It’s a well known fact that as the weather in Cape Town gets colder, its residents like to retreat to the comfort and warmth of their homes because they’re snowflakes. And because SA’s mask mandate is now a thing of the past, the rest of us are chomping at the bit at the thought of watching live music unrestricted, and The Daisy Jones Bar in Stellenbosch last weekend was where I was able to do just that.
The Jim Beam Welcome Sessions has established themselves as an event to attend if you’re looking for a) gees of the highest order and b) undiscovered musical gems. The latter was proved again for the first act of the night, Congo Cowboys.
Made up of ex-Freshlyground members Simon Attwell (banjo) and Julio Sigauque (bass), it’s their Congolese frontman Chris Bakalanga (vox and guitar) who really steals the spotlight.
With kwassa kwassa rhythms underpinned by bluegrass and country riffs, their marriage of African and Deep South sensibilities is an unexpected swipe right. Highlights included the banjo-rooted “Cuckoo” off their debut EP Congo Cowboys, complete with imitated chicken clucking and crowing, and their unique cover of an American country folk staple, “Cotton Eye Joe”.
I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for ambient instrumental bands, and Yndian Mynah have really grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years, refining their writing to create soundscapes that are so much larger than the spaces that they play.
Their set at Endless Daze in 2019 is a real highpoint on my list of “Best Festivals Sets I Can Remember”. It takes a great degree of skill to be able to command a heaving crowd like that, and translate that prowess to a venue where everyone is seated but James Acker (guitar), Matthew Dickinson (guitar), Jonathan Ueckerman (bass) and Kenan Tatt (drummer) do it with ease.
Grounded in the bold, loud magnetism of Tatt behind his kit, the way they’re constantly looking at and feeding off each other during their set is a testament to how in-sync they all are, especially when they’re changing time signatures at the drop of a hat.
New track “Kitchen Conversations” (because the kitchen is the best place to be at during parties to hear all the gossip, according to Acker) off their upcoming album is an absolute tour de force. Keep an ear out for that.
Another A+ night of music at The Daisy Jones Bar, that’s fast becoming my favourite venue in the country.
