Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Jahman Brahman
Saturday, March 17 at The Camel
The simple gesture of marking the calendar is all it takes. The multitude of social media resources have increasingly enabled this facet of my life, making it incredibly easy to locate and track familiar acts, but also discover so many new ones. And as such, I ventured out to The Camel once again, this time to see some talent that has been on my to-see-list (and marked calendar) for a long while.
To begin the music experience was Jahman Brahman. While their name rhymes with "ramen," they are nothing like the generic college-lifestyle-sustaining food (of which I do have fond memories). I had briefly witnessed them in action a couple of years back, and what I saw back then had left a lasting impression. Since, I have intently awaited their eventual arrival in Virginia. As noted before, their live show clearly demonstrated a team connection and their inherent ability to flat-out jam. These guys have their energy, sound, and vibe down. Drums that kept the crew centered, bass lines that were smoothly funky, rhythm guitar with grounded melodies, and a clearly honed tension/release jam style. Very well done indeed, fellas. I'm excited they moved from the Midwest to the East Coast. More shows for me... or, for them to share with all of us.
After my attempt at striking a balance between grooving to the jams and playing photographer for Jahman Brahman's set, Ultraviolet Hippo took the stage. As with many bands in this scene, online videos don't come close to demonstrating the musical fabric they weave (though their videos are awesome). Right out the gate, I was hooked, as was the crowd. Mixing a variety of tempo changes, ambient jams, keyboards like no other, and killer lights to boot, they moved together flawlessly, fueled by raw talent and well seasoned jamming. Every member's talent was prominent, yet contributed equally to the greater synergy--which embodied the very definition of what live music is about. I carefully juggled responsibilities: frame, snap, groove, repeat. For the second time this evening, my awe could not be kept in check.
My love and support of live music is strong, and on this occasion, I was lucky to experience some national acts that love what they are doing, enjoy meeting people, thrive on musicality, and feed on a shared drive to constantly improve. Altogether, they provided us with a variety of live music that makes us proud and reminds us that we are part of a great musical movement. As a closet musician, experiences like this are intensely inspiring. I couldn't be more excited for what awaits these gentleman. Thank you for taking us along, and I'll be seeing you fellas again real soon.