Show Review

Rarely, at least in my observation, does an artist make the successful transition from rock band to solo acoustic performer. Jerry Joseph is one of those rare artists. With an enormous catalog of songs amassed over a storied career, Joseph’s solo acoustic performances stir up the same intensity that he has captured with his powerful electric trio, The Jackmormons and the collaborative side-project band Stockholm Syndrome that he and Dave Schools formed during Widespread Panic’s hiatus.

The setting was Java Junction, a venue that far exceeded my expectations, with a sweet sound system (complete with a soundman who knows what he is doing), spacious but cozy listening area, interesting atmosphere, a very cool staff, and delicious coffee.

The first set began with Jerry Joseph announcing he was in Sunday mode, with Sunday material and his Sunday voice, and broke into an exquisite rendition of “Beautiful Child of God.” “We Will Go Down” followed suit, a song based on the Mormon belief that they are first angels and then sent down to create the world, and segued to “Good Sunday.” “The Jacob Ladder,” from Joseph’s acoustic CD Cherry, featured a first-rate guitar excursion before an unexpected delight - Joseph debuted the first of two songs he played in the performance that he had written the previous week. “Supper’s Ready” showed that the singer/songwriter’s creativity is still exceptionally potent, and “Golden American” contained another lengthy guitar jaunt, which Joseph carried off on acoustic guitar with staggering fervor.

Emotional lyrics and fitting Joseph’s Sunday mode was “1936 Jesus,” which was both haunting and beautiful. “Pumpkin Time,” a modern “Cinderella Story,” although written in the spring, Joseph explained felt like autumn. And “Syracuse,” also from the Cherry CD, he joked was written about someone he likes as opposed to his normal tendency to write about people he dislikes, performed by request.

“Anaconda,” the second song that Joseph had just written the week before sounded as though it had been in his repertoire forever. It preceded “White Dirt,” which started as a spoken word piece for the first few lines and then drifted into another moving ballad, “Blowin My Brains Out,” a song described as a fictional suicide note and slated to be on the up-coming Jackmormans’ studio album, The rather sedated set continued on with “The Night I Got Drunk” and “Fury,” inspired by Salman Rushdie’s fictional work translated well in the acoustic performance.

“Goat,” a politically tinged song about all the blather politicians throw at the public, and straight rocker, “Tight,” powered through “Ten Killer Fairies,” a moving song about the unjust atrocities that occur in our world. The set finished with an untitled song that Joseph wrote for his daughter about birds you can buy in Thailand that are caged and people pay to let them free. After he explained to her in his typical dry wit that they always fly back anyways and most likely end up in soup, she became upset, so he wrote the song for her. Jerry Joseph offered the attentive Java Junction audience a splendid evening of music, and proved again he is one of the greatest songwriters of our time.

For more info see: jerryjoseph.com

For more photos of the show, click here