Thursday night, the High Dive, a bar and venue in downtown Gainesville, hosted live music performed by Turquoise Jeep and Solar Ellipsis.
Upon hearing about Turquoise Jeep, and after watching some of their music videos on YouTube, I was a little puzzled. “I didn’t know if they were serious,” said freshman Janine Legaspi, “they’re catchy and funny.” Freshman, Noah Henrichsen said “they’re serious about being satirical.” The record label Turquoise Jeep is a satire group, performing comedy rap with songs titled “Fried or Fertilized,” “Naughty Farmer,” “Treat me like a Pirate,” and more. Erica Comacho, also a freshman, said “I recommended them to a friend at FSU who was having a bad day. Now she and her friends are seeing them tomorrow.”
Raymund Gaviola, freshman and roommate with James Boyes, the rapper for Solar Ellipsis, enjoys their music and humor. He cautioned, “I don’t think they’re for everyone. It’s just weird and abstract.” They put on quite a funny show, with witty lyrics and high energy. They are definitely a unique group.
Opening for Turquoise Jeep was a band of University of Florida students called Solar Ellipsis. They formed their band in October of 2014 and have written 5 original songs. James Boyes, the front man and American Literature major from York, England, is in his last semester of school at UF. Freshman Daniel Hopin the saxophonist and jazz minor, and Noah Hinrichsen the drummer and music education major and Boyes met on their dormitory floor. Freshman Bandon Delpino, the trombonist and music major, met the group through the school of music.
The band started when Hopin placed flyers looking for a drummer and trombonist in the University of Florida music building. Henrichsen saw the flyer and planned to reply, and after a few days, bumped into Hopin and responded to the ad in person. Henrichsen explained how he met all three other band mates before he even saw the flyer in the music building.
The band sold multiple tickets, filling the venue with an excited crowd of friends. “I feel like a proud mother,” said Gaviola, who had never seen his roommate’s band perform live. He said “I’ve heard all the songs a hundred times,” and “I’ve seen them in the works.” Freshman Jordan Moyers, who plays saxophone himself said “I liked the jazz and how funky it was.” Myoers also lives on the same dorm floor as the band members. Henrichsen described to me the genre of their music as “a mixture of jazz and cave music.” He explained how Hopin discovered their sound with inspiration from a band called Moon Hooch.
Solar Ellipsis has a truly one of a kind sound. Boyes’s was very energetic and provided comical commentary between songs. Every song performed really showed off the individual talents of each band member. The crowd loved the performance, not only because their friends were performing, but because the band is very talented and put on a great show. Their music brings back the traditional artistry and craftsmanship of producing music that today’s pop does not provide. They perfectly blend jazz and rap to produce a fantastic sound and atmosphere.
To see Solar Ellipsis live, their next performance is at the High Dive, February 19th. Doors open at 8:00 and tickets are $10.
Check out Solar Ellipsis on:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/solar-ellipsis/solar-ellipses-wandering
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SolarEllipsis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarellipsis
Check out Turquois Jeep on:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvpCSlbQDKQVvGLjzWLPwBw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/turquoisejeep
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurquoiseJRecords
