Jungle at First Avenue

Jungle brings the heat back to Minneapolis

London, UK modern soul collective, Jungle, brought the heat back to Minneapolis with a stop at First Avenue. The show didn’t sell out, but those in attendance packed the floor and surrounding areas of the mainroom and rocked hard from the get go. Jungle opened with “Platoon”, and then “The Heat”, the two hit songs from their 2013 EP that gave them international recognition. See the videos at the bottom that started it all.

Jungle’s debut self-titled album was released through XL Recordings on July 14, 2014, and in their 70 minute set at First Avenue, the band played nearly every song from from it. The band played powerfully, and with space to move, the crowd grooved hard the entire show. “Busy Earnin”, the third single released by the band, was a definite highlight of the night, as was the upbeat groove “Julia”.

I saw the band make their Twin Cities debut in June with a great show at Fine Line Music Cafe. While that show had the intimacy of a small venue, and the energy of something entirely new, their show at First Avenue hit with more authority. This was an excellent high-energy show that I’m very glad I didn’t miss.

Jungle

Empress Of