Honest Jon's

Honest Jon's Revue
Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center
July 12, 2008

The show was a celebration of the Honest Jon's record label, started by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame, and featured a roster of its recording artists. While I associate Honest Jon's with its more ethnographic series, such as "London is the place for me," which chronicles the calypso scene among expatriate islanders in postcolonial London, or its forays into music from Mali, the show presented a mix of performers from America and Africa. This made for a somewhat awkward pairing, and every time the white girl with her sensitive lyrics and indy sensibility took her turn at the mike, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, waiting for the Africans to start playing again. And did I mention that Tony Allen was the drummer? Tony Allen!

Sorry this picture is so crappy. An usher came and yelled at me as soon as I'd hit the button on my camera.