If you only knew their name (pronounced Black Jacks) and their hometown (Johannesburg, South Africa) you might have come to this band's show expecting to see something a bit different from the other showcase acts. But the Jacks' killer set was not just off the beaten path of that evening's lineup, but also pretty much out of range of any genre classification. You can hear Africa in their music, if only in the few lyrics that were not in English, but BLK JKS's energetic and diverse sound would better be described as worldly than as World music.
The Jacks shredded high-necked guitar solos over huge bass, and the drummer's dreadlocks rarely stopped flying around as he pounded out machine-gun fast beats. The rhythm guitarist, perhaps the most charismatic of a charismatic group, alternatively jumped around the stage and played kneeling on it. The sound was intense and chameleonic, and BLK JKS mash up elements of rock, metal, and dub with some jazz sensibilities. Of course, you have to see and hear it yourself to see how such a broad range of descriptors can all apply to the same band, but since the showcase was sponsored in part by Youtube, you can check it out here.
