Disco Diva Jones Proves Compelling, Lightweight

As the wait grew longer for nightclub diva Grace Jones to appear at the House of Blues on Sunday, a roiling sea of dancers lapped impatiently against the stage, tugging at the patchwork curtain while vintage house and disco grooves pounded on and on.

Jones was the musical guest at promoter Jeffrey Sanker’s two-year anniversary party for his monthly gay dance nights at the Sunset Strip club and, like a proper diva, she kept everyone waiting as long as possible. When the 6-foot model-turned-disco-singer finally showed after midnight, she didn’t strain herself much, delivering a lightweight 50-minute set of highlights from her 20-year recording career.

In the late ‘70s, Jones attracted a cult following on the New York gay disco scene with her striking features, outrageous costumes and deep monotone. In the early days, she rode a motorcycle on stage and danced with bodybuilders, but her entrance Sunday was a tad less lavish: Shrouded in black, she descended to the stage on a small hydraulic platform, while one buff male dancer cavorted.

The performance’s cut-rate feeling was enhanced by the lack of any band or backing musicians, as Jones belted out such hits as “Slave to the Rhythm” and “Pull Up to the Bumper” over recorded tracks. She prowled and posed, briefly disappearing after each number and returning wearing a little less, ending up in nothing but a black thong and a shiny metal bustier for her 1993 dance hit “Sex Drive.”

By sheer force of freakish persona, Jones was fleetingly compelling. But her material felt almost quaint. Her deadpan style would seem highly adaptable to such new electronic grooves as drum-and-bass, but there was no trace of a modern beat. By the end, the lack of inspiration took its toll, deflating even the exuberance of the worshipful mass before her.