This hopefully kicks off something I'm going to try to do every week - share some better than decent music to make Mondays just a bit more bearable. We'll see how it goes.
I went and saw Tift Merritt at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis last night. I had no idea if there was an opening band and didn't really care. I know this is a terrible way to be but after years of sitting through shows by people I've never heard before to get to the real deal I'm probably more jaded than I have the right to be. People like Ollabelle (who opened for Hem) are few and far between, let's just say.
We made it inside when Justin Jones was a couple of songs into his set and I'm so glad we weren't later than we were. He - honestly - has the best voice I've heard in a very long time, and writes excellent songs. Excellent. He played this show with his friend Brad Tursi, a great guitarist and singer in his own right, who lives in Nashville. So of course I put it on Twitter, because I can so concentrate on two things at once. And one of my Twitter friends told me he was from DC, which floored me and also made wonder what other great local acts I'm missing either because I've been hermited away from live music for the past couple of years or I just have no idea how to find what's cool anymore.
No matter. I talked to him after the show, actually because my mother walked up to him and his group and basically offered to be their manager, but that's another story that you'll have to buy me a few beers to hear, which may or may not be worth it to you. (They were very nice to my mom, which is also worth some props.) He tours regularly and I strongly recommend checking out a show, or at the very least picking up his records.
When music works - when you catch someone who's really talented who obviously enjoys playing with all his heart and soul - it makes all the shows that weren't so great seem almost worth the price of admission. I'm rooting for this one for sure.
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