Jazmine Mary – Hollywood Avondale: July 8, 2023

Jazmine Mary celebrated the release of their second album, Dog, with a performance that was both triumphant and unsettling.

It was a night for living out dreams. In Jazmine’s case, those dreams include performing in front of people eating popcorn, hanging with Harry Styles and playing music.

Well, as the song goes, two out of three ain’t bad.

Julia Deans

When I arrived….from racing across town and running a bit late (I blame Tom Cruise) Julia Deans had just started her solo set which ultimately consisted of new songs to be released later this year as an album.

Julia tells us these new songs were written about her last three years and the new album should be “the feel-good hit of the summer”

From what we heard, it should be, especially the last tune, a song she co-wrote with Delaney Davidson that Julie described as “a big hug from me to you”.

Jazmine Mary

Jazmine Mary’s set opened with, of all things, bagpipes! That’s right, a bagpipe was heard off-stage and then the player, in full regalia, marched across the stage to help us ‘expect the unexpected’.

The band took the stage, Peter Ruddell on keys, sax and BVs, Arahi behind the drum kit, Dave Khan tucked away on violin and Louisa Nicklin on sax and keys and occasional BVs.

The opening song is Seagull and eventually Jazmine shows up to sing, showing off their amazing soaring vocal range. I’m not sure if it’s the range or just the way Jazmine uses the voice that is unique. Its sounds almost alien-like here.

Duly impressed, Jazmine and band continue with Only Yellow featuring more sax from Peter and more vocal gymnastics from Jazmine. Aldous Harding comes to mind, both in the unexpected way they both use their voices and in the way they keep they audience on the edge, never knowing quite what will happen next.

“I’m Jazmine Mary…this is music…and I’m so happy to sing for you”.

So much for banter, although Jazmine does loosen up later, telling us about dreaming about Harry Styles and asking if anyone in the fully seated theatre is eating popcorn. Apparently that’s another dream…singing in front of a popcorn eating audience.

After a haunting Take An Orange, Salt Lake Desert turns into the centrepiece of the set with Jazmine’s voice squawking, some ‘dissonant’ keyboards and then Mary walking for stage as the band vamps for a couple of minutes, the organ and violin giving off a very VU vibe.

When Jazmine returns they are wearing…a one-piece body suit… that seems strange considering this is the dead of winter and the room isn’t exactly toasty.

But hey, maybe it’s warm on stage.

And so the show goes on. We eventually hear all 10 Dog tunes and a couple from the 2021 album, The Licking Of A Tangerine, with Julia Deans returning to sing along on Skeleton. Needless to say, the two voices sound heavenly together.

Then, after Dope, the show is suddenly over.

The crowd is confused as Jazmine tells us, “we will be back in a moment”….none of the usual, ‘thank you and good night’ and calling of an encore.

Eventually the audience catches on and tentatively begins to call for more.

Jazmine returns, as promised, and performs solo, a song perhaps titled If I Change My Mind, and then the band falls into place and we wrap with You’re Never Alone If You’ve Got Music a song that is, in itself, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Triumphant, celebratory, unsettling and challenging…just a few words that might explain what we witnessed tonight.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Brenna Jo Gotje.

Jazmine Mary:

Julia Deans:

Jazmine Mary setlist:

1. Seagull
2. Only Yellow
3. Wet Mouth
4. Rodeo
5. Take An Orange
6. Salt Lake Desert
7. Getting Down
8. July
9. Skeleton
10. Dancer
11. Dope
12. If I Change My Mind
13. You’re Never Alone If You’ve Got Music