Justin Townes Earle strolled into LUNA music last September, composed and genial. He greeted fans and browsed the shop before performing these five songs. Although his day in our city soon turned ugly, his performance for Laundromatinee.com was soulful and personal, and his behavior towards the throng of people that came to see his in-store performance was appreciative and engaging.

“Move Over Mama,” from the most recent release, ‘Harlem River Blues,’ reminds me of the earliest American songwriters, with a delta blues sound similar to Leadbelly and Robert Johnson. His guitar work is precise and effortless, and although his vocals waver a bit here and there, it truly adds to the intimate atmosphere, as well as the overall energy of the song. He dedicated the next song, ‘Ain’t Waitin,’ to “fried chicken and young women;” two things I’m sure lots of dudes are thankful for. The song has a more traditional early-country feel, with some bluesy undertones. He really gets into it around the 1:30 mark, and watching him play, one starts to believe that Earle and his guitar are one, not two.

“Wanderin’” is instantly comparable to the likes of Johnny Cash and early Bob Dylan, but Earle is no copycat. His vocals are round and oddly sentimental, his vibrato perfectly delivered at the end of each line. The lyrics reflect his often tense relationship with his father, famed musician Steve Earle, giving the listener a peek into the personal world of this young, immensely talented, yet often troubled performer.

Just before he began his fourth song, he quotes the man, the legend, Mr. Kurt Vonnegut. Do you think he knew he was playing just a few blocks from where Vonnegut was born and raised? Or that the Red Key Tavern, just across the street from LUNA music, was a regular drinking spot for Vonnegut? Maybe he was inspired by Vonnegut’s ghost, because ‘Slippin’ and Slidin,’ was the most memorable song he gave us during this session. His voice becomes more and more coarse as the song progresses, making a desperate plea for some time off from the grueling grind of a life lived on the road, yearning for his home and the people there that make him stronger. The lyrics are especially heartbreaking, following the announcement just a week later that Earle would be cancelling the remainder of his tour to enter rehab for substance abuse problems.

He ended the set with his latest album’s title track, ‘Harlem River Blues,’ a mid-tempo jangler that capped of the in-store quite well. Again, he makes playing that guitar of his look like a walk in the park, and as he draws to the end of the song, he stops strumming and serenades us with a few raw lines, just his voice echoing through the microphone.

I’m also 99.9% sure that we wear the same glasses.

MP3 In-Store Session Downloads : 

Justin Townes Earle - Move Over Mama
Justin Townes Earle - Ain't Waitin'
Justin Townes Earle - Wanderin'
Justin Townes Earle - Slippin' & Slidin'
Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues

Watch and download Laundromatinee.com's previous session with Justin Townes Earle.

Recorded and Mixed by Jeff DuPont
Filmed and Edited by Joe Wallace and Doug Fellegy
Words by Jessica Clark