Stepping into Great Scott for the sold out Justin Townes Earle / Joe Pug show was a little like stepping into an alternate universe. And I'm not just referring to the fact that both twenty-something artists on the bill harken back to periods in modern music that rely more on story telling and emotion than extreme volume levels and explosions; the venue itself seemed to have revived itself for the occasion, appearing brighter and smelling cleaner.
Or maybe it was just the fact I really wanted all of the above to be true.
Pug, touring in support of his first full-length release Messenger, took to the stage with his usual traits: the presence and talent of a person twenty years his senior. Winding his way through new material and old, he's just one of those musicians for whom everything seems to come easily. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter pulled on influences ranging from Dylan to Zevon to Beck. He could have sung the phone book, and people in the audience would have been happy to sing along and nod their heads. With rolled up sleeves and slightly slicked-back hair, you were just waiting for him to light up a cigarette and lean back on his Porsche during a break in the music. If you haven't already, grab all the free music he offers on his website.
Following up an act like Joe Pug can't be an easy thing to do. Unless, of course, you happen to be Justin Townes Earle, son of musical legend Steve Earle, namesake of the late Townes Van Zandt and one of GQ's Top 25 Most Stylish Men in the World. It's obvious he's very comfortable living up to his name and reputation. A towering presence in any room, when he takes the stage he may as well be standing on an apple box with a megaphone. It's virtually impossible to not give him the attention he's due.
Another example of a soul that's been around longer than his age suggests, the 28-year-old Earle and his band mates Josh Hedley and Bryn Davies, touring in support of last year's Midnight at the Movies, played a set encompassing Earle's own originals—such as "They Killed John Henry" and "Mama's Eyes," which sound like they could have been written during the Dirty Thirties—classic covers, and a few far out selections, like a cover of The Replacements' alt/punk classic "Can't Hardly Wait."
But really, the songs are only part of the show with the affable Earle. With nearly every song comes a story. And with nearly every story comes a laugh and a smile. Just another part of this evening that made it feel more like we were sitting in an old post-and-beam music hall getting a break from the dusty world outside instead of being crammed into a college-town bar wondering if the rain would stop before we had to catch the train.
