Aandklas has long been a home for up-and-coming bands, and one of the success stories to have graced its stage is none other than Jackal & the Wind. Last Saturday, 22 February, the band returned to one of their “favorite venues ever”, as lead singer Chris Kruger put it.
Naturally, Die Matie had to ask, what makes Stellenbosch stand out compared to other places the band has played at? In response Kruger shared, “Most of our band studied in Stellenbosch or spent some time in Stellenbosch. Every time we play here we have a bit of a cult following – people sing louder than we can sing our own songs”. He was right about that! When the intro to “Oh Katie” began playing the whole crowd sang along, “Oh, I just want my dog back home”.
Before the show started Kruger shared that there would be a few unrecorded songs being played, “We have so much material that’s unrecorded”. One of these songs included “Botswana”, which Kruger and his wife wrote together while on a trip there. Luckily for fans of Jackal & the Wind, “Botswana” will be released sometime this year. Other cult classics that made the crowd sing and sway were: “Finding Home” and “Wild Child”. Halfway through the show a bottle of liquor, which was generously supplied by Aandklas, made its rounds through the crowd and on stage. After that, the crowd truly came alive; so when Kruger made the request for everyone to crouch down and hop back up in time with the rhythm, the crowd was more than happy to oblige. The show ended on a high note and simply put: the crowd did not want Jackal & the Wind to say goodbye.
It was only fitting that when Die Matie asked what message Kruger wanted to share with fans of Jackal & the Wind, he warmly responded, “Thank you for listening to us, we love you guys and I can’t wait to make a lot more music.”
Next up on the Aandklas calendar is Desmond and the Tutus on Saturday 1 March 2025.
By Jani Roux
