After 17 years since his last show in Chicago, Jamiroquai returned to the North Coast Music Festival as a headliner and drew a massive crowd as one of the closing performers for the last night. Most may remember Jamiroquai from their one big hit back in 1996, with the moving floors/walls video of “Virtual Insanity.” You may even remember another one of their songs, “Canned Heat” being a part of a couple of film’s significant moments such as Napoleon Dynamite’s talent show scene or the final performance in the ballet drama Center Stage.
Now that I’ve got you caught up on who Jamiroquai is, here are five things I learned while attending his set at the North Coast Music Festival in Chicago.
Stanning Has No Age Limitations
Before Jamiroquai got on stage, I spoke with a woman who was celebrating her 50th birthday to watch them perform. She shared she has traveled around the world to watch their shows. Another dude b-lined straight to the front of the crowd and fangirled every time Jay Kay (the lead singer) looked toward our section. I guess this is what I have to look forward to when Janet Jackson comes out of retirement at 70 and puts on her final concert.
The Crowd Was NOT What I Expected
I was curious to see what type of crowd Jamiroquai would bring to North Coast. I have met people sporadically who were fan of his music, but it still didn’t give me an idication of what to expect. It turns out European men between the ages of 30-50 go crazy for the big hat wearing showman. They were the main ones going apeshit for Jamiroquai.
Jamiroquai Still Got It
After years of listening to their music, it’s incredible to hear him sound the same live. And the band and backup singers were top notch. The funk was alive Sunday night.
Jay Kay Is Getting Old
At 48, Jay Kay can still get down like the rest of them, but it’s just simply not the same. In fact, he even mentioned on stage “I’m not 23 anymore” relating to not being able to jump around on stage the way he used to. But it was still a joy to watch him feel the rhythm.
Jay Kay Has a Toddler
I haven’t kept up with Jay Kay’s personal life…ever but it was adorable to find out he has a 3-year-old daughter. After doing some digging, he has two kids, Tallulah and Carla. During his set, an inflatable unicorn was floating through the sea of people which caught Kay’s attention. He mentioned that his “3-year-old daughter would be very happy to see that.” He followed that up by requesting to have the floater to be deflated to take it home to her. Aww, but also, dude you can get that at any local gift shop for 15 bucks.
Overall, I had such a great time watching one of my favorite bands perform live, especially since they rarely perform in America. I danced my heart out which always means a good night for me!
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