Jinjer began their 2023 North America tour by stopping at Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama on September 7th, 2023. The show was electric from start to finish, with excellent performances from both Jinjer, a metalcore band from Ukraine, and their supporting act Monuments, a progressive metal band from England. And even though the concert started later than originally expected, no one in the audience seemed to mind. As soon as the music started, the whole crowd was moving, and they didn’t stop until the show was over.
Before hearing about this tour, I’d only briefly listened to Monuments, but now that I’ve seen them, I realize I’ve been missing out. Monuments put on an engaging show that was both technically and visually sound. I was impressed with each band member’s commitment to staying interactive with the crowd, while still expertly playing their instruments, or in the vocalist’s case, singing. Between the songs, vocalist Andy Cizek was all smiles as he cracked jokes that had the crowd laughing along. It’s easy to overdo this kind of conversing during down times in a set, but Cizek had a great balance of keeping the crowd entertained while never detracting from the music. At one point during the show, Cizek encouraged the crowd to start a mosh pit, which they happily obliged. Mars Music Hall is a pretty shallow venue, so starting a pit got the entire crowd moving. This only increased the band’s energy as they flew across the stage with non-stop vigor. Not only was their music easy to jam along to, but their light show was also bright and fun, which complimented the band’s energy and friendly nature. Monuments played a total of eight songs, and by the time they exited the stage, the crowd was chanting for more.
John Browne – Guitar
Mike Malyan – Drums
Set List:
1). Cardinal Red
2). I, the Destroyer
3). Degenerate
4). False Providence
5). Opiate
6). Nefarious
7). Lavos
8). I, the Creator
After a brief break between sets, it was time for Jinjer to begin. This was my third time seeing them live. Each time I’ve seen them, they’ve only gotten better and better, which I didn’t think was possible. Since the very first time I saw them, they completely awed me. There’s something about Jinjer’s stage presence that is unmatched. It demands your attention while simultaneously encouraging you to get into the songs and move around to the beat. One thing that I did notice immediately was the high quality of their sound mixing. Each instrument could be heard loud and clearly without any muffling. Sometimes when the instruments are blended so beautifully, the vocals tend to get lost a little, but that was not the case here. Vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk could be heard from anywhere in the venue, and probably outside of it too. Her vocals were clean and effortless, and the excellent sound quality only enhanced that. Additionally, the light show was creative and different from what I normally see at shows. They had panels at the back of the stage that would light up with different imagery for each song. Some of my favorites were a galaxy, a forest, and a stained glass window. These panels, in addition to the lights themselves, were used to set the scene for every song. Each one was represented so well.
Jinjer is a band from Ukraine, and they’ve been very diligent in raising funds to help the war effort and support children who are growing up in an uncertain environment. Tatiana Shmayluk referenced this when she implored the audience to “please stay peaceful” and to “please be kind.” The crowd responded with loud cheers and promises to do so. Another subtle yet meaningful nod to their home country came in the form of their light show, when they displayed the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine. The gesture may have been small, and many probably missed it, but for those who did see it, it meant a lot.
Each band member made a conscious effort to connect with the crowd, whether that be standing in different places so everyone could see them play and sing, or telling jokes between songs. One fun moment occurred before Jinjer’s “I Speak Astronomy” when Shmayluk commented, “I hear you like space, Huntsville!” Since Huntsville is known as the Rocket City, and Mars Music Hall is also space themed, it was something the crowd loved, especially since many knew which song was coming next.
The energy from both Jinjer and the crowd was dynamic the entire set. The crowd was moshing and headbanging as they rocked along to each song. The entire band was on fire from beginning to end with technical and captivating performances from Shmayluk, Eugene Abdukhanov on Bass, Roman Ibramkhalilov on guitar, and Vladyslav Ulasevych on drums. Jinjer is a must-see band, so if you haven’t had a chance to see them, you definitely need to.
Vladyslav Ulasevych – Drums
Set List:
1). Perennial
2). Ape
3). Teacher, Teacher!
4).Who’s Gonna Be the One
5). Call Me a Symbol
6). Vortex
7). I Speak Astronomy
8). Copycat
9). Pisces
10). Dead Hands Feel No Pain
11). Judgement (& Punishment)
12). Home Back
13). Sleep of the Righteous
14). As I Boil Ice
15). Sit Stay Roll Over
Follow Monuments Online:
Follow Jinjer Online:
I’ve always been the creative type, but nothing quite beats how it felt the first time I picked up a camera. Once I photographed my first concert, I knew I had found my passion. As an avid concert-goer, getting to combine my love of music with my love of photography is like a dream come true!
