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Jamey Johnson kicks off BamaJam and kills it
5 Jun 2009, 01:32
Thu 4 Jun – BamaJam Music & Arts Festival
A guy playing the music Jamey Johnson plays--slow, sad country from a bygone era, mostly 70s--would be booed and/or ignored if he didn't look like he does, badass biker, the kinda that'd knock you to the floor for talking back in less time than it takes to sip a sarsaparilla. Well there's that other thing, too--his voice, as cool, deep, rich, and bold as Waylon Jennings, who's obviously a clear hero of his. Waylon, Merle, Willie, and George Jones, to whom he gave a bit shoutout during his BamaJam set (we hoped for an appearance during his cover of "
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes," but Jones was No-Show--no, the Possum saved a stage appearance for a bit later, during John Anderson's set). Johnson had the crowd wrapped around his beefy fingers right from the get-go--they knew words to songs from his latest album, maybe most notably "In Color," a powerful ballad that starts slow and sad then builds, speaks to the heart, yet never simpers into schlock. He even got the crowd to sing along--though he sure doesn't strike you as the sing-along type. Great version, too, of "Give it away," a song he wrote George Strait. And Johnson's other big ballad, "That Lonesome Song," is easily among the best songs to come out of Nashville in well over a decade.
A guy playing the music Jamey Johnson plays--slow, sad country from a bygone era, mostly 70s--would be booed and/or ignored if he didn't look like he does, badass biker, the kinda that'd knock you to the floor for talking back in less time than it takes to sip a sarsaparilla. Well there's that other thing, too--his voice, as cool, deep, rich, and bold as Waylon Jennings, who's obviously a clear hero of his. Waylon, Merle, Willie, and George Jones, to whom he gave a bit shoutout during his BamaJam set (we hoped for an appearance during his cover of "
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes," but Jones was No-Show--no, the Possum saved a stage appearance for a bit later, during John Anderson's set). Johnson had the crowd wrapped around his beefy fingers right from the get-go--they knew words to songs from his latest album, maybe most notably "In Color," a powerful ballad that starts slow and sad then builds, speaks to the heart, yet never simpers into schlock. He even got the crowd to sing along--though he sure doesn't strike you as the sing-along type. Great version, too, of "Give it away," a song he wrote George Strait. And Johnson's other big ballad, "That Lonesome Song," is easily among the best songs to come out of Nashville in well over a decade.