There’s no shortage of people who sing and play guitar in Dallas, but no one’s doing it quite like TJ Novak. He packed out Deep Ellum’s Twilite Lounge Friday night to celebrate the release of his debut album, Tenderness. The swanky, dimly lit room was the perfect atmosphere for his brand of speakeasy rock.
Without a word, Novak and his band kicked off the show with the first of many instrumental jams, and instinctively, everyone in the room started grooving. Hearing the McKinney raised musician live is like an extravagant firework show; you could catch a video of it online, but until you see it in person, you really don’t know what you’re missing.
Novak introduced his band, then dove into “Terrifying Nightmare,” one of his more jazzy joints. The man of the night ripped a wah solo, then transitioned into a cleaner riff-based section with repeated phrases, garnering a stank face from anyone in the vicinity. With just a look, he and drummer Justin Hoard slowed the pace, then moved into another jam with a sick unison riff from Novak and Alec Zieff on saxophone…