Grace Jones W/ Future Islands

It took me a while to get my show notes together for this article cause I needed to pick my jaw up off the floor.
The openers for the evening, Future Islands, worked a full 80 minute set to a decent size crowd who bothered to show up early. This was the biggest non festival crowd they’ve ever played to.
Neil has refined his dance moves while still maintaining the core of why most fell in love with him and the band in the first place.
The billing worked cause it was a multi generation audience appeal. Both Grace Jones and Future Islands are avante guarde in their own right.
The audience that did come early with the intention of pick nicking were positively receptive to the band.
I noticed that Neil was dispensing both his dance moves and energy levels only when it counted in the songs to ensure that he was able to sustain the level of entertainment for the audience from start to finish in equal measures.
At first he looked very nervous for the first few songs. The other band members are a little better at hiding their emotions but their eye contact with the audience was very minimal.
Grace Jones was Lady Gaga before Lady Gaga was Gaga. The reason why I latched onto Lady Gaga hard core was cause I was actually missing Grace Jones. She’s been on my bucket list for 18 years. L.A. Was the 1 of 4 exclusive American dates.
The minute Grace Jones walked out on stage in a skeleton like tribal costume for the opening number Walking In The Rain, the immediate thought that ran through my head was, «Gaga who?» I knew within those first few seconds how epic the show was going to be.
Grace Jones doesn’t hide her feelings. If she’s having a shitty day she will tell you but she was in a super good mood tonight.
Her music is a bizarre combination of influences that it isn’t tied to any decade, hence the eclectic audience and the relevancy in the music years later.
She had string bass runs played at the same time as synth bass notes that added rhythm dimension that often crushes bands but works in her favor. The backing track had something that no one else has had. This is 1 of her 11 secret recipe spices. I’ve never seen her backing band at other gigs but they were amazingly tight and true to the beat of the original recordings.
She is pushing 67 and her body is rock hard. You can bounce quarters off her ass. She wore heels that were higher than most 20 year olds wear. In fact she looked and moved better than most 20 year olds. Her hula hooping is amazing. She officially makes me feel bad about everything I eat.
On top of her steady hula hooping with movements resembling the rings of Saturn, she was multitasking her ab muscles to sing. Most young pop stars can’t even master dancing and singing at the same time. Slave to the Rhythm was the only song that she was able to sing and hula hoop at the same time to due to the monotone steady key of the song.
I was a little annoyed with the black and white video screen but learned to appreciate it as it forced everyone to look at the stage as they should’ve been.
Her thick Jamaican accent during her stage banter reminded me of Cleo the infomercial physic. She was in relatively humorous spirits. All banter was done while she was changing her costumes off stage.
Costumes were well crafted and outside the box as one would expect.
The set list covered all the basis. She did throw in Vie Rose more for the fans than herself. Even the songs she didn’t write felt like her own.
Her vocals were in amazing shape. She didn’t miss a note.
There is a scary fierce presence about her on stage that both scares and inspires.