an entry somewhere else

Last night, I attended a concert by Maurice Rugebregt and his band. The show included vocalist Julia Lo’ko as well. I arrived around 7p for the 7.30p showtime, not knowing what the crowd would be like. Safir and I weren’t the first to arrive, but we still waited almost 45 minutes for the show to begin. Meanwhile, the band performed a soundcheck behind the curtains as more and more people filed in. Eventually, the band started up and people still came in. By the end of the night, the venue of Societie Harmonie held around 300 people.

After the introductions and a few songs, the crowd really started to warm up and get their bodies shaking and hands clapping as Julia Lo’ko performed a back-and-forth scat against Maurice’s guitar work, and generally exhibited her chops. The more than able rhythm section (two percussionists and a bassist) and keyboard player each had their turn to strut their stuff for the crowd as well. The show only lasted roughly an hour and I think everyone wanted more. The band will now travel to the Moluccas to perform in Maurice’s ancestral land. I hope the Makassar Jazz Society has a chance to bring more great artists to the city.