Feb 9, 2015

Jourdan Myers at Uncommon Ground on February 5, 2015



Uncommon Ground is a great restaurant and venue that has been celebrating and supporting local talent for many years.  It also happens to be walking distance from our Lakeview home.  What I did not know is that Uncommon Ground expanded their space further to the north and changed the location of the “music room”.  The new space is the home to an old school analog sound board too (previously there was none).  The wood panels and spot lighting creates more of a “club” feel previously lacking in the old space.

Tonight’s event opened with locals Bittersweet Drive and Jack Byron. I managed to catch the last song for Bittersweet Drive and all of Byron’s set.  Bittersweet Drive, friends from Columbia College, were a harmonizing folk duo that I would like to hear more of.  Byron, dressed in a hairline-striped button down and paperboy cap, played his acoustic guitar and sang falsetto with no fear.  I believe he would have good stories to go along with his songs but he indicated that he was trying to play as many songs as time would allow.  Personally, I love the stories.  I say tell more stories and perform one or two less songs!  I enjoyed his Johnny Cash impersonation too during his song “Rhythm and Blues” and his lyrics in the humorous “Cream of the Crop” including “All I want to do is wreck your bed”. 

Headliner, Jourdan Myers was up next. She was adorable, perky and fashion conscientious, exemplified by her glam “bling” headband and white blouse with matching “bling” collar.  She is from Minnesota and is managing her own Midwest tour, driving from city to city, accompanied by her vocal chops, keyboard, and merch.  While on the topic, her merch consisted of hand knit scarves, headbands, CDs and Christmas ornaments “that did not do as well as expected” during the holiday season.  Frowny face. 

Myers opened with "Firelight" aptly demonstrating her nuanced, haunting, passionate and powerful vocals which immediately commanded your attention.   Her songs are strong, sultry and soft with jazzy undertones.  Myers told me that she had to learn how to sing and play piano/keyboards at the same time.  It was not intuitive.  With keyboard in tow, Myers comfortably demonstrated her vocal range and building crescendos with each song hardly requiring a mic! She is a pure chanteuse capable of any note.  Most of her songs build to an emotional crescendo, with lyrics that read like poetry, describing human longing and the inability for most of us to get everything we desire.  Her collaboration with producer Matt Patrick has been effective.  Her sophomore release, Ruin Me With Love, captures the growth of Myers and her desire to push herself.  My favorites on this 12 song emotional rollercoaster include “Wonderlust”, “Push Me on the Playground”, and “The Fight”.  Her vocal prowess and style has been compared to Sarah McLachlan by other reviews and her song “The Fight”, to Feist.  I think, if comparisons must be made, Tori Amos and Sia Furler should be added to the list.  Now that, my friends, is a good list. 

I would say that it was a good decision, to give up her prior mainstream career (in bonds, investment banking, and the world of finance) to pursue her musical dreams. Apparently Myers has both the left and right brain thing working for her.  Think of all the options when you are talented, pretty, and smart.  The world is her oyster. Go to www.jourdanmyers.com to listen to her entire CD on sound cloud.

Check out Myers music video for "Wonderlust" here followed by the video of "Push Me On The  Playground" I took at the Uncommon Ground show :





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