Junior Boys

On Monday night in what was a quiet and deserted downtown Orlando the Junior Boys served up something exceptional for an undersized crowd in a small venue @ The Social. The synth-pop delight duo out of Ontario quickly let their talent be known as front man Jeremy Greenspan put the crowd in a melodic toe-tapping hypnosis with Parallel Lines. The show opener, a song that is a metaphor between two lovers and memorized words is the song that makes you wish you were cool and did just that for over 5 minutes. From the surface it hard to imagine that these average whitebread canucks would immediately inspire some sort of kinetic sensuality, but that’s indeed what these guys are about, and that’s exactly what they did. The Junior Boys blend heart felt vocals with a style that reflects early 80s pop to early 90s R&B and dance. Just as they emanated sexuality in their sound their was always the tension for change lurking towards a climax. Although, that climax often didn’t happen it still had many looking like convulsing monkeys by the stage. There was also some subtleties in the set heard in the song ‘Teach Me How To Fight’ the song that created a fan in me in 05’and ‘Birthday’ which was dedicated to keyboardist Matt Didemus(his bday) who remained unanimated in concentration with hardly a glimpse at the audience.

In a sense this show was special for me being in my own backyard especially after an attempt to see a show that never happened in NYC due to 2 failed mixers earlier this summer. I wish more electro-pop groups toured venues like this one. So now I sit back only to wonder if Junior Boys will ever come back to Orlando. Will O-town ever embrace or recognize when such great acts like this make themselves so accessible. Seems like if more people knew Junior Boys they will come back. Kinda like being in the minority of knowing about artists that are this kewl.

Partial Set-List/Highlights of the show (inaccuracy may be owed to 13 consumed PB’rs)

Junior Boys- Parallel Lines
Junior Boys- Work
Junior Boys- Hazel
Junior Boys- Count Souvenirs
Junior Boys- In The Morning
Junior Boys- The Equalizer
Junior Boys- Bits & Pieces
Junior Boys- Double Shadow
Junior Boys- Teach Me How To Fight
(Encore)
Junior Boys- Under The Sun
(Special Bonus off the Dead Horse EP-Something amazing happens at 3:40)
Junior Boys- FM(Tensnake Remix)