Two things I love doing happened this weekend; a girl’s night out with my mom and going to the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio Texas for a concert. Growing up in Texas and a musician’s daughter, my love for blues, country, and Americana music runs deeps in my roots. That’s why I was excited to see Americana band JD & The Straight Shot who was the opening act for Chicago. JD aka Jim Dolan who is the vocalist and one of the guitarists of the group, was entertaining and kept the crowd wanting more with his unique voice and intros to each of the songs. You can tell in his performance that he not only feels the music and the lyrics, but also connects with the audience. As for the music, while it played, it took me away to the fun days of hanging out by the river with my family. The combination of melodies along with the enthusiasm of the band kept the crowd moving in soulful and happy spirits. What stood out to me was the band-mate relationship of JD and his son and how he introduced him along with the other members. They seem like a family and that shows in their music. My favorite part of the performance was the violin and fiddle playing; talk about girl power, you go Erin!
JD & The Straight Shot band includes bassist Byron House (Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton), violinist/fiddler Erin Slaver (Martina McBride, Rod Stewart) and guitarist Marc Copely (B.B. King, Rosanne Cash) The talented group is currently working on their forthcoming album due out in 2017. The achingly beautiful first single “I Know, You Know, I Know” gives an exciting taste of what’s to come. The track produced by Chuck Ainlay (Mark Knopfler, Miranda Lambert), was written by Dolan, Copely and Slaver and spotlights sweeping accordion melodies performed by Shawn Pelton (Sheryl Crow, Levon Helm). The new song has been a rousing audience favorite at JD & The Straight Shot shows.
JD & The Straight Shot has been touring nonstop in support of their highly acclaimed 2016 all-acoustic album Ballyhoo!. Neo Music Scene praises, “Ballyhoo! is a refreshing record that gets back to the roots of great American music,” I’m Music Magazine gushes the album is “A tasty slice of Americana music at its finest,” The El Vee enthuses, “JD & the Straight Shot mix blues, folk, and Americana styles into a timeless American music sound of their own” and Music Matters Magazine calls the record “a listening pleasure.” JD & The Straight Shot has played alongside luminaries such as Don Henley, Joe Walsh, the Eagles, Keith Urban, the Dixie Chicks, Chicago, Jewel and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. New England Music News raves, “Awesome is the word” for JD & The Straight Shot’s live show.
I received concert tickets in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.
