Last Wednesday I had the extreme pleasure of witnessing one of the greatest singer/songwriters perform at Pittsburgh’s Club Café. Joshua James put on an emotionally powerful show that drove some of the audience members to a trance. If you haven’t heard of Joshua, I’ll try not to judge; however you might have actually heard his hit, “Coal War,” featured on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
Joshua has always been a friend of Pittsburgh, having headlined 91.3 WYEP’s Summer Music Festival in 2010. When it came time to hit the road to promote new material, as well as songs off records like his sophomore release, Build Me This, it only made sense for him to make a stop in the Steel City. His “Ten Buck Tour” -where yes, all tickets are ten bucks- has been a major success so far, and it’s certainly not over yet. Playing for a packed house is something Joshua is used to (enter Bonaroo, for example), so he had the pick of any venue he wanted. He chose the intimate setting of Club Café to really connect with his fans, and give them a one-on-one experience that was unlike any other.
The show itself was something of an emotional rollercoaster. Not only was Joshua to blame, but also the co-headlining band who played before him, Honey Honey, completely touched the crowd. The duo’s charming chemistry on stage, similar to that of The Civil Wars, enchanted the audience to no end.
But then Joshua took to the stage; you could hear a pin drop. He grabbed the mic, then all of a sudden… an immense uproar of applause from the crowd. The entire experience was entrancing. He captivated the audience with song after song of pure vocal gold, mixed with illuminating lyrics that lingered after every breath. Though the room was dimly lit, what light that spilled over from the stage, caught the audience in awed expressions. My friend whom I was sitting next to, a fellow writer, couldn’t even move. That, right there, is what music is all about.
One of his closing songs was of course “Coal War,” an unbelievable one to say the least. As if seeing Joshua play for the first time wasn’t mind blowing enough, he covered Tom Waits’ “Green Grass.” Performing about 99% of the song on his pleading knees, while playing an array of bells on the floor, Joshua James brought down the house. When singing, he was pleading “beneath a Pittsburgh sky” for us to feel all the emotions he was portraying. It was chillingly beautiful how the music seemed to move through him, as though he was a medium of sorts. A jaw-dropper for sure. A must-see show all around.
After the show, Joshua’s management team, Intelligent Noise, hooked me up with a meet and greet with the Nebraska-native, and I actually got to hang with him a bit! While Joshua is certainly a passionate performer, his off-stage demeanor was surprising. Exuding such a raw, yet controlled talent, one might think as though he would be closed-off; it’s quite the opposite. Off-stage, he laughed and carried on with the entire crowd, mingling and thanking everyone personally for coming. Naturally, I had to make my way over to get a picture with him and chat. After some small talk, he let me in on one of his pre-show rituals…rock climbing! How Maniac!
Do yourself a favor and go see Joshua James on his Ten Buck Tour if you have the chance. It will change your life. For more information about tour dates, head over to http://tenbucktour.com/joshua-james/.
~ By Dominic Janidas
