Words & Images by: Nick Price

The Jauntee & Digital Frontier :: 02.14.17 :: American Beauty :: NYC

Valentine’s Day can sometimes be rough for people, especially in the busy bustle of New York City, but this past February 14th saw The Jauntee return to the Big Apple to perform at American Beauty and the love could be felt everywhere among the aromatic smell of baking pizza. Their last performance in the New York area was at Brooklyn Bowl back on November 22 and if that performance was any indication, their Valentine’s Day show with Digital Frontier was primed to be another memorable, intimate affair.

The Jauntee started the night with a cover of The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There,” which was a nod to the evening’s theme. They then segued seamlessly into one of their earliest compositions, “Astral Turtle Dance.” The band quickly got into their improvisational groove with guitarist Caton Sollenberger getting into a deep-funk pocket backed by the rhythm section of John Loland on bass and Scott Ferber on drums while keyboardist, Tyler Adams, deftly displayed his chops. After this, the band played a fan favorite, Colorado, which showcases their bluegrass influence and love for dogs and the Rocky Mountain State.

Next came ”Valley Girl,” a rocking tune by Loland that got the audience to let loose. The following two songs ”Dirty George” > “Dirty Job,” a nod to one of the band’s oldest friends, are quickly becoming a standout duo of songs for the quartet that really displays the band’s ability to get down and dirty. Following this combo was one of the band’s oldest tunes, ”Space Monkeys,” which once again showed their ability to jam. From there the band returned to the Valentine’s Day theme with ”When The Love Is,” a song that highlights how great love is. The band played two more songs, ”Have You Ever” and ”Wake and Jake,” before finishing up the night with a bass heavy version of ”I Wanna Love You,” another song written by Loland that has flourished with Adams’ vocals.

During the set the band took the opportunity to announce their return to Brooklyn Bowl on March 24 when they will be opening for Dopapod. The Jauntee will then make their way south and drive cross-country to Colorado before returning to the East Coast.

Photo by Nick Price

Digital Frontier played after The Jauntee’s set. DigiFront, a group that has deep roots in the electronic music community dating back to 2006, played their third show since a forced seven-year hiatus due to their studio being destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. The band, known for playing Lotus and the Disco Biscuits’ late night shows, consists of Sol Montoya on drums, Matt Smilkstein on keys, Luke Stocker on bass and Jesse Stocker on flute and synth.

This appearance at American Beauty marked their second show back in NYC. Previously, they headlined the Bowery Ballroom playing alongside Horizon Wireless. 2017 has found a renewed energy for the band and they brought that spunk to their Valentine’s Day show. Opening with a jam with dark undertones and hard driving beats, their set had the crowd moving and dancing instantly. The ambient flute gave the set a sensual, psychedelic vibe.

After performing a quick tease of “Do You Think I’m Sexy,” they played a classic original song “Smilkstein’s Day Off.” The band was then accompanied by vocalist Veronica Stocker for a debut of a classic 90s song “Missing,” which was followed by another new original “Love On The Sun.” They closed out the evening with an old crowd favorite, “Malibu.” Ending on a high note with the crowd cheering, you could tell the band was already excited for their next live performance.

Photos (Digital Frontier Photos By Britney Heston)

Jauntee Audio (Taped by Tyler Adams)

Digital Frontier Audio

Setlists

The Jauntee

Set: I Saw Her Standing There > Astral Turtle Dance, Colorado, Valley Girl, Dirty George > Dirty Job, Space Monkeys, When the Love Is, Have You Ever, Wake and Jake, I Wanna Love You

Digital Frontier

Set: Jam* > Smilksteins Day Off, Missing^, Love On The Sun, Malibu

Notes:

* with “Do You Think I’m Sexy” tease

^ Everything But The Girl cover featuring Veronica Stocker on Vocals