The curse of the relaxed Sunday vibe was nowhere to be seen on Sunday night at the Corner Hotel as those red curtains were drawn open. A double-drum intro pulsed through the room, and by the end of the opening number it was clear how the evening was going to transpire: heaps of drums, heaps of reverb, a plethora of noise-making instruments, and a band that were ready to give; all combining to relinquish a musical banquet upon the eyes and ears.
Right from the outset, there was banter between band and crowd, and lead vocalist, Marcus Azon’s excitable and endearing demeanor had the audience charmed (and not just the women) in a sum total of less than five minutes. He managed to eke out the vocals to recreate that dreamy feel Jinja Safari is known for, with his voice often gentle and restrained, but powerful when it needed to be.
Not to be outdone, Cameron Knight was at his eccentric best, dancing around like a monkey who has raided the pharmaceutical drawer, and plucking out some great guitar riffs. The band list Arcade Fire as one of their major influences, and while this isn’t obvious from their self described ‘forest rock’ sound, they played several new songs from their upcoming album early in the set which had that epic feel and those building undertones characteristic of the Montreal rockers. ‘Forest Eyes’ was a great example of this, with the other band members Jacob Borg (drums), Joe Citizen (bass) and Alister Roach (percussion/vocals) really letting loose on their instruments, creating a lengthy but stunning live version of this number.
As Knight produced a keytar (which he was very excited about), everyone got their dose of ‘Hiccups’, another epic live tune from their debut EP. Clearly humbled by so many fans showing up for their first ever back-to-back shows, Jinja Safari couldn’t have done more to sing for their supper. With a panorama of wide toothy grins displayed across the room, the love for these guys was tangible.
Continuing to display his far-reaching and exotic abilities, Knight pulled out a sitar for ‘Peter Pan’, plucking out those buoyant afro-pop melodies for which Jinja Safari are renowned. Fittingly, the show ended on a punchy number, with Knight transforming back into a primate and swinging from the rafters, much to the crowd’s amusement (or mild anxiety for those who were under him).
But besides the myriad of instruments, percussion, building melodies and all the other staples of a good performance, it was the energy and personality of this band that raised this gig up to the next notch. Not only do Jinja Safari play a skilled set sonically, they are also entertainment with a capital E.
-Dannika Bonser
