Stealing Love Jones from South Africa headlines at Otto’s

By TONY MARTIN

Another great show in DeKalb went under the radar Friday, yet all in attendance were treated to two great sets.

Egon’s Unicat opened the show with an entertaining set. For almost an hour, the band played what was likely most of its catalogue to an enthusiastic crowd.

Sometimes bands just have the ability to hold an entire crowd for an extended period of time, and Egon’s Unicat had everyone in attendance singing, clapping and dancing in a way that was both unique and familiar.

The band’s style is not easy to categorize, as it switches up at the drop of a hat from punk and speed metal-type riffs to ska-type songs. At times, the band members even got funky.

Apparently, Egon’s Unicat plays in DeKalb enough for everyone to come and experience its off the wall show. So there is no excuse.

Such is not the case for the headlining act, Stealing Love Jones, from South Africa. Of all the places to take its act, why would the band come to the Midwest?

Singer Esjay Jones was nice enough to answer.

“Well, we are on tour throughout the states … We’ve played in Atlanta, New York and Chicago tomorrow,” Jones said.

During the band’s set, Jones and her talented group ripped through songs from the band’s full-length album, like “One Shot” and a scorching cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” She looked like a young Courtney Love with talent, with a stage presence Otto’s hasn’t seen in months.

The backing band had chops to match their singer, as solos ripped through the speakers and the drums did nothing short of amaze.

The songs were tight and the crowd responded, dancing and rocking to songs they had never heard before (an impressive feat in DeKalb, land of the frozen-concert-goer).

Jones had more nice things to say about the fans than they could say about her.

“The crowd was great,” she said. “We can’t do what we do without the fans, and it is thanks to them that we get to play the music that we love every night.”