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Self-described “Portland’s most passionate post-punk” band J. Graves are hosting what they promise will be the inaugural leap year party at High Water Mark on Feb. 29.
Self-described “Portland’s most passionate post-punk” band J. Graves are hosting what they promise will be the inaugural leap year party at High Water Mark on Feb. 29.
02/22/2020

J. Graves Leap Year Party at High Water Mark / Preview

By C. FRANCIS O’LEARY // Self-described “Portland’s most passionate post-punk” band J. Graves are hosting what they promise will be the inaugural leap year party at High Water Mark on Saturday, February 29.

Jessa Graves went on a four-year hiatus from making music after her previous band HelloKopter broke up. Her 2016 reentry into music was the months-long process of writing, revising, rewriting and perfecting a song she ultimately named in honor of the year and her return to music after four years away: "Leap Year." Now, both the song and the quadrennial event have a lot of meaning for Graves. This month, Graves’ band J. Graves will celebrate the first leap day since it formed with a show at High Water Mark on Feb 29.

J. Graves consists of singer-songwriter, guitarist and namesake Jessa Graves; drummer Aaron MacDonald; and bassist Kelly Clifton. Together, the trio blend low, growling garage rock and frenetic dance punk to great effect. At times, the band plays faster and faster to reach a crescendo; other times ─ just when one expects a crescendo ─ there is suddenly silence. In those moments, anticipation builds until Graves kicks off another verse and the instruments starts eating up their registers.

The band released its first album, Marathon, with a show at the High Water Mark last September. After the release, the band went on a six-show tour of California and has played many shows in Oregon in the ensuing months. Now the band is returning to High Water Mark not just to play a leap year show, but to host a leap year party.

J. Graves will be accompanied by local goth-synth band Whisper Hiss, who will open the night, and a DJ set and dance party by Local Loadies (from Freeform) to close the night out.

Show fliers include the promise of prizes, which Graves said will include goody bags for the first attendees through the door. The first ten people will get a vinyl and CD of Marathon and J. Graves merch; the 15 following them will get a free CD and merch. Whisper Hiss has promised to include their 7” in some of the bags as well.

Another surprise J. Graves might treat the audience to is new music. The band’s insta has recently featured posts from Destination: Universe where Graves and MacDonald recorded a four-song EP called Deathbed  that they’re planning to release this October. The name Deathbed comes from the first cut on the EP, “one of the songs that I’m most proud of ever writing,” Graves said in an interview.

Graves promises that this is just the beginning for the band. After listening back to early demos of “Leap Year,” she was impressed with how her musical style has evolved. “As my music evolves, I hope this event evolves too,” Graves said. “I get caught up in the rules a lot, so to realize that there really are no rules has been liberating.”

Learn more about J. Graves by reading OMN's previous coverage and stay up to date by following the band’s insta and Facebook. Catch the Leap Year Party at High Water Mark on Feb. 29. $10. 21+ Doors @ 8. Music @ 9.

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