Anyone at the Great Scott last Thursday may have believed they were standing in a bar sometime in the 1960s had they closed their eyes long enough. Hailing from Holland, advice Jacco Gardner seamlessly blends psychedelic rock with baroque pop for a vintage appeal. As Gardner lightheartedly pointed out before beginning his set, remedy there’s irony in his 1960’s inspirations given the few computers scattered on stage to aid with the performance.
The concert was the first of many, kicking off Gardner’s US tour. From the first song of the night it was clear that Jacco Gardner contains all of the elements of a solid band: a familiar yet unique edge, clean and appealing compositions, careful attention to detail live, clean musicianship and catchy melodies. The entire set was formulaic around those concepts, with each song containing Gardner’s distinctive touch that’s so easy to sink into.
The group played plenty of tracks off of the most recent album, 2013’s Cabinet of Curiosities. The highlight of these songs was the catchy and transformative “Clear the Air.” Every song maintained the same sunny tone you’d expect from a dusty pop rock album from the 1960s you’d find buried in a record shop.
The group was a band of equals, something that I wasn’t expecting given Gardner’s role as a multi-instrumentalist that records most of the parts himself. There were three-part vocal harmonies sprinkled throughout the set and the “oohs” and “ahs” from backup vocals became as much of an instrument as Gardner’s acoustic guitar.
The group closed their set with an impressive and drawn out breakdown that caught the whole crowd off guard. Jacco Gardner dove headfirst into a spacey-Floyd style tangent that left the crowd hungry for more.
Listening to the whole show, you wouldn’t know the internationally recognized Jacco Gardner was performing alongside two local bands. All three acts brought their A-game to the stage and melded into a clearly cohesive and well thought out lineup.
Surprising, given that first openers Skinny Bones said they found out about the show about 48 hours prior to their set. Skinny Bones are only a two-piece band, but you wouldn’t know it from the sound of their music – a unique combination of folk compositions played out with some electronic techniques. Vocalist and guitarist Jacob Rosati blended eerie-meets-beachy guitar riffs under his intriguing vocals that almost sound as if he’s singing in a foreign accent all his own.
The most impressive part of the duo’s set happened to be their soundcheck, which brought a big, room-filling and emotional breakdown to the crowd of about ten that had trickled through by the time of doors. Nonetheless, the intricate layers behind their music drew in the crowd’s attention from start to finish. Skinny Bones is locally known for incorporating unconventional sounds into their music. On Thursday night is was recordings of Rosati making oatmeal and washing dishes. Somehow, it miraculously worked.
Next on the bill was Peachpit. The most important thing to know about Peachpit is they have a 12-string guitar. But really, Peachpit put on one hell of a performance. This band will keep you on your toes with a rollercoaster ride of tempos and genres. The five-piece group combines just about every genre but focuses on a summery blend of pop-rock and folk.
Can’t get enough? Check out Jacco Gardner’s SoundCloud to listen to his tracks.