Phil Good and Jaymes Young rock Minneapolis

Andrew Bravo
Staff Photographer

Musicians Phil Good and Jaymes Young have embarked on their North American tour, stopping at the Fine Line Music Café in Downtown Minneapolis this Friday to perform for an eager audience.

While the initial atmosphere of the venue felt a bit stiff, it took only a few songs for fans to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves as active audience participation brought fans out of their comfort zones. As Phil stepped forward to introduce himself and begin his set, the quick change in atmosphere was a pleasant surprise.

Phil wasted no time in preparation and delivery for the many who had come to see him. Opening with several of his greatest’s hits such as “Wonder”, “Be Somebody” and “Growing Up”, Phil’s harmonic lyrics which accompany mellow synth-pop beats created an atmosphere that excited everyone at Fine Line.

Dancing through his fairly new discography, he played his most recent release “Do You Ever?” and even played a new song which was to be released later in the month. With fans packing the small downtown café, the highlight of the act was audiences singing the words to “I’ll Fix It”, some mere feet away from their favorite up and coming indie singer. For his first-time touring, Phil brought with him an energy that lit up the room and set forth a standard for younger audiences, a large part of his demographic, a good show.

The unique blend of mellow lyrics and lush electronic beats make it hard to define the music style of Phil Good. As someone who has worked behind the scenes for other artists in Los Angeles in both writing and music production, his emergence as a solo debut artist was no surprise.

What did come as a pleasant surprise, however, has been the positive reviews and hundreds of thousands of streams monthly the Portland-based artist has attracted. As he goes on to continue developing his sound and platform, the continued success of Phil Good most definitely makes him an artist to watch.

Following his headliner, Jaymes Young came prepared to bear the torch and keep the crowd entertained. Playing many of his popular songs like “Infinity”, “I’ll Be Good” and “What Is Love”, Young’s soulful lyrics and strong techno accompaniment made for an emotional performance that kept his fans following up to the last chord of his act. Jaymes’ act saw less interaction, as many at Fine Line relaxed and enjoyed the singer’s sweet-sounding lyrics. The performance was strong up to the final song, continuing the energy groundwork which was set forth by Phil Good.

The discography of Young can be described as a fusion of electronic music and indie, borderline coffeehouse R&B which takes you on a soulful journey through his work. Beginning in a musical career in 2013, the Seattle-based artist has gone on to create an impressive tracklist and make his big break with Atlantic Records in 2013, where he released his signature EP “Dark Star”. From there, Young has gone on to tour with other electronic pop groups like London Grammar and even collaborate with prominent musicians like David Guetta and Birdy.

A unique mixture of twenty-somethings and older music lovers, the concoction of listeners that night created positive energy which was just the fuel needed for Good and Young’s fire. 

The intimacy of the small venue, which musicians can struggle within being in such tight proximity to fans, actually benefited both Good and Young as they were able to develop strong chemistry with those around the stage. The powerful duo of an up and coming and established artist made for a memorable performance that night in Minneapolis.

Header photo: Musician Phil Good in the midst of giving a stellar performance to patrons at the Fine Line Music Café in Downtown Minneapolis (Andrew Bravo/MSU Reporter)