Jerry Joseph (Jackmormons, Stockholm Syndrome), with Blair Combest

JERRY JOSEPH:
Some songwriters just strike down to the heart of things. Even when they're being tender they nail you in the soul's solar plexus, shaking us with words and wires and something inescapably human. Jerry Joseph is this kind of composer – a rocker with emotional scalpel that cuts deep every time. He wears his influences on his sleeve – Elvis Costello, Neil Young, John Lennon, Steve Earle – but tailors them in ways that are always distinctly himself, probing the politics of love and nations with equal dexterity. By turns tough and unbelievably bruised, Joseph's work manages to be joyfully pissed off and achingly bittersweet, often within the space of just a few verses. There's a healthy restlessness to his music, a stripe of his modernity and tireless engagement with the world that places him next to younger contemporaries like Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Ryan Adams.

Jerry Joseph is constantly touring. If it isn't solo, it is with his rock band The Jackmormons or one his side projects, including The Stockholm Syndrome. Regardless of the configuration, it is always about the songs.

On this solo tour Joseph will be highlighting songs from his recently released album, "Into The Lovely" and Joseph's 2004 solo release "Cherry". We can also expect to hear newly recorded songs from an upcoming release. The songs on "Cherry" are intimate masterpieces that reveal the sights and sounds of life lived on the road. Live, the songs are accompanied by stories of their origins.

"Cherry" is the first solo record Joseph has ever recorded in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, "Cherry's" stripped down vocal and guitar recordings are the pinnacle of a successful career that has included musical collaborations with Vic Chesnutt, Pete Droge and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, J. Mascis and the Fog), as well as producers such as Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin) and John Keane (R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs). Joseph has also shared the stage with the likes of Neil Young, The Flaming Lips, DJ Logic, Curt Kirkwood and David Lindley.

"Into The Lovely" features a who's who of Portland musicians including Jennee Connlee (The Decemberists) on keyboards, Willy Vlautin (Richmond Fontaine) on vocals, Steve Drizos on percussion, Mike Lewis, Pat Kearns and Joseph's co-hort from his Little Women days, Steve James, on guitar.

When not touring or recording, Joseph is on the road with his power rock band, Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons. Joseph also writes and tours with his side project, the Stockholm Syndrome, a band he fronts with Dave Schools, Eric McFadden, Wally Ingram and Danny Dzuik.

Joseph got his start in music in the 80's when he led the reggae/rock band Little Women, based out of Boulder, Colorado, which ruled the Rocky Mountain club circuit for most of the 80's and broke up in 1993. Joseph continued to record before an oft-publicized drug addiction temporarily sidelined his career. The process of getting clean took Joseph to New York, Montana, Salt Lake City, where the Jackmormons were formed in 1996, and eventually to Portland. Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons "Mouthful of Copper" was the second release from Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons on Terminus Records and follows the critically acclaimed Conscious Contact which was released in early 2002. Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons have released four other albums as well.

"Sounding occasionally like John Mellencamp's older, wiser and psychologically mixed-up sibling, Joseph writes complex, image-laden songs and infuses them with plenty of attitude, soulfulness and swagger." – Washington Post

http://www.myspace.com/jerryjosephsolo

BLAIR COMBEST. Blair's been writing songs ever since laying his ten-year-old hands on a Gibson Epiphone. His influences, however, don't end with his musical heroes. A Dickensian spate of childhood illnesses led Blair to a passion for prose, and the presence of literary heroes like Poe and Nabokov is felt throughout his work. The maturity and intelligence of his music put Blair in circles beyond his years, and at the ripe old age of 15, he was playing songwriter showcases and opening for local bands. After spending a few post-high-school years gathering inspiration in the kitchens of Memphis, Blair united with indie-pop outfit Snowglobe and producer Kevin Cubbins to create his debut album.

Released in 2003, Prettier Than Ugly combined Blair's own inherent sensibilities of country, rock and folk with Snowglobe's precise pop musicianship. The album was met with tremendous enthusiasm.

http://www.myspace.com/blaircombest

$7 Cover. Doors at 7 pm. Show at 8 pm. All ages. Smoke free inside. Beer Coffee and Food. Large patio and deck. 641 S Cooper. 901-278-4994. www.myspace.com/otherlands.