Photos: Chinatown Summer Nights, with Caught a Ghost, TAMPA, Clara-Nova and some surprises

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Caught a Ghost at Chinatown Summer Nights (Photo by Bronson)
Caught a Ghost at Chinatown Summer Nights (Photo by Bronson)

The final Chinatown Summer Nights of 2018 started with a bundle of surprises (courtesy of Emma Cole) and ended with a dance party (thanks to Caught a Ghost and TAMPA).

There were plenty of delights on the Live Music Stage at Mandarin Plaza in between, too, thanks to Clara-Nova, Jasper Bones, Mini Bear and Jane Holiday.

Emma Cole kicked off the evening with her powerhouse vocals, then brought even more muscle with a series of special guests — first Gigi Lyn, then Jen Awad and, finally, Lauren Ruth Ward. With the band spot on, Cole and Ward nailed the vocals in “Edge of Seventeen” by Fleetwood Mac.

Dance-rockers Jane Holiday followed with a set truncated by some technical problems before Mini Bear took over for a set of danceable and very personal synth-pop. A big crowd of Jasper Bones followers turned out for his ’70s-styled “soul wave,” which was the perfect soundtrack for the moon rising in the east.

Clara-Nova then took over for a set of smart synth-pop marked by Sydney Wayser’s clarion vocals. Caught a Ghost turned up the soul with old songs and new, with Jesse Nolan pounding on the floor tom and Jasmine Jamison stepping out from her role as background vocalist to do a little scene-stealing on one song. TAMPA rounded out the night, with singer Lucas Field emphasizing the “live” in Live Music Stage and the band’s sharp guitar work and rock-steady-flavored grooves inspiring some delirious late-night dancing.