A SXSW Showcase encore from our home court, #afterthebreak…
Doug Weston’s Troubadour, West Hollywood
“1) Jamie N Commons @ Buffalo Billiards ($$$)
Clever name for a bar, huh? I think so. The whole bottom floor is rows and rows of billiard games. The second floor is where Jamie N Commons quietly played. On a wooden stage in front of a bar island full of people. Was expecting it be crowded, but it really wasn’t. Jamie wasn’t feeling well..like myself…and quickly ran through four of his most popular tracks acoustically. Including my favorite track, Walking Dead’s ‘Home’. He said his other shows had a full band and recommend we go check it out. I didn’t mind. To experience an artist like Jamie in his true singer/songwriter form was the dream. I’ll save the real showcase for a venue like the Troubadour where a mixture of both would be greatly profound.”
Holy phuck am I good or what? Funny how things work out because five months later I would find myself at the Troubadour watching Jamie, his full band, at my favorite concert spot. This would be the ultimate Jamie N Commons show. Could it surpass my tiny memorable encounter back in Austin? Sort of.
Jamie N Commons didn’t sell out Mr. Weston’s Troubadour this night. It was more than half full at most. Shocked me. Was expecting a bigger blogging presence seeing how Jamie is on the edge of hitting mainstream success. Thought it was certainty. When I first heard him perform “Home” after one of the best episodes of Walking Dead — knew that I would be following his smokey blues journey all the way. Guess it was just me & the bunch of folks surrounding me. That’s what brought me to Buffalo Billiards & Troubadour. I see something uncommon in Mr. Commons and you should too. Maybe I’m a sucker for dark, Johnny Cash, loving blues? Tryin’ not to fight it.
We got a handful of unknown new tracks from Jamie & the band throughout the night. Most of my favorite tracks from R&S EP — “Have a Little Faith” & “Lead Me Home” — appeared during the Encore. New music was what I was expecting and they didn’t disappoint. Overplayed almost every track on Rumble & Sway that needed to see what the eventually LP will showcase. Spoiler alert: Jamie’s upcoming new music continues the dark trend of rock n’ roll.
He’s moving from a very gospel feel to more poppy rock. Dig it.
Here is the setlist.
Got, from this showcase, was a more well rounded thunderous performance from the previously sick, over worked, Jamie N Commons that I came across in Austin. The new music was great & performance was perfect. Wish I could say more but he & the band killed it the way I knew he could. Seeing how I’m bettin’ on him to be mainstream in a few years, I’ll say that you missed a fantastic small moment that I’ll brag about when he’s opening a sold out Wiltern years from now. My response will be: “I saw him at the Troubadour.”
(sorry for typos! We’re fall cleaning…lol)
Photo Selects
Photographer Note:
I hate taking pictures from underneath artists. Was in front row for most of the show, but the lighting guy kept focusing the spotlight in my face. Took a breath, rolled to the back, and got some crowd friendly pictures that made the set a bit well rounded.
