Here’s some education on the band Caught a Ghost —
Jesse Nolan describes the name of his band ‘Caught A Ghost’ as referring to the sensation of being filled with the spirit of the past. “It’s an old expression,” he says, “musicians used to say you caught a ghost if you gave a good performance. Like you were possessed.”
As the songwriter, producer and lead singer of the band, Nolan is a devotee of music from bygone eras. But he eagerly expounds upon his affection for vintage soul, delta blues, and 90s rap alike. As Nolan explains, “It’s definitely like being possessed. It’s an obsession. What’s not to be obsessed about? I don’t think it makes me unique, it makes me human.”
What does make Nolan unique is his musical dexterity (he plays all of the instruments on his recordings except horns and some of the drums) combined with the effortlessness with which he seems to pull from many different genres. His music recalls influences from the soul and rock n’ roll traditions (Stax, Motown, Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones) yet still feel distinctly modern with references to hip-hop and electronic recordings from the 90s to contemporary tracks.
Anyone who has seen Caught a Ghost play live can testify to that notion that in addition to playing high energy shows with as many as nine musicians and various dancers onstage, the group often makes use of projections and performance art as a means of shaking people out of their comfort zones.
When I went to see these guys jam out earlier this month, it turned out to be one of my favorite shows. The energy and the NEED to dance is immense. I liked that the show was a little bit more intimate, too. The venue is a big one, but the show that night was off in a corner of the building by the bar. If you are into Fitz and the Tantrums, I think you’ll highly benefit from checking out Caught a Ghost. If they’re playing in your city, definitely go see them live.
Here’s 2 audio recordings from the show. The quality is bad, this is know; and you have to turn it up to be able to really get into their jam sessions. But, I couldn’t help it! I had to share them with you because the energy was awesome. I never said I was an audio recording expert.
The band’s album Human Nature is out now.
Musically Amusing 