Nic Cester strutted onto the stage in a long, dark coat and skinny jeans, lookinglike a rock star of the 90s. The crowd filling The Basement East erupted in cheers for the rock band Jet. Cester’s brother, Chris, on drums, along with Cameron Muncey and Mark Wilson on bass, followed him onto the stage. The band opened with their 2006 original “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”
Jet, the rock band formed in Melbourne in 2001, performed at Nashville’s The Basement East on Oct. 17 and celebrated the 21st anniversary of their first album “Get Born.” This inaugural album is home to Jet’s fan-favorite song, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” Nashvillians of all ages gathered to hear this iconic song and delve into Jet’s fantastic, lesser-known music.
Before Jet’s performance, the also Melbourne-based band Super American Eagle took the stage at 8 p.m. Intense guitar solos and drum beats in their songs like “Breathe” and “GrooveIs In The Heart” warmed up the audience. Crowds poured into the open venue, head-bobbing to the new beats in preparation for the headliners.
The staff set the stage for Jet. After making their way onstage, the band’s opening numbers included “She’s a Genius” and “Blackhearts.” Davey Lane, a solo artist from Australia and lead guitarist of the band You Am I joined Jet onstage for the band’s fourth song, “Hurry Hurry.” Jet’s signature sounds — keyboard, strong drum beats and tambourine — lit up the stage and got the crowd of all ages dancing.
Following their introductory songs, lead singer Nic Cester gave a warm welcome to the Nashville crowd, and announced the name of the tour — 20 Years of Get Born. The band would now play their inaugural album “Get Born” from start to finish.
Highlights of the 13-song set included “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” the second song of the album, during which the audience roared the well-known lyrics. Cester finished the song while standing on the bass drum, playing his guitar.
After one head-bopping song after another, the band slowed it down with their sentimental and slower “Radio Song.” “You won’t hear this song on the radio,” Cester sang a lyric that resonated with the crowd, reflecting on how far the band had come in 20 years. The pace picked up again with Jet’s second-most popular hit, “Cold Hard B—-” which reignited the audience’s movement.
Toward the end of the concert, all the musicians left the stage except for lead singer Nic Cester, who he switched to an acoustic guitar to play the romantic, chill-inducing song, “Shine On.” To the audience’s surprise, the rest of the band re-emerged after the break to finish strong with “Seventeen” and “Rip it Up,” immersing the crowd in new music that carried the same charm and catchiness as Jet’s most popular hits.
Jet received a standing ovation at the close of the night, after which the audience had the chance to purchase Jet and Super American Eagle t-shirts, as well as records of Jet’s new single, “Hurry Hurry,” signed by the band members.
Jet’s incredible performance at this intimate venue celebrated their past and reflected the re-emergence of live rock in small, meaningful venues. Following their Nashville performance, Jet will be making their way to West Hollywood, multiple locations in Australia, New York, the United Kingdom and more. Make sure to check if Jet is performing in a city near you and take the opportunity to put a concert at The Basement East on your Nashville bucket list.
