I didn’t see any rock attitudes or on-stage tension. I felt like I was watching four best friends
play their music together. Perhaps they
are just good at faking it, but if that’s the case, we’re talking When Harry Met Sally good at faking it. By
all appearances these boys create music to spawn fun. I think that is why this band is so well received
on the festival circuit. Jimkata‘s music is infectious, celebratory, and
hopeful.
Of the bands I currently listen to, Jimkata is probably the
most radio friendly. They write songs with catchy hooks. Lyrically, their words are crowd
pleasures. They are not afraid to write
music that is interactive. They allow
their fans to join the live experience with plenty of sing-along type moments
in almost every song. There is a
familiarity to their sound that you’ve never heard before but yet somehow, you
have heard it before. To paraphrase
Churchill, Jimkata is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. My point, you can’t really
describe them accurately. You just have
to see them.
Saturday night’s show in Buffalo was the halfway point as the boys get
a week off before venturing south and down the east coast for the second half
of their tour. The night’s set list
provided some Jimkata classics while offering a mellower vibe in the overall
feel to the night. Raging was an option
in more upbeat tunes like “American Cars” and “Chain Store”. However, songs like “Low Low” and “Die
Digital” offered the crowd a chance to just vibe on the flow. We were treated to all four new songs from the
Feel in Light
EP. And there was no shortage of the
crowd belting out every word to these recently released songs, evidence that
the new music has managed to connect to the fans with a quickness.
I don’t often love bands with multiple guitarists, so the fact that
Jimkata has two guitarists is an oddity among my favorite bands. Somehow Aaron and Evan don’t overpower each
other. There is no epic guitar struggle;
no lead vs rhythm. They each shine in
their own moments. That is another testament
to how their sound works. It’s
harmonious even in its structure. One of
my favorite moments of the night was an impeccable face melting guitar solo
from Aaron during “Electronic Stone”. He
plays with a quiet grace that hits you unexpectedly in the perfect
moments.
My only criticism of the band is that I secretly wish Evan would step
away from the guitar more. There is a
sense of vulnerability in songs like “Chain Store” when he leaves the shelter
of his instrument to present just a vocal front. Maybe as a vocalist, I find it to be a
connective conundrum. Perhaps, I am
partial in that I like to watch a vocalist present their skill set without
armor. But those moments are so powerful and fleeting that it leaves me wanting
more. Even behind the guitar, Evan weaves
mindful phrasing into tricky little earworms that you can’t help but sing along
with him.
I think it’s important to note Jimkata really is four guys truly doing
the work of six musicians. Beyond guitar
duties, Aaron also handles keys. Beside
bass, Dave (and his sporty new mustache) also handles synth responsibility. They all contribute vocally. They create simple but unique harmonies that
complement the complexity of their music.
The base to this band is a fundamentally incredible rhythm
dynamic between Dave and Packy (drums). Let me digress for a minute to talk about
the important of a band’s cadence in regards to drum and bass. When it’s bad, you hear it. A bassist and drummer that don’t sync well
together sound primal but not in a good National Geographic kind of way. It’s just raw and wrong. It’s off putting. No matter how brilliant they
may be individually as musicians, if the bassist and drummer don’t gel than nothing
will ever sound right. Jimkata does not have this problem. Even on slow tempo songs, Dave and Packy make
you want to dance. The core of their
music is so right that you could replace Evan and Aaron with two monkeys and
you would still want to dance to it. I
am not suggesting that either of those two should be replaced by primates. That image in my head was too tempting not to
share. A rhythm section alone does not
make a band but without a solid
foundation, a band has no stability to build its sound.
And that sound… Ask anyone that has seen Jimkata live, and they will
all tell you the same thing. Be prepared
to dance, be prepared to fall in love and welcome to the addiction. You will want to see them again. And maybe that’s the connection that their
fans have. No sorrows, no darkness, no
regrets, no bitterness- just four guys creating a soundtrack of celebration
that can make even a six month long polar vortex nightmare seem bearable.
The Set List
Nietzsche’s – Buffalo NY April 12th
American Cars
When the Day Comes
Nightshade >
Roll with the Punches
Lighter
Die Digital >
Beat the Curse
Feel in Light
Electronic Stone
Daytime Fiction >
Chain Store
Low Low
Swimming
Feed
E:
Intro/Sweet Glory
Legoland
Devil's in the Details
