o What: Jet, in concert.
o When: 8 p.m. March 24.
o Where: Roseland Theater, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.
o Cost: $21.50-$30 through TicketsWest, 800-992-8499 or ticketswest.com.
o Information: http://www.roselandpdx.com.
Maturity may not be the first word that comes to mind when the band Jet is mentioned.
This is a band, after all, that blasted into the public consciousness in 2003 behind such rowdy and hyper-catchy radio hits as “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.”
On the current CD, “Shaka Rock,” the Australian band still rocks like the playful garage/glam rockers that greeted the world on the 2003 CD “Get Born.” But there are also signs of an expanding musical palette and a more settled attitude.
An example of the evolving music of Jet is the song “Seventeen” from “Shaka Rock.” The song still boasts the band’s trademark hard-hitting riffs in the chorus, but in the verses, Jet moves in a poppy direction with a pretty piano-accented melody, while also building a brief drumless instrumental interlude into the song.
o What: Jet, in concert.
o When: 8 p.m. March 24.
o Where: Roseland Theater, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.
o Cost: $21.50-$30 through TicketsWest, 800-992-8499 or ticketswest.com.
o Information: http://www.roselandpdx.com.
“I think now we’ve reached a new level of maturity,” singer/guitarist Nick Cester said. “I just think we’re a lot more comfortable in our own skin now.”
While Jet does show notable musical growth on “Shaka Rock,” the band established a rather distinctive presence on the music scene from the moment it broke out of Australia to make a more global impact.
“Get Born” wasn’t necessarily an innovative work. Its slam-bang rockers sounded familiar to anyone who had heard the New York Dolls and Iggy Pop and the Stooges.
But at the time “Get Born” was released, that sort of spirited rock was in short supply on the music scene, allowing Jet to take a place alongside the White Stripes and the Hives as bands breathing new life into garage-style rock.
The next CD, 2006’s more darkly hued “Shine On,” was not a big hit, but it was a solid effort that suggested Jet would deserve to be heard going forward in its career.
“Shaka Rock,” meanwhile, hasn’t had a big impact commercially, debuting at No. 27 last September before quickly falling off of the Billboard magazine album chart. But it certainly represents a step forward on a musical level for Jet.
The rambunctious edge that characterized “Get Born” re-emerges in fine form on such “Shaka Rock” tracks as “She’s a Genius” (one of the album’s standout tracks and a top 20 alternative rock single), “Black Hearts (on Fire)” and “Times Like This.”
But the band branches out musically, not just on “Seventeen,” but on songs such as “K.I.A. (Killed in Action),” a rocker that shifts tempos several times over the course of its three minutes; “Beat on Repeat,” which despite its repetitious refrain nevertheless finds Jet exploring a mix of reggae and rock; and the chiming “Goodbye Hollywood,” a first-rate, mid-tempo pop track that adds organ into the group’s usual guitar-based sound.
That Cester and his bandmates — brother Chris Cester (drums), Cam Muncey (guitar) and Mark Wilson (bass) — feel more confident as a band makes sense, considering how the group’s level of experience has changed since the making of “Get Born.”
Jet formed when its members were still in high school. They found it difficult to get decent gigs in clubs because of their youth. As a result, they hadn’t done much touring before “Get Born” arrived.
“Some of the first-ever shows that we did were supporting the Rolling Stones (in Australia) in front of 80,000 people, man,” Cester said. He said it was “petrifying.”
The group has not only become more assured on stage, its members have settled down in their touring lifestyles, another reflection of the band’s growing maturity. This, Cester said, has made touring a more satisfying experience.
“In the past we’ve been, you know, pretty reckless when it comes to extracurricular activities,” Cester said. “But I think this time we’re all looking after ourselves a lot better than what we ever have.”
In dialing back the on-tour partying, Cester feels Jet has become a better live band that more consistently delivers the goods in concert.
“Any Jet show we do, we always commit to making it the best show of the tour, you know, and we have that philosophy every single night,” he said. “So rest-assured, we will absolutely be living up to our end of the bargain.”
