Jukebox The Ghost / Matt Pond PA – Taft Theatre Ballroom

In the past few years it appears that it’s become cool to write happy songs again and  Jukebox The Ghost does just that.  While their subject matter may not always be happy, the melodies and upbeat rhythm give them an air of weightless, carefree whimsy.  The band is a bit non-traditional in that they lack a bass player.  As a bass player for the last 20 years, I was curious how much I would miss that bottom end in their live show.  In much the same way The Doors made up for being sans-bass, pianist Ben Thornewill filled the sonic space with bass riffs on the keys, even adopting the classical technique of Alberti Bass (click for more info).  Their seamless harmonies and boundless enthusiasm made for one of the more uplifting and fun shows I’ve been to an quite some time.