Heal the World: JLB Live @ ChannelTwelve25
Last night at a cozy little rock venue in El Cajon called Channel Twelve25, the pop punk alternative rock quintet Jack’s Last Bullet graced the stage to put on another high-energy live performance, characterized by manic jumping, hard-hitting vocals, heart-pounding beats, and melodic rock riffs.
As always, the five brave heroes brought their own unique flavor to the show. “Dirty Pop” Kevin Dawes brought the big guns with his unmatched talent and stylish drumstick tricks. Joshua “Jawhz” came through with his star power presence and sweet guitar licks. “Spidermark”, his funky bass thumping, signature twirling, and commemorative MJ armband. “RJitsu” brought the heat with his ear-splitting screams, high energy, and trademark facial expressions. While Neil-Denny once again donned the traditional Captain Jack hat, and warmed the crowd with his raw emotion and boyish charm.
They played the usual crowd pleasers, complete with “Tortuga” HEYS! and “Ric Flair” WOOS! They got the bodies jumping with the new fan favorite “Redbull Vodka.” The roof set on fire when the group played their own rendition of Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face” for the last time. But perhaps one of the most memorable moments was when they dedicated their latest song “Silhouettes,” a powerful and emotionally driven rock epic, to the late Kara Marie Franco. They closed the night with the infectious pop punk tune “Handle with Care,” the first song from their arsenal to finally hit the airwaves on the 91X Loudspeaker local radio show.
The real stars of the show, however, were all the wonderful, insanely energetic people in the audience, many of which were pretty tipsy from all the great beer at the pub next door. Without their rowdy moshing, their fun energy, and loyal support, a Jack’s Last Bullet show would be nothing but a bunch of small guys on a quiet stage, rather than the amazing, uplifting musical and emotional journey it truly is.
This wasn’t the only performance we got to see last night. Before the show, I had the honor of paying my own tiny little tribute to the late great Michael Jackson at the neighboring Lawless Bar & Grill. After listening to the King of Pop non-stop since his death, and watching his concert dvd every chance I get, I admit: gliding, popping and locking, and moonwalking up and down the stage along to “Human Nature” and “Bad” really was a cathartic experience, as goofy as it may have seemed. Later on, me and some boys from JLB led the entire bar in singing “Heal the World,” warming us up and bringing us all closer together before migrating to our real show at the Twelve25. Of course there were a couple grumpy humbugs in the form of Bros scowling in the corner, who felt like a simple heartfelt singalong would be a challenge to their masculinity, but as Michael himself knew, there will always be haters.
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT AND SUPPORTED JACK’S LAST BULLET. WE HAD FUN. LET’S KEEP THIS UP, AND TOGETHER WITH OUR MUSIC AND OUR ENERGY AND OUR LOVE…
WE WILL HEAL THE WORLD.
