It had been a busy little weekend for Jas Patrick, as the Nashville-based musician made his first trip to Texas (at least performing as a solo artist). Friday he had kicked of the 35 Denton fest up in Denton; and on his final full day in the Lone Star State, he was getting down to Big D for a show.
It was one curated by the fine folks over at Goodbammsho (AKA Mac, whom I should mention introduced me to Jas Patrick’s music in the latter part of last year); and since finding out there was a chance of Patrick making his way down to Texas for some shows I had eagerly been anticipating it. I just wouldn’t have guessed it would have happened so early in 2016.
Opening Bell Coffee was fairly busy when I arrived, some folks appearing to be there for the show, others just stopping by for some coffee or other beverages, though most lingered when they realized Patrick was nearly ready to start, curious about the music he would be making.
He was essentially a one-man band, at least in some regards. It was nearing the start time of seven-o’clock and he was finishing his sound check, which consisted of not just the obvious vocals and guitar, but also drums. He had a customized kick drum attached to a board with the pedals at his feet, that and his guitar and amps taking up much of the space on the already tiny stage.
He was soon ready to go, and at 7:01 launched into his set. He eased everyone into it, which might not have been a bad idea since he was in a coffee shop (albeit a cool one), saying as much, that he would begin slow with one of the tracks from Inky Ovine, “Little Bug”. More mellow at times, the song that focuses more on Patrick’s soulful side wasn’t without moments of rock, as he hammered down on his guitar for a few moments during the bridge.
Afterwards, Patrick mentioned this was his first show in Dallas, aside from when he was a “wee lad” and had been through the city before. He continued jumping about his catalog, doing a couple more numbers to warm-up. “Let’s rock it out!” he said after those two, sounding a bit excited about kicking it up a notch. It was a song off his debut record, Working On My Soul, “Alright”, and it was indeed the most rock sounding track he had done thus far.
The only music of Patrick’s that I had listened to prior to this show was just his latest EP, which meant several of these songs were completely new to me. I think that was good on some levels, not being as familiar with all of his music, as I feel it made my experience as a listener more authentic. For example, “Alright”, with an obvious rock flare, seemed to have an even heavier mix of blues and soul than some of those I was familiar with. It sounded splendid.
“Thank you guys so much!” exclaimed Patrick when it was over, the dozen or so people spread out around the coffee shop applauding him. “I’ll play a little rhythm and blues for you,” he told them. The rock vibe was kept intact for the bonus track found on Inky Ovine, “Snow Day”, though it was definitely a more groovy, somewhat atmospheric number built on a R&B foundation. I must say, I thoroughly liked the intro the song had, too. A lengthy (and amazing) piece that found Patrick picking at his axe, it highlighted his chops as a guitarist and helped create a stellar tone for the track.
Upon finishing it, he took it back to his debut album, serving up the title track, “Working On My Soul”, in all of its glory. It’s such a majestic song (especially the recorded version, with some extra bells and whistles), but even live, it was spellbinding. Fiery rock mixed with some passionate blues, yielding an extraordinary cut.
From there, there only seemed one logical song to do next, and that was the lead single from Patrick’s newest EP, “Harpy”. He appeared completely in the zone as he belted out most of the lyrics, digging deep and putting every fiber of his being into it, while fiercely striking the guitar. It was the song I had been most excited to hear to live, and it did not disappoint. If anything, it exceeded expectations, Patrick putting more grit and emotion on it, right up through the dynamite end where he wailed on his axe.
Given it was the single, it created the impression (at least to me) that perhaps his time in Dallas was nearly over. It was getting close though he still had plenty more tunes to treat everyone to.
That included a cover (after another original). “This is one of my favorite Pink Floyd song’s…” Patrick remarked, soon asking if there were any Syd Barrett fans in attendance. The question was answered by utter silence. “This will go over great,” he laughed, the onlookers chuckling along with him. “Arnold Layne” was the song and it showcased a different side of Patrick. His rendition was more rock oriented than his originals are, proving that he is versatile in the music he plays; and his cover had a lot more zest to it than the original version. Was it better? That could be up for debate, though personally, I did it enjoy Patrick’s take on it more.
“That was Syd Barrett. He's great,” the musician told everyone upon finishing that song, speaking of the founding member of the legendary Pink Floyd. His set nearly over, he got to the song I had most hoped to hear live. After listening through the EP (prior to its release), “Didn't Ask” was a song that really caught my attention and one I even had the privilege of premiering here on this site. Given it’s the longest song on the EP (clocking in at a little more than six minutes), I wasn’t sure if it would be one worked into the live set or not. Honestly, what attracted me most to the track was the ethereal sounding instrumental end, which makes up the final couple minutes. Of course, that was included live, where it sounded even more enchanting. It works in direct contrast to the main portion of the song, yet that duality works, and is, indeed, what makes the track such a standout.
With time enough for one last song, Patrick offered up the title track, “Inky Ovine”. “A cheeky way of saying ‘black sheep’,” the singer and songwriter noted (another glimpse at his clever side, apart from his lyrics). It brought the 47-minute long set to a close, and meant Inky Ovine had been played almost in its entirety. I wasn’t ready for it to be over yet, but alas…
Jas Patrick wound up being even better live than I had assumed he would be. His voice is undeniably his greatest weapon; and one thing that amazed me most was in talking to him, hearing him speak naturally, you’d never guess he had such a powerhouse set of pipes. There’s a deep quality and sheer richness about his voice that only comes out when he’s singing, and that sound is only strengthened by the obvious connection he has to his songs — clearly connecting on an emotional level — allowing him to further put his heart and soul into it.
An outstanding musician, Patrick blends blues and soul with rock effortlessly, tacking a modern flare onto it. He may not be the only musician that has ever combined those genres, but currently, I’m not aware of too many artists that have a sound similar to his. Genre wise, it was two completely different acts on the bill this night and part of that is because Dallas doesn’t have any type of equivalent to Jas Patrick, at least not that I’m aware of.
Bad Mountain was the second act. More traditional country with a ragtime feel about it. It had been nearly a couple years since the last (and first) time I had seen the outfit led by Jesse Anderson. I didn’t watch much of them this night, though, instead taking time to converse with Patrick, sticking around until they loaded up to get on their way; OBC getting ready to close up for the night.
It was a great show and night. Getting to experience a Jas Patrick concert was something, and having the chance to chat with him a bit was quite cool. He’ll definitely get back to Texas at some point for more shows. It’s just a matter of time.
In the meantime, his next gig is currently scheduled for May 6th at Capone’s in Johnson City, TN. He also has one at The Dickson Street Pub in Fayetteville, AR on May 19th. You can find his full schedule HERE, and be sure to pick up Inky Ovine in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.
