It was British Electronica Soul and R & B Night at Webster Hall this past Monday, with the well-known underground band, Honne, and up and coming pop singer, Jones!

Walking into the main hall, I got a chance to observe the demographics of the audience. It was mostly young men and women, various ethnicities, in their late twenties and early thirties with a smattering of folks who looked older. There were a few hipsters, but the overall group was mostly regular couples or small groups of people. There weren't that many individual people by themselves. People were keeping the bartenders busy, and the merchandise vendors were definitely earning their pay too.

The audience congregated to the front of the stage in anticipation well before the band started. I got the chance to eavesdrop on some conversations (in a creepy way), and I could tell it was very much a casual thing I was a part of here. People were talking about their personal lives mostly, one or two couples were arguing and making up in the same sentence, and people were just talking about their love of music and the bands they were about to listen to. With drinks, live music, and a younger crowd, I felt like I was at a casual party.

I was surprised at how statuesque and stunning Jones was. My pictures REALLY don't do her justice. Though I had never heard of her or seen her before, the reality of Jones' physical presence is something else. As the London-based singer began her first song, I immediately placed the vibe as something ethereal and extremely emotional. There was one singer in particular who came to mind: Amy Lee of Evanescence. Though, they have completely different styles and genres, their music runs the gamut of emotions in a way that brings a listener to old Victorian places. I could tell the audience was feeling Jones' vibe, and she could too, as she commented that there was a lot of good energy in the room.

As she went into her second song, "Melt", it was obvious that Jones also has a carefree side to her that is full of passion. She is in a trance while she is singing and she is doing what she loves. After "Walking Away", her third song, she performed two covers and said to the audience that it is important to have a dream and not give up on it. Jones' ethereal voice mixed with her R & B style is a unique mix that is also reminiscent of pop and R& B superstar, Mariah Carey. Though she is fairly new in the public eye in terms of her music, Jones is sure to win over many with her beauty and her passionate music about life, love, and dreams.

There was a noticeable shift when Honne came onto the stage. Honne was created by friends Andy Clutterbuck (the brunette) and James Hatcher (the blonde) while they were in college. Honne has its own personality and though they may not realize it, they subtly announce their presence to the world and demand that they be heard, always a good quality in any band. The audience also transformed when Honne stepped up: they sang along with a lot of the music and there was a lot of whooping. A LOT. This audience was completely made up of Honne fans. On a sidenote, Honne is Japanese for "real intention".

Honne sings a lot about love, and they have been quoted as saying that they are trying to revamp the genre of "baby-making" music. A bold and worthy goal, as who hasn't been swayed by babymaking-music in real-time, or in their fantasies? That is exactly what Honne captures in their songs: the fantasy, the unspoken language of love and brighter days, and the nostalgia of past great loves. One listener, Danny the merch vendor in the hall, said that Honne's music captures falling in love the for the first time and "the honeymoon phase" of relationships. He also said that there is a 90s feel to the band too, similar to Massive Attack and the genre trip hop, which is music I can admit I am not familiar with, but will definitely explore following this concert. I can also see similarities between Honne and English rock band, The Verve.

Honne definitely has a way with its audience. Girls were swooning, and the guys were kind of loving it. One of my favorite moments was when Jones came out to sing with Honne. Not only was the musical chemistry real, but people were shocked at how good Jones' voice was. People around me were saying, "Oh My God!", "Whoa", and "Yass!". Honne and Jones definitely collaborate well, which you can hear in their song, "No Place Like Home". After they had finished their set, the audience starting chanting, "one more set, one more set!", so they came out and played three! Honne definitely has a love for their fans and the lead singer made sure to thank the audience for being so welcoming, and that he loves New York City.

Seeing Jones and Honne at Webster Hall was an eye-opener to me about uniquely creative music coming out of England. Both Jones and Honne have their "thing", and they are extremely passionate musicians. What I really liked is their humility. Honne was truly happy to be performing their music for those who appreciated it, and Jones went all out to put on a great performance for her new fans at Webster Hall. Though this was Honne's last stop on their tour, they really made sure to go out with gusto. I expect there will be many future audiences re-vamping their babymaking to Honne, to make way for future generations, just as planned!