Just a few weeks ago I told you about Kent Oglesby with Knoxville Music Warehouse and how he’d teamed up with promoter Garrett Thomson to produce a series of secret shows. The idea of getting people to purchase tickets to an unknown venue seemed strange, but kind of fun. When I learned that the first artist to be featured would be Joseph LeMay, I was in. I’d seen him twice at Rhythm n Blooms and fell in love with his excellent songwriting.
The day before the show, as promised, an email arrived telling me the secret location, which turned out to be a space that’s cool any time, but was made even cooler for the evening with special lighting and seating. And it was packed and standing-room only. The show was video taped and a general buzz settled on the crowd with a little help from the event and an assist from local favorite Saw Works libations.
Garrett Thomson got the event started with a few remarks and local artist Steven Wesley warmed the crowed with a heartfelt set. The sound was crystal clear and the crowd listened, which was encouraging. The Saw Works tasting room felt more like an intimate listening room than I’d imagined it might.
Joseph LeMay captured the crowd with his excellent vocals, which I’ve compared to some of my favorite vocalists. His guitar playing supported the songs in fine fashion, but it is the lyrics that often steal the show. Sometimes overbearingly sad, sometimes humorous, often wistful, like these lines from “Fruit on the Vine”: “All my worry collects like dust./It’s always something. Now I don’t sleep too much./Had it all, but it was not enough.”
But it is sad that he does best. He peppers his sets with a wry humor, which he often directs at some of his best songs, saying things like, “Now we’re going to do some depressing songs.” And they are beautifully so, honest to the point of being painful to hear, but as compelling as they are painful, like the song “Call It Quits,” featuring these lines, “Working so hard to let it all fall through, and…/An open heart’s an empty room/If you never let it heal, its always gonna be a wound/Now the hardest part/It ain’t knowin’ how to start/But, baby, knowing when to call it quits.”
He played a solid hour-and-a-half set, mostly from his 2014 CD “Seventeen Acres.” It’s a good one to check out if you haven’t heard him before. You’ll find a sample below.
And so, the first secret show is in the books – but the series continues through the fall, with a slate of shows to be announced for the spring, as well. It’s a great start and the promise of more great music looms. The next artist in the series will be the duo Carolina Story who placed two different albums on the Americana Top 100 in 2014. Their music has also been featured on the television series, “Nashville.” I’ve put a video of theirs below to give you a sample of them, as well.
The show is August 15, the cost is $10, it’s 21+ and BYOB – and the location is, of course, secret. You have to purchase tickets in advance and you’ll find out the location of the show the day before it happens. The Joseph LeMay show sold out well in advance and this one will likely be the same. Don’t miss out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqXTw6HvBS4