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August 3rd, 2007 @ 3rd & Lindsley —Joshua James Joshua James Offers a Prophetically Clear Voice Amid All the Noise Friday night the Utah-based Joshua James took on the difficult task of opening for Sam Bush's and John Cowan's jam-band side project "Duckbutter" at 3rd & Lindsley. Now, Nashville ain't the easiest town to play, and 3rd & Lindsley often has the vibe of an old Southern country club whose members are all over the age of fifty with social values stuck somewhere in the racist 50's. Unfortunately, this was exactly the vibe down at 3rd & Lindsley Friday night, as the room was filled with aging music-industry folks who either never cared about anything outside of their own four walls, or who have long-since given up on striving for a better world. So while James offered thought-provoking Dylan-esque social critiques via edgy folk songs reminiscent of Steve Earle, Nashville's old-guard chatted away, seemingly oblivious to the talent onstage. Indeed, the audience behaved as if they were at an AARP social while they awaited the Sam Bush Experience (Duckbutter), which is nothing more than a group of aging musicians re-living the glorious hippy days of blues-based jams. In other words, this Nashville audience only wanted to get drunk and listen to Sam Bush wail on his Gibson Firebird V (see photo). That's cool, I don't have anything against Budweiser guitars, but when an artist with genuine substance and talent is onstage, you'd think a Music City audience would have enough intelligence to recognize it and listen-up—not this night. Still, the 25 year old Joshua James, to his credit, whose songs deliver perhaps some of the most prophetic and thought-provoking social-criticism since the 60's-era peace movement held his head high, and sang his songs with as much passion as John Mellencamp, offering stiff competition for the chatty audience. James, whose vocals and songs are as strong as the likes of Ray Lamontagne and Josh Rouse, showed his maturity and musicianship by continuing through the noise without losing his composure or snapping (I've witnessed other very strong acts telling the 3rd & Lindsley audience to "shut the fuck up" [Garrison Starr, Glen Phillips]. Not until his final song did James finally (calmly) say, "This is my last song, and I would like it if everyone could maybe stop talking. I realize this is a bar-room setting, but this is the one song I'd kind of like for you guys to maybe listen to the words...." James then closed his set with "Lovers Without Love...," a beautifully haunting song that addresses the state of the United States today. If you missed Friday night's set, Joshua James will be the early opener tonight (Aug. 4) for local favorites The Gabe Dixon Band and Jeremy Lister at the Exit IN. The audience will no doubt be younger, friendlier, and more supportive of James's prophetic voice. —Vincent Wynne |
