Prior to the show, Jaafar only meant one thing to me: Aladdin's nemesis. Now, in my mind, Jaafar is also a remarkably tight, funky band with steady drumming, precise hand percussion and one of the strongest, most unique bassists in town.
With only one guitar, this four-piece's stage setup appeared intriguingly rhythm-centric. This proved not to be the case, as lead guitar functions were actually taken over by the six-stringed bass guitar. The bass ordinarily plays a repetitive riff that backs up the drummer while simultaneously accentuating the more melodic instruments, but Jaafar had speedy, complicated bass licks that more fully explored the facets of each song.
The bass still sounded like bass, although it resembled something more like an army of bassists each playing a different riff in the same key. For one musician (and not even a guitarist) to do that much at the same time really deserves a tip of the hat.
Because no musician was playing the elementary, spacious and fairly sparse parts of a typical bass, Jaafar's sound came surprisingly close to lacking in the rhythm department, but that's where the hand percussionist came in. Keeping the rhythms grounded and accurate, and always doing so with a beaming smile, he made Jaafar the complete package.
Any doubts of Jaafar's technical ability were shattered when they announced, after only two or three songs, that their next piece was originally performed by the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
John McLaughlin and his Mahavishnu Orchestra proved to be a good cover choice, for the Orchestra's worldly flair both in individual playing styles and overall sound mirrored Jaafar's entire set.
Double harmonic scales gave a Middle-Eastern feel, yet they stuck mostly to the genres of jazz, funk and, as the night progressed, some more modern rock. Jaafar proved to be one of the area's most technically progressive and pleasing bands.
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m., Cat's Cradle) -- Trail of Dead is as good as the band name is bad.
Recently, the band's sound has been slightly lighter than its early 2000s heyday. Still, Trail of Dead is not a pop band, and its live show should not disappoint fans wanting something involving minor keys, strong energy and real emotion.
Furthermore, despite having a name implying heaviness to a comedic extreme, Trail of Dead was never metal or any type of hardcore. Catchy choruses accentuated more serious portions of songs in a way that kept things fresh, upbeat and, most important, interesting.
Even though Trail of Dead did not depart from its earlier sound nearly as much as some critics claim, numbers off of 2002's "Source Tags & Codes" will be the difference between a solid live show and a truly memorable one.
Telefon Tel Aviv/The Race (Thursday, 9 p.m., Local 506) -- Instrumental electronic music can be soothing and capable of eliciting a strong emotional connection, but properly fitted vocals are more easily identifiable than any instrument.
Telefon Tel Aviv uses fairly sparse vocals to truly convey the precise feeling of each track, holding onto notes in a way that draws attention to the complete package, not just the lyrics or melodies.
Telefon was a duo before the death of Charles Cooper in January. Now, on his first tour with friend Fredo Nogueira, Joshua Eustis backs up his music with a heavy heart.
The Race adds an industrial feel to electronic dance music. Vocals are reminiscent of Ian Curtis, but when tracks like "Black Boat" heat up, the Marilyn Manson-styled drum sound and guitar crunch overpower the song's Joy Division elements.
J.J. Lang hits the high notes of the local music scene each week for The Chapel Hill Herald. Send e-mail to JJLang@email.unc.edu
