Discovery 2 at AAA

Discovery 2 at AAA is an exhibition of unsigned, cross-genre talent. Laura Jenkins of Exhibit L opens the showcase solo and, with her acoustic guitar in hand, she begins with the original number When the Angels Miss Your Call. Her vocals temperate, her manner soft-spoken, Jenkins’ set is fitting of the intimate venue. Although all of the lyrical content seems to be of the emotional, break-up variety, tracks like Falling Leaves and Untouchable have an increase in tempo, demonstrating her greater instrumental range and helping to distinguish one song from another. While her selection is limited, she provides harmonious easy listening tunes.

Introduced as “The Soul Candy Man”, when Danny Toeman takes the stage with a curly brown afro, sporting a black and white gingham patterned blazer, white pants and black buttoned-down shirt, you’re not really sure what to expect. But the moment you hear him play his electric guitar as he sings That Sinking Feeling, you’re in awe. His voice is cool and soulful, he has so much energy and he brings an upbeat, positive vibe to the stage. Throughout his five-piece performance, he humorously entertains as he combs through his hair with two picks, discussing his bad hair day between superb renditions of Laying It On The Line and Feel My Soul.

But the most promising act of the night has to be Courts. They offer a truly unique compilation of jazz, funk, alternative and hip-hop, led vocally with the rap styling of Chris Moody. All equipped with guitars apart from the drummer, their set is energetic and grabs the attention of the audience. Featuring their original material, Refresh stands out with a dynamic melody that’s catchy with a subject matter that’s easy to relate to. Madhatter and The Game is Long, while slower and more mellow, juxtapose their first few numbers, demonstrating another element of their range. A joy to watch.

Finishing off the night is urban pop group The Meds Collective with an eight-track set from their album Harbouring Some Remedies. While the vocals are somewhat soothing and befitting of the genre, their lyrics lack substance with lines like “last night was good times two” from the song, Night of My Life.  Their style is amateur, their stage presence is lacking but they bring a genuine enthusiasm for performing to the stage which is appreciated.

Natasha Fonseka
Photos: Alberto Martinez Bracero

For further information and future events visit Discovery 2’s website here.