El Jezel: The Best Dressed Band in NYC

Forget everything you know about fashion and trust me. El Jezel is the best dressed band in NYC.

Last night I caught the threesome at The Knitting Factory. First we'll talk about the music, since I supposed this is what I'm supposed to be talking about. Unfortunately, the venue does not do the band justice. The sound at The Knitting Factory is just not good. Regardless, El Jezel put on a great set. They impress me even more each time I see them. I think the thing that really impresses me about the band is their presence. They genuinely look like they want to be up on stage. They want to be playing their songs for anyone who will listen. They have fun. And because of that, I have fun each time.

But let's get to my point. I found out after El Jezel played at the show last weekend that Jessica and I almost had a fashion emergency. She informed me she was going to wear the same skirt as me that night. Obviously she has some style. Since then, I began to think about how other bands dress when they take the stage. Never really noticed it before, and I wonder if bands think hard about what to wear. For El Jezel, they hit the mark last night.

The line up:

George: Any boy with thick rimmed glasses does it for me. He had me at the glasses, and the moppy hair. I have a soft spot for the mop. George had a very stylish button down stripped shirt that was taken off during the set. Oooh! The girls were screaming! Were they? George acknowledged they should have been. And when he took off his shirt, I had to laugh. His t-shirt underneath read "I'm with the band." Can't get any better than that.

Jessica: This girl can do no wrong. Her flashy silver bass is the coolest bass I've seen. After our common skirt interest last week, I paid close attention to what she wore this time. Donning a very cute pink silk top that opened in the back, she looked ultra feminine against her male counterparts. Her hair up in a sleek bun, she informed the crowd she almost had a "wardrobe malfunction." No worries, Jessica, you pulled off the outfit quite well.

Dan: The drummer could quite possibly have been my favorite outfit of the evening. I don't know if your grade school had the "endangered animals" program where they offered t-shirts, bags, mugs featuring endangered animals where all profits would go to help them out. Well Dan sported some sort of tiger t-shirt last night, from what I believe to be the same program. I think I even had that same exact shirt. Or was it the turtles. Who knows, either way, I was a fan.

I wish I brought my camera last night, so you could see. You'll just have to check out El Jezel next time they play. These guys can dress, but even better, they know how to rock. Plus, they are one of the nicest bands I've met. We stuck around for a little while after to check out The Song Corporation. George said its one of his favorite bands. I won't say much, but George -- you have better taste in fashion than in music. I won't say they were terrible, I just didn't really get it. Good musicians, but something didn't work for their sound. Vocals don't match the guitars, or something. Who knows, they obviously are doing something right because they filled up that little old office of The Knitting Factory. But for El Jezel, let's hope they can play in more venues that can appreciate their sound.