The Jay Clifford Experience

When Jump, Little Children announced their "indefinite hiatus" late last year, one of the most popular questions among fans was "What's next?" Nearly a year later, we found out when band frontman and principle songwriter Jay Clifford rolled into the Cat's Cradle for a one-of-a-kind show.

"I missed you guys too," Clifford told the crowd of about 200 as they greeted him with wild applause Wednesday evening.

He then launched into "Dim and the Dark," off the band's last album, Between the Dim and the Dark. The rest of the set list was anyone's guess, and everyone's suggestion. Clifford opened the floor up to requests for the rest of his 90-minute set, allowing room for old favorites as well as some surprises.

Rarities included "Hang it on the Wall," a Jump song that never quite made it to an album, and "Safekeeping," a song from his other band, Rosebud.

He also charmed the crowd with three newer songs, "Invisible Sun," "Diving Bell" (which was debuted at one of his solo shows a year or two ago) and "Caught in the Rain," a song only publicly performed once before, during its debut at Jump's last show in Charleston, S.C. this past December.

Clifford closed the main set with one of his most well-known and often-played songs, "Cathedrals." But more noteworthy than the song itself was hearing the story of its conception, a tale that involves, in no particular order, nudity, Pat Benetar, a bag of fruit and possibly some LSD. Still with me?

He ended the night with a flawless performance of "Mother's Eyes" off the album Vertigo. Neck stretched and mouth agape, Clifford hit every note of the seven-minute song's challenging range as members of the audience bobbed their heads in a trance-like state.

It's a forced to be reckoned with, the Jay Clifford Experience. If you missed it, catch him at Lincoln Theatre next Wednesday, Sept. 20. Tickets are $10 in advance and the show will start at 10. Meghan Coffee opens.