The Vindys Warm Up A Cold Rainy Night In Columbus, Ohio

It was a cold and rainy Friday night outside but inside the A&R Music Bar no one could tell because of the heat The Vindys were throwing from the stage.

This was my first Vindys show and the crowd around me had started filling me in on what to expect: “Jackie is insane on stage, she moves around A LOT. They are going to have you grooving. You are in for a treat and you are going to love them.”

Someone else chimed in, “please tell me you’ve at least seen Angela Perley!!” 

Of course I have!  The Columbus cosmic cowgirl’s debut album Turn Me Loose is in my collection and she and her band were the openers for this show.

If you’ve seen Angela, you know the kind of magic she brings to the stage.  When she played her latest single “Pineview Inn,” I was in complete awe. They say that every artist has that one song that first grabs people, well I have a feeling this is about to pull a whole new group of folks in Angela’s direction.

It’s such a wonderfully fresh sound from her and stands out from the rest of her previous work. I can’t quite put my finger on the definitive vibe yet, but the song reminds me of the 90’s dreamy folk/pop/country era.  Take a listen to “Pineview Inn” and see if you can put your finger on where it takes you.  

The time had come for the Vindy’s and from the moment they took the stage the air was filled with electric sounds of the Northeast Ohio band’s new album Trap Door, a mix of heartbreaking soul ballads and pop alt rock dance anthems.  

The smokey vocals of powerhouse vocalist, Jackie Popovec grabbed my attention the very second she started singing and I knew all those previous comments from my fellow audience members were correct.  Her stage presence is reminiscent of an old timey noir femme fatale and you can’t help but realize you will be consumed by the contagious sounds of pop, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll combined before the night is over. You are powerless against it. 

A few songs into the set, Jackie invited Angela Perley up on stage for a duet, a moment that she admitted was planned by text at 3am the night before.  Short notice or not the mix of Popovec and Perley brought wild cheers from the audience.    

Later the band performed an earth shattering cover of “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean that not only made me feel like it was a Vindys original but that Olivia Dean herself was also in the room with us. Making a cover sound like your own while still bringing in elements of the original artist is truly a talent they do so well.  

The night was filled with high electricity throughout and it is virtually impossible to stand still as the band plays. I’m not entirely sure you have a choice in the matter either! The Vindys are going to make you move, make you dance, make you feel and hit your soul whether you like it or not. That’s their job and they did it so fantastically that I haven’t been able to get ‘Ooh La La” or “Trap Door” out of my head for a solid 48 hours now.  

The Vindys put on such a spectacular live show. Everything blends together in a harmony from the way the horn section kicks in, to the seamless integration of every moving part, to Jackie’s energy and lyrical ability to have you upbeat and dancing without a care in the world one minute but then, when “Hero” hits, saying damn girl, I don’t want to be anyone’s hero either. It’s because of all these elements that a Vindys show is something everyone should experience.

Jackie also took a moment during a show break to shoutout how important it is to continue to support your independent musicians and radio stations like WCBE in Columbus, Ohio who help keep the independent artist careers going especially in times like these.  An important message for all of us who love the live music community.  

The Vindys definitely gained a new fan after this one.  If you get the chance to catch them at an upcoming tour date, make sure you take it. They are also part of the line up at Pleasantville Music Festival in July as well.

All images from the show by Jess Lacy:

THE VINDYS:

ANGELA PERLEY: