It isn't very often that a person has the opportunity to see the sum of some of his favorite musicians and historical figures; Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, to name a few. Fortunately for me, on November 7, I experienced a near transcendent display of folksy country blues payed by none other than Joe Pug.
Joe's been living a pretty fast-paced lifestyle, touring for the better part of two years in support of a pair of EPs: "Nation of Heat" and "In The Meantime." His music was recorded in the dead of night in unoccupied recording studios, between jobs working construction. You see, Joe was formerly studying to be a playwright at the University of Maryland but, before the start of his senior year, he dropped out. He noted to my friend Nick that "it just wasn't where [he] belonged; [he] needed to get away."
Being a person who doesn't believe in safety nets, Joe packed up his possessions, and drove to Chicago. He had no intention of doing music when he first arrived, but his first collection of songs were quickly pieced together around narrative ideas from a play he was writing called "Austin Fish." Joe's first EP "Nation of Heat" is a collection of barnstorming tracks lauded by most people who have given them a chance listen. NPR praised Pug for his mature voice and lyrics which are wise beyond their years.
This past summer, Pug has played Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, the Newport Jazz Festival, and has opened for M. Ward and Josh Ritter. Fortunately, I got to see him at Ann Arbor's "The Ark," rather than at some sort of massive festival where intimacy is forsaken for cheap drugs and dolts who shout over songs.
My friend and I missed Pug's first song, being stuck in traffic for the night's hockey game, but managed to catch every subsequent performance. Pug thrashed his way though his originals and managed to work in a few covers, including Tom Waits's "Ol' 55." Later on, enthralled by the spotlight and taken over by the art of his performance, Pug was putting on a hardened bluesman's facade and cursing up a storm, when he noticed a man with his daughters in the front row. Every time Pug swore afterwards, he would apologize profusely to the man; if that isn't respect for the audience, I don't know what is.
Afterwards, Joe invited the entire auditorium (approximately 200 or 300 people) out into the lobby to chat and exchange pleasantries, sign autographs, take pictures, or whatever else. I managed to talk to him about his taping policy (record everything, but send him a copy) and about his magnificent performance. He was very appreciative and humbled by the fact that so many people thought well enough of him to see him perform live.
Joe Pug is currently on tour in Europe, but you can download his EP "In The Meantime" for free a selection of his songs for free on Daytrotter or watch his music video for "Hymn 101" here:
Joe Pug - Hymn 101 from Sam Molleur on Vimeo.
No comments:
Post a Comment