Nite Jewel One Second Of Love

I went there to see Chairlift, I left talking about Nite Jewel.

Leaning up against the monitor, tucked away in the shadows, I had found the perfect spot to notice, unnoticed. Inches away from a maze of chords and guitar pedals, I sat on stage, at one with the sound, at one with the band -- accenting the most lively qualities of a live show experience. It felt more like I was sitting in at a practice session than attending a purchased performance, and actually, the sound quality sounded significantly better on stage. So I was lucky to have had that spot when Nite Jewel took to their instruments.

Ramona Gonzalez was pint-sized and dressed like your typical L.A city girl-- she could have been anyone's best friend. She was candid and charming, sharing few words, but "spoke" with a casual, yet commanding language of the body. Ramona was there for you, but more importantly (and maybe more obvious), she was wrapped in her own fuzzy warm glow of  personal ecstasy, and THAT is what made me like her better. Her smile said, "I'm loving this moment" rather than, "love ME" -- a far cry from more pretentious acts that live to make you feel like you are blessed to bare witness. Simply, she was enjoying her music and I can respect that, even if prior to the show I honestly didn't think much of the music.

Thumping bass lines and ambient synth textures were punctuated by the strong, piercing vocals of Gonzalez. Her tone, smooth and silky, found a frequency all its own as it rose and fell like a moveable feast in and out of the instrumentation. It was one of the few times a live show captivated me more than the recordings. At first a skeptic, I found myself closing my eyes and pulsing to the groove. My fingers took on a life of their own as they tapped out the beat, and Nite Jewel expertly exercised perfect timing. The songs neither went on longer than they should have nor were they brazenly cut short. The only other time I had felt a similar experience was at an Air concert-- not to say Nite Jewel sounds like Air, but both acts managed to make me feel drugged, sans drugs.

Without knowing their full repertoire of songs, I managed to jot down the most notable of the night-- a track called, "One Second Of Love." Admittedly, I have an ear for singles and an intrinsic love for a good hook (I wade deep in pop appreciation), and as it turned out, I had indeed pegged the single.  "One Second of Love"comes off One Second of Love, Nite Jewels newest EP and while I have yet to listen to the whole thing, from what I've heard thus far, I stand firm in saying Nite Jewel does indeed shine better at night-- that is, their recordings shy in comparison to the radiant live experience.

Since the show, I've been exploring the many facets of Nite Jewel and the intrigue is on the increase. Their video for "One Second Of Love" might be my favorite of the year, and though I'm guessing it will take me a minute to see past the lack of dimension in the recordings (I've become jaded after seeing them in stereo), I would think Ramona would take this sentiment of sensitivity as a compliment. It's rare that I enjoy a live show, and even more rare that I enjoy the live version better than its digital form. Definitely try to catch them in your own town, and if you're wondering what came of Chairlift, or what I thought of it... I'm gonna plead the fifth. I'm sure they were great, Caroline Polachek looked great and was all smiles as she exclaimed, "I just want to warn you all, I'm in a REALLY good mood tonight!" Props to her, I'm sure Detroit appreciated the good vibes, but I left after 3 songs. Suddenly the Chairlift hits I came to see didn't matter anymore.

Find out more about Nite Jewel here.