Basement Jaxx
The House of Blues, Orlando, FL • October 13, 2001
Vanessa Bormann
If you’re even slightly a fan of the Basement Jaxx, it’s imperative that you see them live to really appreciate the raw talent and diversity that these guys carry!
Felix and Simon opened the show with a Jaxx remix of Missy Elliot’s “Get Ur Freak On” while a female dancer, in a costume so ornate it puts cruise ship entertainment to shame, belly danced. As odd as this sounds, the huge feather headdress and boots didn’t clash with the nature of the song, and later in the show there were also some remixed Eminem songs (however, this time belly dancing was not included).
Two guys stuck behind turntables and mixers doesn’t exactly make for an interesting visual show so there were also three TV screen panels on the stage wall that flashed everything from cartoons, to dancing island women, creepy old people, and of course, the Rooty gorilla. That left ample room on the stage for the bongo player, another dancer and two vocalists, all of which could have passed for family. One of the vocalists only did “Get Me Off,” dressed in street punk garb complete with clunky boots and safety pinned plaid, pleated skirt, and the other vocalist took care of songs such as “Romeo,” “Chasing Dreams,” and “Do Your Thing.” She too, had quite the array of costumes, changing with each song from flirty to downright manly.
The other dancer (the one who didn’t wear the showboat outfits) was quite possibly the most talented urban dancer I’ve ever seen. A ballerina she wasn’t, but she busted moves so fresh and so effortless that at times, I was sure she was made out of rubber, because bodies just don’t move like that!
Through the haze of the incense and pot smoke-filled room, it almost seemed like you were on the set of a really twisted Target commercial, complete with spinning targets (displayed on the screens) and cutesy shop-friendly tunes. The Jaxx, in addition to being musically gifted, also seem to know how to throw a pretty decent party. A reviewer in Jane magazine once said of Rooty something along the lines of it being what you listened to before you went out to the club. I have to disagree with that, because while the Jaxx are great for pre-clubbing usage, one must not forget that they are also what should be playing afterwards, and if you go to a good establishment, the Basement Jaxx are the club. ◼
