The Comet is Coming @ U Street Music Hall - 3/21/2019
The Comet is Coming at U Street Music Hall (Photo by Avery Junius / @1takeace)
London jazz/dance trio The Comet is Coming, made up of Shabaka Hutchings (“King Shabaka”) on saxophone, Dan Leavers (“Danalogue”) on keys, and Max Hallett (“Betamax”) on drums, is well known for using their instruments as tools to push the boundaries of jazz and electronic music deep into the future. Their newest album Trust in The Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery has a post-apocalyptic vibe that is just as home in a smokey underground club as it would be soundtracking Spike’s adventures in Cowboy Bebop, and on Thursday the trio descended upon Washington, D.C.'s U St Music Hall in full cosmic force.
Delivering what could best be described as an intergalactic dance party, this particular comet crashed into a nearly sold out room delivered not destruction, but ascension for the duration of their sixty-minute set. Lifeforce standout “ Summon the Fire” brought concertgoers in the front to shuffle their feet and nod their heads. “Birth of Creation,” took the audience on a voyage into the void of an unknown planet whose days are lit by strong hues of red, purple, and blue.
Colors continued to drive the tone of the set, particularly the use of blues to highlight the calm beauty of “Unity.” Before breaking into the track, Danalogue, bathed in an azure haze, voiced their hope for people to come together. Even in the darkest of times we know - we ALL know - that music has the power to make us whole. And whether it sounds fit for the end credits of a Mad Max sequel or some of the most forward-thinking jazz being made today, in the end – THE END – we have no choice but to get it together and love one another if there’s any hope of survival. Love one another and dance, dance, dance not like nobody is watching, but to celebrate the fact that we’re alive while we can.
