The Portland punk scene is alive and well and J. Graves finally came back to Nashville to give us another taste of their Pacific Northwestern sound. It has been 6 months since the group came and the excitement within the crowd was obvious. Both Jessa and Aaron took time to talk and hang with different band members and some of the attendees which created a feeling of acceptance, the big thing J. Graves stands for. They are a band that strives to bring love, kindness, and joy back into the music scene and you can tell they take those goals very seriously. The night started with Johnny Macc, a local Nashville alt-pop musician who uses terms such as “cry-dance” and “hope-core” to describe his music. The description was found to be pretty accurate once he started his set. The music was upbeat, and was bordering on rave music which left the crowd excited for the rest of his music. At the show, we got to hear the live debut of Johnny’s new song “Star-Crossed (Cobalt)” which just released this past Friday! When the set was over, people immediately went over to give him praise for such a killer show with such a simple setup. All he came with was a guitar, a computer, and some kind of mixer but the mix he had going on was amazing.
Next up was a Nashville hardcore band called ‘So Calm’. From the second they stepped on stage, the tension and excitement could be felt instantly. The drummer was absolutely insane, hitting double kicks and transitioning out of breakdowns like it was nobody’s business. The speed and pure talent of their drummer was mesmerizing. The guitarists made themselves known and left nothing behind while the bassist and vocalist provided them with insane gutturals and iconic fry screams. Finally, J. Graves got all their gear setup and they were ready to begin the show. Jessa made their way out into the crowd and vibed with their new “friends” during the intro to “Marauder”. The song left all the viewers with nothing to say but they did have plenty of cheers and smiling faces for the duo. Jessa and Aaron continued their set with “Go It Alone” and their latest single “Cutoffs” which reeled the crowd in for the next half of the set. This past summer, Jessa and Aaron spent some time working on covers we all know and love including “Enjoy the Silence” by ‘Depeche Mode’ which made their fans dance the second the intro was played.
The powerful duo showed us that pop-punk isn’t dead when they played more of their hits from their ‘Fortress of Fun’ Album, which is a choose-your-own adventure album. They played “Mad” and “Bested” then rounded out the night with two unreleased songs titled “Morning Drive” and “South Pole” which left the crowd eager for more. J. Graves is a driving and passionate band that loves every person they come across. Both of them are insanely kind, gentle, and caring and you can see that when you talk to them and when they are behind their instruments. Their love for music is rare and their sound is absolutely stunning and you can tell they play each and every song with immense care for their craft. Their show will leave you running to the merch table and adding every song of theirs to your playlists and it's not a show you want to miss.
- Ashlee Riggins
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
