j and the 9s Play a Powerful Set At The Gramercy Theatre

When I was asked by a few members of j and the 9s to attend their opening slot gig at Gramercy Theater, I happily obliged. I first caught them last fall in two fiery performances at CMJ and CBGB and have been hooked since. Since then, they have made huge steps in becoming NYC’s premiere rock band by extensively touring and blowing away the crowds at SXSW this past spring.

I get asked all the time, “What do j and the 9s sound like?” – I then explain that they are a super-hybrid type band, that at one moment will blast your face off with some old fashioned punk-rock, and other times they could be a metal outfit with hair and bodies flying everywhere. In essence, they are just a rock band, one that relies on heavy grooves and straight to the point lyrics to get their message across.

Leading this band of misfits is j9, who likes to play dress up and as usual, came out dressed to kill (folk rock) and wore a red and black outfit complete with a spiked wig and creepy eye makeup. j9 isn’t your typical lead singer, and I usually never say this, if ever, but she is the ultimate triple threat; she can sing her ass off while dancing and looks damn good doing it. j9 also wants you to feel like you are part of the show and spends just as much time in the crowd as on stage. These actions aren’t planned mind you, as the music takes over at some point, her eyes get big, and the next thing you know she’s in the balcony singing to someone or sprawled out on the floor screaming. When she isn’t flying through the crowd or singing, j9 picks up a flute (yes, a fucking flute), which accentuates a few songs in a crazy way.

j and the 9s

While j9 does her thing, the next thing you notice is a stud of a bass player, with golden locks that fly around without abandon, in kouqJ. Whether he’s hammering down on his 5 string with his fist, or delicately plucking away, he is a force to be reckoned with and provides the group with a powerful engine. On the left, one of NYC’s best guitarists rages away in Frankie Figz. His workmanlike style is seemingly effortless and sometimes gets lost amongst the madness on-stage but make no mistake; he is a total shredder with licks upon licks and is even known to pull off a ‘behind the neck’ solo. Rounding out the group on drums is the human metronome known as dagger who provides impeccable timing and beastly grooves for the band to work around.

j and the 9s

The set clocked in around 30 minutes, but the power of the music made it feel much longer. They played their hits including “Chronic Seducer” and “Revolution,” which had the 50 or so people in attendance head-banging, dancing around, and in some cases; in disbelief at what they were witnessing. The show ended with j9 in near convulsions in the audience while kouqJ was laid out – half off the stage blasting some ridiculous rhythm and all the while, Frankie figz and dagger just smiled at each other.