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Actually, I Do Miss You, Ruby Jean
By Sarah Henderson
(07/15/09)

I don’t usually make it downtown but last Friday I braved Gottingen Street to make it to Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees play the Marquee (oops! I still have trouble remembering it is called The Paragon now) with Room Doom and Jenocide.

The doors opened at 9pm but I didn’t get there until 10:30 or so and still had quite a while to wait for the first act, Room Doom. I had never heard this band but I could see a synthesizer on stage which made me rather excited. I’m not exactly sure how long these boys played but I managed to have two or three beer during their set. They played a stellar collection of songs; it was nothing too dancey but they had some interesting riffs and lyrics which made for an interesting set. There was one devoted fan up front dancing all by his lonesome their entire set. But other than that the crowd wasn’t moving too much.

After a brief intermission it was Jenocide’s turn to take the stage. This was another band I had never heard and they just so happened to be releaseing an EP called ‘Bikerides. Barrettes. Bruises.” This duo is made up of Jen (vocals and occasional synth) from Windom Earle and a man named Erenzi (synth). On an unrelated note, I was floored by Jen’s style. Everyone at the Paragon was incredibly fashionable. I love the city. So, when I saw their gear setup, I assumed it would be something similar to Crystal Castles, but to my dismay, it was quite different. I was looking forward to hearing something dancier than what Room Doom had provided the crowd but I found it hard to find my groove to Jenocide. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the music but I think I was anticipating Ruby Jean too much.

I first saw Ruby Jean play with Woodhands as part of Stereophonic back in January. So when Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees finally got up on stage, I was so pumped and a little schmammered that I immediately got on the dance floor. At a later point in the show (during the encore) I got pulled up on stage by Ms. Higgs and grabbed the set list so I could remember some of the songs they had played. “You Don’t Miss Me” was their opener. I love dancing to this song. Scratch that, I love dancing to all their songs.

After that, they played “Cold Hearted” which is probably my current favourite track. It was getting near the end of the set and I was worried, however. I was concerned that I was not going to get to hear “Girls You Love” and "Danse Danse Resolution” but they did both –back to back– and both songs were much more than their recorded counterparts. That is one of the reasons I love going to shows: it gives the band a chance to play around with their music and make some parts longer or throw in more than one of those breakdowns we all love to dance to so much. Overall, this was a great performance by Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. I adore this band so much.

For me, this show had it all. I got to see two new bands and one old favourite. I got to be a part of the city nightlife and drink a beer I had never heard of before. I got to dance onstage. But most importantly, for me, I always leave a show feeling inspired to channel my own creative juices into something productive. I’m really going to miss the Halifax scene once I move back to Sackville, New Brunswick for school but I have a feeling I’ll always find my way back.

(Photo courtesy of Killbeat Music.)

Related links:
+ Ruby Jean & the Thoughtful Bees (MySpace)
+ Jenocide (MySpace)
+ Room Doom (MySpace)


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* * * * *
Sarah Henderson is a total babe.