I hate describing music, because I feel like I can never do it justice, but this was great. It was really refreshing to listen to a full band, a lot of the Berkelee kids I know (which admittedly isn't many) seem to take a very minimalist approach to performing, like a guitar and a bass, or two guitars. It may be a matter of semantics, and they always manage to make it sound great, but there's some added weight to a bigger band.
Gina and Friends sounded fantastic, in short. There were three Matts, on drums, keyboard, and guitar. Jeni Magaña on the upright bass and as a backup vocalist. Another girl named Natasha singing backup as well. Then there was a guy whose name was I think Joe, playing various small instruments. They all sounded great, but the real star of the show was Gina.
To stay that she stole it isn't really accurate, it was hers at the beginning and she carried it all the way to the last note. She has a great voice, she obviously is a talented musician, and she's managed to translate life experience into sweet songs without sounding like she's stretching her experiences into song. You know what I mean? I think young artists can feel obligated to sing about things they haven't experienced, and it can sound a little false, but Gina didn't do that, at all. She sang great songs about her family, about her mother, about her experiences. It's refreshing to hear someone sing about what they know.
All in all it was a really great performance, at a fun venue. Gina's family was there, including a lot of her extended family, so it was a fairly packed house.
One other little note though, the performance of Come Together, with Jeni on the lead vocals was fantastic. All in all it was a great performance by a great band, I look forward to seeing them again soon.
Gina and Friends:
