by Ayron Jones and The Way at Jazzbones
Friday May 8 was a great night to be at Jazzbones in Tacoma. I know many of you have probably already been to Jazzbones for live music however this was my first trip. I am happy to report this is a great venue to check out some live music and great food.
We started the evening listening to Jack Rainwater playing the blues. He puts on a great show and really knows how to connect with the audience.
Next up was the southern fried sounds of Jazzbones veterans SweetKiss Momma. Earlier this year the band went on a European tour but the south Puget Sound is their home and they knew exactly what to do to get the crowd going.
Then on to the headliner of the evening, Ayron Jones and The Way who got the crowd to their feet right from the beginning with one of their new songs, ” Boys of the Puget Sound.”
For those of you who haven’t heard their music they are a super talented Seattle rock outfit. The band’s namesake, Ayron Jones, handles the microphone and guitar duties, while Deandre Enrico plays a mean bass and Kai Van De Pitte rounds out the power trio on drums. They are definitely a rock band first and foremost but they have a way of infusing many styles into their music including blues, funk and soul.
As the night progressed they played with a fierce intensity that is awesome to witness live. Throughout the evening we heard several songs from their debut album Dreams, released in 2013 (available on iTunes and google play), including “Baptized in Muddy Waters”, a blues-rock number. When you see Ayron playing he is totally in the moment and so is his audience, while his hands get moving so fast at times, it’s just a blur even from just a few feet away. There set included a fantastic cover of Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean”. The way they played it was all their own.
We heard one of the crowd favorites “My Love Remains”, which is an epic power ballad with plenty of blues influence, something they never stray too far from and “Aberdeen” one of their heavier songs. We were hit with rock anthem “Feedin’ from the Devil’s Hands” and Ayron jumped down into the middle of the crowd continuing to play his guitar ending the night right there in the middle of everyone.
If you haven’t heard Ayron Jones and The Way , now is a great time to give them a listen. They also have some big upcoming performances , including the Sasquatch Festival later this month at the Gorge and they’ll also be opening for Robin Trower at the Aladdin Theater in Portland on July 1st and then again on July 3rd in Seattle at the Moore Theatre. They are also busy working on a new album and will be releasing the single “Boys of the Puget Sound” soon.
