SHOW REVIEW: Cherub at St. Andrews Hall

Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber make up the unlikely Nashville dance-funk duo Cherub, who brought their Blow'd Tour to St. Andrews Hall. Somewhere between 80s funk and 00s Crunk is the bandwidth in which the electropoppers operate, like a dirty south version of Chromeo that seems to speak directly to the college crowd. 

With this in mind, it was no surprise to see the instant frat party that materialized  as opener ProbCause hit the stage. Along with the second act, Carousel, the all-ages crowd was into it but waiting to turn up for the headliners. Cherub hit stage in a splash of colored lights with enough energy to power the whole city on this Friday night. 

Huber on the left came prepared with his Detriot sweatshirt, multitasking mostly on bass and drum pads as Kelley ripped through the vocals and guitar on the right. Kelley was a ball of energy, twisting and shaking while blowing on his talk box with enough fire to make Roger Troutman blush. Huber on the other hand played it cool with a funky, confident swagger. 

I've heard Cherub described as "Prince on Ecstasy," which is pretty much spot on. The tunes of the latest album, Antipasto especially are highly infectious jams that hold weight against anything on Top 40 radio right now.  But What really stands out in the live set is Kelley's guitar work. Between the synth hits and 808 beats, the dude can flat out play. Cherub set the tone for the perfect night out in the city with hits like "Doses and Mimosas" and the crowd drank it up.