Jocelyn & Chris Sell Out The 443 in Syracuse

By Mike Kohli On Feb 14, 2022

Volume… Loud.

Hair… Long.

Apologies… None.

The above is from sister-brother blues-rock duo Jocelyn and Chris Arndt’s bio. That short and sweet description is perfectly befitting of this outfit. Though on Friday night at the sold-out 443 Social Club and Lounge in Syracuse, they toned it down a bit for this listening room setting.

Jocelyn & Chris were accompanied by David Bourgeois on percussion and Dan Zavadil on bass. Jocelyn could barely contain her excitement at finally being back on stage, often bouncing around in her seat on the couch while discussing the duo’s new music and what they’ve been working on during the pandemic.

If you want to hear a powerful voice, look no further than Jocelyn Arndt. Her rich, soulful voice leaves you no choice but to focus on her. She doesn’t just sing with her voice. She channels it from deep inside, using her entire body to project her power throughout the room. She emotes with her arms, her legs, her head, her hair, her entire body is her voice. It’s truly a thing to behold in a live setting.

Her brother Chris is no slouch either. His adept guitar playing helps propel the songs and the chemistry between the siblings is obvious. He’s got a bluesy feel that perfectly complements his sister’s voice. There’s an innate connection between siblings, and when it works, as in the case of Jocelyn and Chris, it’s gold. Every song these two have written was created in tandem.

This reviewer originally encountered the Arndts at the 2015 edition of the Utica Music and Arts Festival. At that point, the duo was still finding its voice, but it was obvious that they would become bigger than a mere mid-afternoon festival act.

Since then, they have performed at Mountain Jam and Peach Fest, on NBC’s Today show and have toured the country several times over.

Their latest single, “Sugar and Spice,” released in July 2021, was seen as an outlier in the duo’s catalog and one not seen as ripe for single status. But they took a shot and it became a hit, charting for three consecutive weeks and the video was added to MTV’s rotation. Check it out below.

Jocelyn and Chris have a new album set for release in the coming months with more dates in Central New York to follow. The lead single, “My Favorite Ghost” will be released in April and was performed as the encore to this night’s performance.

The Arndt siblings are originally from the Albany area and perform regularly in the Upstate area. It is highly recommended that you catch one of their shows when they come around. They may not be ours alone for very long once this new album is released. You’ll leave a Jocelyn and Chris show feeling uplifted and excited about the next generation of rock and rollers.

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