Jukebox the Ghost “have some fun” on April Fools day at World Cafe Live

The four-stop “April Fools” mini tour came as a surprise to many when Jukebox the Ghost announced they would be performing not one, but two sets at each of these locations: a set of originals and a set of covers.

Blue lights bathed the stage, and the three-man band took their places on stage downstairs at World Café Live. Poppy instrumentals and the smooth falsetto of Ben Thornewill echoed throughout the venue as they opened with the first single off Safe Travels, “Somebody.”

Jukebox the Ghost is a band that never fails to connect with the audience, make them laugh in between songs and create an overall comfortable and causal environment.

The energy pulsing through each band member is constant. From Jesse Kristin’s constant grin from behind the drum kit, to Tommy Siegel’s constant bobbing to the music and Thornewill’s ever-changing facial expressions interchanged with his ability to toss his body around while still managing to play the keyboard.

The band featured two songs off their newly recorded album (release date TBD), the second of which had yet to be heard by fans.

During the second half of the set, they sampled songs from each of their three albums. Favorites such as “Hold It In” (hand clapping and all) and “Schizophrenia” (in which the disco ball was turned on as per shouting requests of the crowd) were met with cheers and singing from the audience.

They closed their originals set with a track from their first album, Let Live and Let Ghosts. If the fans didn’t realize how “real” the guys from this band are; their mess-up on this song should have done the trick. In the middle of the song, they stopped playing.

“What just happened? Let’s all take a deep breath and…” Thornewill laughed. “I really don’t know what to do here. We should just leave.”

But that’s why the band is loved. They’re human and they’re not afraid to show it. The crowd cheered them on as they picked up where they left of and finished the set strong.

After a quick intermission and costume change, the boys were back on stage to “have some fun,” as they put it. They threw all of their energy into coming out with a bang, and it was much appreciated by the crowd. “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Darkness was a hit.

From there on out, there was no telling what songs the band was going to perform. They switched from Whitney Houston to Shania Twain and even sampled some Black Sabbath. And of course, no cover set is complete without some “Don’t Stop Believing,” and Jukebox the Ghost did not disappoint.

Original Set:
Somebody
Half-Crazy
Under My Skin
Don’t Let Me Fall Behind
“Made for Ending” (new song)
“Postcard” (new song)
Hold It In
Oh, Emily
Everybody Knows
Schizophrenia
Static to the Heart
Good Day

Cover Set:
I Believe In A Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen
I Love You Always Forever- Donna Lewis
I Wanna Dance With Somebody- Whitney Houston
The Power of Love/Ghostbusters Theme Interlude- Huey Lewis and the News/Ray Parker Jr.
She Drives Me Crazy- Fine Young Cannibals
Man! I Feel Like A Woman- Shania Twain
War Pigs- Black Sabbath
Don’t Stop Believing- Journey
Somebody to Love- Queen
Highway to Hell- AC/DC

Encore:
Empire (original song)