Seattle – Jacco Gardner could easily make you feel like you got shot back into the 1960’s. With the stars of the modern psychedelic revival borrowing heavily from the likes of Roky Erikson or The Zombies, Gardner’s more Beatlesque vibe is refreshing and unique. It allows him to fit right in on Trouble in Mind Records, and also to draw a perhaps more diverse crowd than many on the Chicago-based label. This was apparent when he played Seattle’s Barboza

There was little uniformity in the crowd, except for a natural passion for Gardner’s sounds. From people reminiscing about a bygone 1960’s sound to the nostalgia-less younger folks (myself included), Gardner drew a varied crowd with his unadulterated mysticism. His aesthetic only added to the strange beauty of his music. Barboza – the small, red-hued, basement club – provided the perfect backdrop for this popularly described “Baroque-pop” artist.

Gardner released his debut album, Cabinet of Curiosities, just this February  (it might just be the most appropriately named album ever). While Gardner plays every instrument on the record (except the drums, which are played by Jos van Tol), he mostly remained behind the keys during his set. This didn’t detract from any of Gardner’s eminence; rather than impress an audience with sheer multi-instrumental talent, Gardner was able to create an almost ethereal show with his enchanting jams.

With a relatively small repertoire of songs, we got to enjoy the majority of his known music. While naturally throwing in some new and unfamiliar tracks, any fan would have been thoroughly content with Gardner’s set. There was fluidity between his songs throughout but the obvious stands outs were his singles “Clean the Air” and “Puppets Dangling.”

Parson Red Heads and Ephrata opened for Gardner. Both are local acts (Parson Red Heads are from Portland and Ephrata is a pretty new group here in Seattle) and are very different from the headliner. Both openers might have been more happily paired with a headliner that was closer to their more modern indie vein. The night too might have benefited from a more similarly minded bill, but Gardner could probably play with anyone and make a memorable night for his audience.

Cabinets of Curiosities is available via Trouble in Mind Records, where you can also get his latest two-single release and check out the rest of Jacco Gardner’s fall tour dates.