By Michael Musto
It’s Stoplight Jones. Not Spotlight Jones like my phone was insisting I was trying to type while urgently telling anyone in the area to get toGooseIsland. On the surface they are a group looking like your everyday rock quartet. That’s just not the case. How many times do you see the bassist also double on alto sax? Or is it the alto saxophonist who doubles on bass? Regardless, the answer to this riddle is not often. They feature two vocalists who equally keep your attention from song to song. My list of bands that can do that is pretty short.
The first few charts set the bar at a height that’s hopefully sustainable through ought the night. Between solid harmonies, tight drumming and catchy riffs they were off to a blazing start. But honestly it seems few and far between to expect consistency from of new music. After each song, I found myself trying to define what I was actually listening to. What category would Stoplight Jones be filed under? Does it really matter? No, but let’s keep playing twenty-one questions. Is it possible to define a band by not being precisely definable? I’d like to think so. If you like blues, alternative, indie, pop, or improvisation; at some point it was pumping through the speakers. The people rubbing elbows with me seemed pleased as well. Bodies were in full dance mode all around me. “FosterAvenueBeach” gave everyone a chance to just bob their heads and soak in every note from each musician. A few people were even singing along during the show, and I’m not just talking about mimicking harmonized vocables from the “Devil’s Dance Hall” either. Having a following was already present.
These guys have personality, that’s for sure. The fun, yet odd lyrics to “Asexual” prove that alone. This playful charm is something I wish I saw more of. Personally I’m out at shows to hear music, but it’s not all about me. Many “music enthusiasts” need to be entertained by more than what they hear. Is there room to grow? Sure there is, but it was refreshing to see a versatile group just starting off. Oh and by the way, they didn’t let that bar they set dip. All in all it was a fun night, and at the end I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish they hadn’t walked away, I wish they weren’t peacin’ out.
