Turnover, Horse Jumper of Love, Yumi Zouma @ Summit

Photos: Oliver Thieme

Horse Jumper of Love, Yumi Zouma and Turnover all have very similar stage presences, each with their own, unique interpretation of indie/slowcore that I found fit well into and around each other – after seeing them live last Friday at the Summit Music Hall – like warm puzzle pieces coming together after a long week.

There is something almost enchanting and nostalgic about all three bands’ music, especially taken collectively – it transfers you to a different place – whimsical and magic, and sometimes a little sad (especially in the case of Horse Jumper of Love). Whoever made the call to have them perform together did an excellent job, and deserves significant praise. 

Something enchants about all three bands’ music – it transfers you to a different place – whimsical and magic, and sometimes a little sad…

Horse Jumper of Love – a Boston trio that’s just now beginning to create some well-deserved nationwide buzz after being together for nearly a decade – were probably the anchor of the night, in that their sound is probably the most slow-core/indie-emo of the three bands. Guitarist/vocalist Dimitri Giannopoulos, bassist John Margaris, and drummer Jamie Vadala-Doran knit together tales of young love – and young heartbreak that outlasts the “young” part by a mile. Grounded by the rough but perfect rhythm section Margaris and Vadala-Doran lay down, Giannopoulos seems to find himself free to wander with the guitar sound, using chords, tunings, sounds, and handiwork that left the world of mere “innovative” years ago. It’s almost as if his instrument is another independent member of the band, improvising the perfect tones & rhythms to match the brilliant lyrics.

Horse Jumper of Love is probably the most slow-core/indie-emo of the three bands.

Yumi Zouma and Turnover both share a little more affinity with the more electronic indie world, playing a unique and beautiful – and danceable – kind of rock. Both fit well into the growing, and warming, puzzle of the night. Yumi Zouma slowly grew out of their Christchurch, New Zealand roots over the last decade-plus on the strength of their post-chill, electro-dance vibe. The four-piece now seems comfortable in leading that vibe worldwide, and showed it onstage last Friday. Their music has evolved since the lockdowns of 2020, when they began to incorporate live instruments with their electronic base, and it’s all for the better.

Turnover are an example of the consummate, life-on-the-road, live rock band, having been constantly n the road for most of the last decade (before the lockdowns), playing upwards of 200 shows per year. Re-working that ethos over the COVID pandemic only seems to have made their DIY commitment stronger, and their unique, danceable music even better. They wrapped up the night with an innovative, emotional set that left the Summit audience glowing.

Yumi Zouma and Turnover both share a little more affinity with the more electronic indie world

There were a few hiccups here and there for each group on the technical side of things – such as lighting and sound – but they all kept calm, confident, and kept their energy high. When everything was figured out, this crowd were able to experience some beautiful live art from innovative projection, wild sound effects, and complex lighting themes.

But the most uniquely satisfying aspect of the entire experience was how every artist knew who they were, what they were a part of and why they were there. The sense of comfort bled into the crowd, making the feeling of being one collective even stronger.