Justin Townes Earle
23rd August 2019
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and photography by Sarah Kidd.
There is an undeniable intensity about Justin Townes Earle. It’s part of his appeal, but for those standing at his feet, looking up at the Tennessee native as he strode across the stage, all angular and long limbed, it can also be slightly disconcerting.
The venue is sold out, the crowd an eclectic mix, yet as one they welcome the arrival of the effervescent Jess Bailey, one of the three members of Fables, an alternative folk band that calls the outskirts of Auckland home.
A last-minute replacement for Emily Fairlight whom the Wellington weather gods decided was not allowed passage from their fair city, Bailey – wearing the colours of a hundred sunsets – delivered a set of new and established tracks to an appreciative audience; ‘Mini-Bar’ sidling up to ‘We Could Be All’ from their 2018 album Portraits. In between conversations of how she was currently teaching a children’s programme at the Auckland Art Gallery and musings of Spotify earnings, Bailey encouraged all to not be afraid “to take up space”, the song ‘How to be Comfortable’ re-iterating her message.
Asking the audience to imagine a beautiful mandolin playing throughout ‘All the Pretty Little Horses’ and Bailey no doubt convinced those not already au fait with the work of Fables, to look into them as soon as they had the chance.
When trying to pinpoint Justin Townes Earle’s demeanour as he paced in small half circles, one would be tempted to throw out words such as urgency tinged with an element of good-natured indignancy. A strange combination to be fair, but then Justin Townes Earle is not your average musician.
Son of alternative country artist Steve Earle, the reformed opioid addict released his first album twelve years ago. His latest work entitled The Saint of Lost Causes seeing him hold steadfast to that which is dear, traditional storytelling and the musical stylings of bygone eras. Letting his audience know that while he gave up heroin he just can’t seem to kick his smoking habit, Earle then casts a steady gaze upon them, his mouth turning at the corners as he gave them all a lopsided grin and said “Gotta do what you can do baby” in a way that only Justin Townes Earle could.
Warning all that requests would not be taken and that any submitted would forfeit the chance of the song being played at all, it is hard to know if Earle is joking or not. The sideways looks at times defiantly leaning towards the serious. A new song was first out of the box before Earle spoke of his distaste for Brooklyn, ‘One More Night in Brooklyn’ expanding on his thoughts of the city; another new track following soon afterwards.
The evening soon turned into a ‘Conversations with’ style show, Earle often pausing between tracks to advise the audience that he does indeed have balls like ‘church bells’, his pride in his family trait of vulgarity amusing and in keeping with his no holds barred character. Humour aside, Earle also spoke of how the marginalisation of any human being, would result in a backlash, and a deserved one at that. “There’s not a human being on this earth that deserves to be marginalised for what they believe or feel”. Wise words indeed that his New Zealand audience wholeheartedly agreed with.
The music soon came swiftly, Earle’s control and ability on the guitar a sight and sound to behold, his thumb often playing the bass notes while his index finger plucked the melody; slapping motions manipulating the rest of the chords. On faster tracks such as ‘Hard Livin’ that leave even Earle breathless, the audience is transfixed his ability to pull a multitude of sounds from a single instrument a moment of wonderment.
More stories followed, vulgar grandfathers and six-foot mothers, friends with desert eagles and garlic burger offerings from Malcolm Holcombe. Covers from Mance Lipscomb and A.P. Carter that had influenced Earle’s life scattered throughout and between his own compositions. Light-hearted heckling between audience and artist colouring the evening.
Despite the attendee’s protests, Earle soon brought the show to a close, promising an encore that all who know Justin Townes Earle’s work knew would finish with his own take of The Replacements track ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’; “drunkest band America ever produced” he drawled.
There is something refreshing about an artist so unapologetic for who he is and where he has come from; especially one as intriguing as Justin Townes Earle.
Were you there at The Tuning Fork for this Americanized Alt-Country gig? Or have you seen Justin Townes Earle perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- [New Song]
- One More Night In Brooklyn
- Am I That Lonely Tonight
- [New Song]
- The Saint Of Lost Causes
- Ain’t Waitin
- Who Carried You [Malcolm Holcombe cover]
- Hard Livin’
- Mama’s Eyes
- They Killed John Henry
- In My Dreams
- So Different Blues [Mance Lipscomb cover]
- Fishin’ Blues [Henry Thomas ‘Ragtime Texas’ cover]
- Lone Pine Hill
- Harlem River Blues
- Gold Watch And Chain [A.P. Carter cover] [encore]
- Can’t Hardly Wait [The Replacements cover] [encore]
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Walked out halfway through through his gig in Perth tonite. He was either blind drunk or high. Aggressive and arrogant and baiting the audience unnecessarily. Seemed to tell the same stories referred to above but was the only one laughing (maniacally) at them. Cut his finger and spent 10 minutes trying to cauterise it with a lighter and then superglue on stage. Bizarre.
also saw him in Wellington and while the music was outstanding and the banter entertaining, he appeared to be high as a kite and barely hanging on…
Saw him in Wellington last night. Could have done with less talk and more songs, though a couple of the stories were cool. The new songs not named above would have been ‘Flint City Shake It’ to open, and ‘Frightened by the Sound’.