On February 28th in downtown Rochester, the Bug Jar was filling up with an eclectic variety of show-goers. Kilts, pink scrubs, studded black leather boots, cat ear hoodies, tucked in polo shirts, lime green rainboots, and dressy white loafers were all present, and none were out of place. Bug Jar regulars mingled with plenty of out-of-towners there to see emergent synth-rock act Victor Jones, supported by Beef Gordon. Victor Jones, who only recently began to work with an agent, has been a DIY force blurring the lines between surrealist chaos and sentimentality finding cult success online in various niche circles.
Straight away, Beef Gordon proved to be the perfect opening act for Victor Jones. Beef Gordon’s set was a self-contained story, full of callbacks to itself and chock full of danceable grooves. The performance was not limited to the vocals, but was an all-encompassing act with Beef Gordon as likely to bust a move as he was to declare his love for Macho Man or need to run from the law. The sound was clear, the melodies catchy, and the story easy to follow. A bite sized appetizer that left you wanting more, Beef Gordon’s set was the perfect length. The crowd was awake, engaged, left wanting more, and in the perfect headspace for Victor Jones to take the stage.
Victor Jones opened his set with an intimate air, his voice and piano filling the small venue with lines and witticisms of the passing time, interspersed with ad-libs and songs Victor wrote in his van on the way to the venue. These imperfect adlibs helped to foster the environment of imperfection and vulnerability that helped his specific brand of music and lyricism shine. In addition to fan favorites like “Go To Work,” “Do It for the Plot,” and “Mother Teresa” that alternate every day ennui and levity in the form of outlandish scenarios and questions, Victor Jones brought out new material as catchy as his older material, but often more somber and introspective. Mentally, Victor Jones’s set left show goers with the sensation of the sort of listlessness you can only experience laying on top of your bed, staring at the ceiling as a fan in the corner creaks its tired circles through the morning hours, but physically the show goers never stopped dancing. Even as they sang along to “Heaven Hot Damn,” a song about loss and what comes after, attendees never stopped smiling.
The set came to a perfect close with “Shoulder Song,” a dance rock anthem akin to the early work of The Killers with a touch of 80s flair. Victor Jones’s “Victor Jones is a Construct” tour is still making its way across the states, and is a much-catch for fans of Sadboii, Vulfpeck, The Band Camino, and making up in-depth backstories for every lonely spider on your bedroom ceiling.
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