Jennifer Marks
On January 24th, I had the pleasure of seeing New York singer/songwriter Jennifer
Marks in concert at The 7th Street Cafe, which is located on the Bucknell University
campus in Lewisburg. I felt a bit out of place because, first of all, it was my first time
there and, second, it was a coffee house and that's not really my thing. They don't serve
alcohol and I usually feel more comfortable with a beer in my hand.
Anyway, Jennifer Marks is an exceptionally talented artist that I've known about since
the release of her second album, "My Name's Not Red." So, when I found out about this show,
I knew I was gonna be there, come hell or high water.
This show was a solo performance and, it was rather interesting to watch because
I was able to see a side of Jennifer Marks that I haven't seen before. You see,
the music on "My Name's Not Red" and her current release, "It Turned Me On," features
a full band and, because of that, they have a more complete sound. Both releases are
well produced and they've got a sound that you'd expect to hear from a national
recording artist, which Jennifer will soon be. There's no doubt in my mind about
that. While each release is different, they both share something in common.
They each feature a collection of material that's both witty and serious.
She's able to entertain you while putting a smile on your face.
The one thing that carried over into her solo performance was her personality.
When she talked to the audience between songs, you could tell that she's a very
funny, down to earth person and, once again, she's able to make you smile.
She didn't start too many songs cold...there was a story to be told for
pretty much each one and I found myself focusing on what she was saying
because it was a good way to understand her music a little better.
Her performance was filled with a good selection of material including some
of my favorites like "High School Reunion" and "Halo," which my daughter
Peyton, who was also in attendance, happens to like because there's a line
in there about sucking toes and she thought it was funny. Jennifer put a
smile on her face when she played that one for her.
Some of her stronger material, "Window," "Fragile," "Thick," "It Turned Me On"
and "Lie To Me," to name a few, remained strong in acoustic form. She also did
a rather interesting cover of "Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees as a tribute to
the late Maurice Gibb, who recently passed away.
Her performance reminded me of John J. Blair because she has a lot in
common with him, at least from what I've seen. A great personality, the
ability to entertain an audience with nothing more than an acoustic guitar,
the between song talk that holds your attention, the energy. I'd like to
see the two of them on the same bill because that would be a very exciting
show that I sure as hell wouldn't miss. Even though they each have their own
unique style, I feel they would blend together rather well on the same stage.
Maybe I can hook that up in the future. I'm gonna try, that's for sure.
The bottom line here...this was an exceptional performance and I'm glad
I had the chance to experience it. Jennifer Marks is gonna be a national
star someday and, after attending this show, that opinion became a lot stronger.
So, do yourself a favor and be sure to check her out. You won't be disappointed.
http://www.jennifermarks.com