I'm pleased to report that Justin Townes Earle thrilled the near-capacity crowd at Mercy Lounge (around 400 souls) on a 44-degree Wednesday night in Nashville. He played his acoustic guitar with such force that he broke a string once, but it hardly slowed him down at all. That young man - just 28 years old - has absorbed 80 years of roots-music tradition, country as well as blues & folk (not to mention his Daddy Steve's heavy country-rock legacy) & distilled it into appealing original music that is both nostalgic & contemporary.
His opening acts, the Elvis-faced but uncharismatic Caitlin Rose (with a yet-to-be-named band of five guys), plus the gorgeous & dynamic Dawn Landes (with her 2-piece band The Hounds, featuring a bearish backup singer who played harmonica while drumming), got things rolling. Now that I'm listening to Patsy Cline on WSM-AM those ladies fail to impress by comparison. But I enjoyed Dawn's sexy original song in the French language, which she introduced by dedicating it to French cowboys. She used to live in Paris, where she spotted a beauty salon that specialized in cowboy hairstyles, whatever the heck that is.
Justin Townes Earle in concert is the REAL DEAL, folks. My only regret is that I didn't wish him luck at the Grammy Awards (he's nominated in the new Americana category) when he strolled past me at the club entrance. He stopped to hug a friend & say he'd forgotten something outside. The lanky man was dapper in a black suit & red-checked shirt buttoned to the top. Onstage he looked as geeky as Buddy Holly in those large specs. Yet his awkward movements & occasional mugging did not detract from the polished performance. He was obviously entranced by the sounds his string trio made.
The lineup included a lady bassist & a bearded fiddler. They opened with "Poor Fool," my favorite song from JTE's excellent album "Midnight at the Movies" (thanks, Samara). His stage patter is charming, peppered with heartfelt "Thank you, folks" & "Ladies and Gentlemen..." Justin is an artist who appreciates & respects his audience - too rare a quality among young performers in this awful Age of Irony & Narcissism.
JTE delivered several new songs in addition to renditions of such someday classics as "They Killed John Henry" & "Black Eyed Suzy." He dedicated "Mama's Eyes" to his local mother who, he said, could not attend because of the late hour (he went on at 10:00 p.m.). With a nod to some Beat literary forebears, Justin name-dropped Gregory Corso (the poet) & Herbert Huncke (the junkie) while introducing "Midnight at the Movies." He also informed - us with deadpan earnestness - that in New York City, where he now resides, he is considered a Southerner. His drawl, his musicality & his polite manners left no doubt about that. He gave a shoutout to Woody Guthrie along the way (as he did when I saw him in Milwaukee last July) & treated us to a honky-tonk rambling-man number as well. He even reflected briefly on his delinquent youth, when he roamed the streets of Nashville with a rat-tail, bad attitude & drooping trousers. I learned today (in a book about his Daddy) that Justin was born at Baptist Hospital, just a block away from my digs at Music City Hostel.
Matt Burton, a Cheshire guitarist/pianist (& Jackson Browne fan) who accompanied me to the show, enjoyed it too. Maybe Justin Townes Earle will gain an international following a la Bob Dylan, whom he reminded me of at times with his paradoxical blend of shyness & confidence. As long as he keeps on writing entertaining songs & doesn't let New York turn him into a jaded jerk, he's got a shot.
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