Justin Townes Earle

The show was wonderful! Perfect venue, loved the opening band, Tristen, all around highly recommended.

Justin Townes Earle is amazing!!! He is one of a kind and probably the only artist that you can buy an album and love every song. The way he gets in to his music on stage is one of a kind. Everyone should see him live!!

He was literally amazing. This was one of my favorite shows I have ever seen. He sounded so good and was very interactive.

It was a great show at a really impressive venue. The three piece sounded great and his stage presence was amazing.

This was such a fun show. The Taft Theater was a good place to see it, although the power went down for the opener but she recovered beautifully. Tift Merritt opened and I thought she was amazing! It was my first time to see her. JTE was also great! He played all the songs I was hoping to hear and some I didn't know.

Justin Townes Earle is one of the most talented musicians going, and he's great live. Go see him. And if he has Tift Merritt as the warm up band, don't miss her either. She's fantastic!

JTE was awesome! Great venue in the old ballroom of the Taft Theatre in Cincy. Tift Merritt opened and about half way through her set the stage blew a fuse and the lights and mics went out. After a little nudging, she played two songs completely unplugged and sounded even better! What a wonderful voice. Thanks for a great show and great night you guys!

This was the best show I have seen in a long time. Justin know his stuff. I fell in love with his voice the moment I heard him on You Tube. To me he is a mix of Hank Williams, Tom Waits and Woody Guthrie all mixed in one little human being. Loved him!!!!! Come back to L.A. soon!

The JTE experience is one that should not be missed...

Justin puts on a show! The El Rey was the perfect setting for an intimate night of country blues. The band was awesome and Mr. Earle was completely engaging and an extremely skilled musician. His music is brilliant anyway but his live performance is a foot stomping good time. Thoroughly enjoyed myself and can't wait to see him again!

I had tried for a couple of years to get to hear Justin Townes Earle -LIVE- and was thrilled to finally get to see him at the Ryman. I can't say enough about his recorded music. Not only is it original, varied, unique, and unlike any other artist performing today, his sublime vocals are crystal clear. His orginial songs, genius. The Ryman acoustics are incredible: adding a whole other dimension to excellent live music. This should have been the night of a lifetime. My biggest disappointment- and quite a few other fans in the upper balcony felt the same, was the inability to understand most of the lyrics. Mumbled, jumbled, underwhelming at best. If you were not already familiar with his songs, you were lost. A few of the audience were out of town visitors and had just dropped in to hear a Ryman performance. I enthusiatically told them that they were in for a treat that night. Turns out not so much. They were left shaking their heads at intermission as was I. Couldn't understand a word, they said. Much of the music was performed with his band, which overwhelmed his simple, clear, crisp, sound. Justin didn't seem to mind slurring the ends of words, mumbling, or leaving them off altogether. There was a huge sold-out crowd of all ages and lifestyles. I was gratified to see Justin's obvious popularity and success, but more than a little disappointed that the live music was less enjoyable than the recorded sound. He is definitely a talented and confident musician and singer and ;however, I would also add slightly arrogant. When enthusiastic fans requested a song or two early on. Justin said with more than a slight tinge of disdain, that he didn't "work for tips" anymore, so he didn't "take song requests. Excuse me? In this economy to spend significant money for live music, to possibly come a long distance to see a favorite entertainer, and be dissed like that....Not especially impressive-neither the personality nor the live sound. I prefer the recorded music -without the mumbling or the attitude.

I've enjoyed Justin's music for years, but never seen him live. He was an absolute joy to watch. His band was tight. He played an incredible range of music showing off his versatility and competence musically. He is an incredible blues man... His guitar work is flawless. He has a quirky and funny demeanor which comes through between songs. He is confident without being arrogant. He is humble and vulnerable without appearing amateurish. You'll laugh, you'll cry! One of the best concerts I've ever seen by any artist!!!

he's always good - even when he's bad - I'd watch any day.

What an amazing songwriter and musician! My sister and i were privileged to see Justin Townes Earle at Somerville Theatre in May, and he is fantastic! Whether it's just JTE and his guitar, or him and his whole band - the music is great.

Truly wonderful performance, part of show just Justin, part of show with 3 member band.

I love Justin Townes Earle and believe that he is one of the most supremely talented songwriters around today. At this show he was accompanied by a band of polished and experienced musicians. My one qualm about this show at Webster Hall was that this performance was followed by another scheduled event the same night. As a result, there was a time restriction put on Mr. Earle. This led to the set feeling a little rushed and left little opportunity for any spontaneity in the show. This is not Mr. Earle's fault, but it would have been nice to have seen the show without these limitations.

He did not sing into the mike and was hard to hear.

I have been a fan of Justin's father, Steve Earle, and was interested to see if the apple fell close to the tree. Justin really has a more varied style than his father, veering from traditional country to New Orleans/Memphis soul. Some of the songs he's written are autobiographical, and painful to think about the trauma that he must still feel, from his earlier life. He is quite talented in his own right, and deserves to be seen. I had heard some of the songs on his new album, which sound better with the full instrumentation that wasn't always there at the Birchmere. That is not to demean his backup musicians, because they were really really good. It's just that the horns, for example, gave some of the songs on the album an outstanding sound, rather than simply very good. Someday, I'd love to see Steve, Justin, and the whole extended family perform together--I think. I wouldn't want to see Justin\\ act on some of the still raw emotions that I heard in some of his songs.

Wonderful show! Justin's guitar paying was so smooth and amazing. We enjoyed ourselves.

As soon as I heard JTE was coming back to Boston I scooped up tix for my friends and I to go. Only after I had bought them did I realize it was "solo". I was a little let down but game anyway. I had seen him before two years ago in Allston with a band and a girl singer..and I was pretty impressed, actually, smitten. We got there at the tailend of the last song by Tristen- who was so low-key it was hard to tell anything. On with JTE. He just walked on out and started playing-no introduction-no nothing. Well, he was just terrific. He played several songs from Harlem River Blues, a couple of train songs including Halfway to Jackson and Waiting for the MTA (a personal favorite) and several new songs from an upcoming album due out in March.It sounds to be based on some pretty raw stuff but I for one cannot wait. He closed out by bringing back Tristen and ? to help sing a lively Harlem River Blues. He is a really incredible musician-my friends/musicians were blown away. I wish him good health and success. He really deserves it.

JTE sounded good, but Caitlan Rose's band sounded amazing. The mix was superb, and watching how much fun the slide steel player was having was almost worth the price of admission. Jason Isbell came out smoking, playing DBT songs he wrote as well as some of his solo work. His band was very dynamic, able to play with intensity and then back off to let his guitar solo work shine through. A great show.

The venue was great. The crowd was good and there was a solid vibe and atmosphere. JTE is a talented musician and a showman. I recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy a good evening

We really like Justin Townes Earl but we really came to see Jason Isbell and were then pleasantly surprised at how much we liked JTE's set too. In fact, Jason accompanied JTE on acoustic guitar throughout the set. It was a terrific show!

Amazing as always, the crowd was a bit bigger and more diverse this time than in the past when I have seen him, but that just validates the way feel about his music.

Disappointing that JTE didnt start playing until 1130.

He is a great performer, songwriter and musician. His ability to speak to your soul, or paint you a picture of emotion amazes me. I love the fact that he keeps the "old" music alive. My only disappointment was the short time he was on stage. There were two bands who played before JTE and Jason Isbell had more time on stage than JTE. Although he is a talented musician in his own right, he was not the main event and certainly not the act I was there to see. I found myself thinking okay this has to be his last song ..... and of course it was not. I felt he was on the stage far too long and knowing the Showbox had to close by a certain time I became anxious wondering when Justin Townes Earle would be on stage. Once there of course his set was music non stop and I love the woman who plays stand up bass. Of course I will go see him again and again because no matter how long he is on stage it is still great to listen to him live.

A friend of mine suggested this show to me. I was unfamiliar with Justin Townes Earle, but noticed Jason Isbell was on the bill. So, we decided to take the trip from Olympia to Portland to see it. I came out of this show as happy as a little kid on christmas!! Justin's voice, lyrics, and onstage presence were all just amazing. I can't stop listening to his music!! He is my new favorite artist!! Yaaay for Justin Townes Earle!!!

This was a "total" performance, JTE is a guitar virtuoso, he can make one guitar sound like three. His personal songs and unique style show why you can't manufacture a star a la American idol, greatness comes from within. When a group of European visitors asked me to play them some real American music I played them Harlem River Blues, they all bought the CD>

Hands down - one of the top ten live music nights of my life!!! These two guys are incredible & even more satisfying live! DO NOT MISS THEM!

Justin puts on a great show and is an excellent guitar player and song writer. His interaction with the crowd and explanation of the songs makes it even more interesting. We seen him at The Magic Stick and that was just a cool spot to be. I'd definitely go see him live again!

Justin Townes Earle played a fun and rousing set. A perfect Wednesday night concert. His energy was great and his band was rockin--would love to see him again!

This guy is the real deal - very clean performance - totally entertaining, talked enough - not too much - I'm going again when he comes back. I go to probably 25 shows per year. the 2 other guys I was with also commented on how it was a very favorite show.

A wonderful performance thanks to a smooth soulful mature voice teamed with a naughty side and humor.

for those of us who were already fans, this was a great show. i brought friends who didn't know what to expect and they went away happy as well. incredible talent on display with just a bass, fiddle and justin on guitar, proving that sometimes less is more. Justin's voice and stage presence made this a show I won't soon forget.

rtb and I had not been to the Music Hall of Williamsburg in a while and both of us had forgotten how small it is. It s also the first place we saw Justin perform and fell in love with his version of Americana. Anthony D Amato opened with Katy Pinke singing harmony. We d seen him once before opening for Joe Pug at the Mercury Lounge. I enjoyed his set last time and enjoyed seeing him again. He was more engaged with the audience this time around and played some very rocking songs that showed off his guitar chops. Last time it was a very quiet set. When he first walked out he was wearing a Stetson that made him look Amish and then later he told a story about a vendor, seeing him in that hat, in Austin telling him to enjoy his Rumspringa. Since he lives in NYC (more specifically Brooklyn), I look forward to seeing him again. Justin Townes Earle is traveling with the same band that he recorded Single Mothers and Absent Fathers with: Paul Niehaus (electric guitar/pedal steel guitar), Mark Hedman (electric bass), and Matt Pence (drums). At his last gig I complained about the drums being too loud and I ll say it again the drums need to be lower in volume for the type of music that Justin plays. Justin, of course, was on acoustic guitar and just killing it, as always, with his way of playing that makes it sound as if two guitarists are playing. Niehaus plays a lovely pedal steel and Hedman is strong and steady. When it took some time for the band to come out I was worried about the reason why. Justin came out and announced that he may forget some of the lyrics because of all the marijuana he s been smoking and my heart just broke. It was difficult for me to get into the set at first because I couldn t stop thinking about his using again. He s been sober for a while and I thought this time, with the new marriage, it might stick. Justin can be nasty when he s not sober and before Call Ya Momma he said that he s been told it s a sexist song and he told the bitch to shut up. Not very nice. Luckily the rest of the evening did not get any worse and that s as nasty as it got. Justin was drinking lots of water and when he put his guitar on the table at the end of the night (because he had kicked over the guitar stand) he spilled water and didn t care if it got on his guitar. As for the music, it was excellent. He played a mix of his old songs and new ones from the last two albums. White Gardenias about Billie Holiday got a pointed introduction about artists who are junkies and people worrying more about their drug use than their art. One More Night in Brooklyn is about his time living in Crown Heights. Midnight at the Movies is about Gregory Corso. Memphis in the Rain is about driving from Nashville to Memphis to see punk rock bands when he was only thirteen and hanging out with a group of people not very good for him. Christchurch Woman is about Christchurch after the earthquake. For his solo set he played They Killed John Henry (for his grandfather), Mama s Eyes, a Townes Van Zandt song, and a blistering version of Automobile Blues where he changed the melody. The band closed with The Replacements Can t Hardly Wait. For an encore they did Fleetwood Mac s Dreams and Harlem River Blues. Justin was on top of his game both with his playing and with his interaction with the audience. I just hope he starts taking care of himself again.

This is my 3rd JTE concert and without fail I find myself surrounded by folks that have traveled long distances to attend the concert and they own every album. JTE is the best kept secret in the singer-songwriter category, but when you get him you reeeeallly get him. Because of the low turnouts at shows, only about 50-60% room capacity at most shows, you can pick most any spot on the floor to watch the show. I prefer to stand as close to his hands as possible to get a breakdown of the unique strumming and picking style he has. After two years of practicing his technique I'm still a good ways off of having it laid down. He's a magician with that guitar of his. His voice is also a mystery to me, so plainspoken but which such a melody to it, it's undeniably attractive. Don't be fooled by the simplicity, it's incredibly difficile.

Second time seeing JTE within the last year - this show was solid, he played for about an hour and a half so definitely got my money's worth. He and the band sounded great.

Even with illness Townes Earl gave a moving performance, perhaps not as energetic as previous shows but entertaining none the less. I try to see his shows whenever possible and will continue to in the future.

My third time to see Justin. He is a regular on my playlist. But this show was very disappointing. He mentioned he was sick and that he had had played the Ryman theater the night before. Maybe those two factors affected the quality of the show. Additionally, the sound mix was very poor. I was in the balcony of the Variety Playhouse. The show ended about 10:30 and frankly I was glad that it ended early.

I have 5 Justin Townes Earle albums and enjoy his stuff quite a bit (not that it entitles me to anything, just stating I have listened to him a good amount). I'm sure being on the road for as long has he was can be punishing to the vocal cords/body. That said, his voice was tired and barely resembled the recorded songs. Tough customer I suppose, but I'd rather him reschedule if he isn't feeling well than put on a show knowing it's not what we've come to expect.

This was my first time to hear JTE. He was engaging and my friends, who are familiar with his music, enjoyed his performance. For me, all I could hear was base drum and base guitar. Pounding. This has become too common at Variety. (There are cases where we figure the band has brought their own sound man -- and the sound is great.) So this is a venue review. Otherwise the venue is great. Just way too much base.

Amazing concert on Thursday with Justin Townes Earle at the Ryman in Nashville. First time to see him perform his amazing music, and the first time either my husband or I had been in the Ryman in 30 years. Such a nice venue, great music and laid back hospitality that is Nashville. Looking forward to many more visits to the Ryman.

Cory Branen opened with an alt version of "Prettiest Waitress In Memphis", and continued his singing away from the mike at times. He also brought his ten month old son on stage, cradling him in his L arm while strumming a guitar with his right. Not what I expected, but good opening set. Earle's set was more conventional, and his backing band was amazing. Pedal steel always sounds better at the Ryman. Both performers write strong songs and tell great stories on stage. AAA+++ would repeat.

Performance was amazing and one eyed jacks was fun as always.

I have been listening to Justin Townes Earle nonstop since I left the show on Thursday. He was amazing and awkwardly hilarious.

The show was undersold and all the balcony seats were moved to the front of the stage. meanwhile the general admission tickets were still sold and they stood in the back - drank and yell talked to each other. - All the talking ruined the show. - Justin was great - the House of Blues was not.

Talented guy but lousy performance. I watched Townes van Zandt fight the same battle and lose. Very sad

I've seen Justin Townes Earle on Letterman, YouTube, etc., and he was great there, but he did not perform well at this event. He seemed to have over-indulged beforehand to the point where it seriously compromised his performance.

I am big fan of JTE! He played a nice mix from his new album and several favorites from the past! His stage banter and jokes always keep the crowd entertained while prepping for the next tune!

I saw Justin Townes Earle in Raleigh maybe 8 years ago. He played solo @ a BBQ joint on a weekday night. I was familiar with his Dad's music and liked the way he was headed-forging his own style, making his own way. I've been enjoying Justin's recorded music since then- he's a talented singer-songwriter. And it's a damn shame his talent was drowned out by his awful band last Saturday night. The drummer was too loud and seemed confused. The lead guitar & pedal steel player was tentative (at best), and the bass player was non-existent. In short, it seemed like Justin picked these guys up on a street corner that night. They were out of sync. They were bad. I'm surprised he didn't know that. Justin, listen to me, dump these guys- they're hurting you!

Love when he plays solo, but didn't play long enough, wanted to hear Christchurch Woman In The Rain, and One More Night In Brooklyn, no such luck that night. Opening band American Aquarium - GREAT! I did break my rule of not buying concert T-shirts, BUT they are REALLY SOFT and good quality, and they look really cool and will fit a small frame like mine even, so I broke down and bought one. I love it!

For starters, the opening act was unexpected and played way too long considering their talent level. Earle's band was far more professional, but would have been way better without a drummer. The drums were miked so loud they drowned out the singing. At least he used muted sticks on a couple songs.

Ultimately disappointing. I saw JTE last year performing solo and he was absolutely fantastic. With a band, he was lost in the sound mix on the more rocking numbers. The drums were much too loud and the vocals were much too low in the mix. On the more countrified songs, the pedal steel added a lot and the drums were more subdued. When Paul Niehaus traded the pedal steel for the electric guitar, you could see JTE back off his guitar playing and defer to him. When JTE came out alone for the first song of the encore (Harlem River Blues), you could get a sense of what a JTE solo show could be. The second song of the encore (a cover of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams) actually did hit the right balance and sounded fine. Still where one hour and twenty minutes for a show might suffice when it is a single musician playing alone, it was too short when the artist is fronting the band.

This was my first time seeing Justin Townes Earle in concert, and he is a great live performer! I've been listening to his latest CD in the car since the concert, and everything sounded so much better live! I think that's a testament to his and the musicians' true talent!

Third time seeing the great man -always a pleasure

Justin and his fellow musician were really good. For two people alone on a stage they made a lot of music. Justin's voice was terrific......deep and emotional and he sang and played a great selection of his best songs and some of his newest efforts. He seemed to really enjoy himself and I think that transfers over to the audience. We wished he had his entire band with him, but he did a great job anyway. Loved the new theater......The Space at Westbury. Hope they get a good line up going, as it is a wonderful place to hear music you enjoy. We had a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

This was my 4th time to see JTE and he just keeps getting better. This young man is incredibly talented and an extremely generous performer. An amazing show. Thank you, JTE.

Great performance by Justin Townes Earle. Opening act was ok but didn't really fit with what I would have liked to see.

Nice Club Great Show Justin Rocks the sinclair new music is good for everyone

It was a great night at the Sinclair - Justin played all his hits plus a few new songs that made us all anticipate the release of his next disc. I've been a fan for years but this is the first time I've seen him live and he did not disappoint His unique style of playing and singing and his engaging interaction with the audience made for a great night. I rated this amazing because that's exactly what Justin is, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and will see him again when he's in the area. The Sinclair is a great place to see a show - excellent sound system.

Beautiful Venue. Unfortunately very poor promotion resulting in about 50-75 people. I felt pretty bad for JTE. He probably played to bigger crowds when he was just starting out.. Music was very good and being such a small crowd, there was nice intimacy with audience.

Joined by Paul Niehaus on electric and steel guitar, Justin Townes Earle performed a selection of material from his three studio albums and a cover of the standard, "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out." The overall vibe was casual, with Mr. Earle providing lots of entertaining banter between songs . When an audience member shouted out, "I love you!" Mr Earle responded, "I love you too. If you keep buying them albums and tickets, "I'll love you even more." Overall, Mr. Earle's finger picking style was impressive, and the Paul Niehaus's versatility added considerable color to the arrangements as he switched effortlessly from picking to slides and the steel guitar.

Even though this was a standing room only event, simply amazing.

I don't know how this man tours like he does, but being a big fan of his music, I am thankful he does. It was so great to see him in Cincinnati! I typically have to travel to catch a show. I hope he stops back in sooner than later. I often think that I get lost in his music, but if you see him live, you will see he gets lost in his music....that's why it is an amazing show. Thanks to Outlaw Country for playing it and thanks to JTE for PLAYING it!!!