(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Americana music scion Justin Townes Earle – the son of Steve Earle – will bring his country-inflected brand of folk-rock to Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday, September 9, at 9pm. Singer-songwriter Anthony D’Amato warms up the crowd for Earle.
Having migrated from his birthplace, Nashville, to New York City, the critically acclaimed folk-rock singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle — who was named after Texas singer-songwriter legend Townes van Zant — pairs the sage wisdom of Americana music with themes that relate to life in the Big Apple as well as his recent marriage and newfound sobriety.
Earle directly confronts the legacy handed down to him by his father, Steve Earle, on the poignant song, “Mama’s Eyes,” on his album, “Midnight at the Movies,” when he sings, “I am my father’s son/I’ve never known when to shut up/I ain’t fooling no one/I am my father’s son.” His most recent albums, “Single Mothers” and “Absent Fathers,” have deepened the autobiographical nature of his work.
When it comes to comparisons, the Guardian UK hears “echoes of Guthrie and Springsteen” in Earle. Earle himself claims to be influenced by artists including Randy Newman, Chet Baker, the Replacements, Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen. Accolades for Earle include the 2011 Americana Music Award for Song of the Year, as well as the 2009 Americana Music Awards in the Best New and Emerging Artist category, as well as nominations for Best Artist and Best Album.
Accolades for Earle include the 2011 Americana Music Award for Song of the Year, as well as the 2009 Americana Music Awards in the Best New and Emerging Artist category, as well as nominations for Best Artist and Best Album. He was also featured as #8 on Amazon’s Best Country Album list for 2009, with the track “Walk Out” chosen as one of Amazon’s 100 Best Songs. Appearances include a performance on NPR’s Morning Edition, World Café, and the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. The New York Times praises Earle as a “gifted performer in his own right.”
Reviewing Earle’s March 2014 performance at Helsinki Hudson, local music critic Seth Rogovoy wrote, “With so many different and varied influences flowing through his veins, musical and otherwise, Justin Townes Earle is bound to produce a unique blend. But rather than anything being watered down, it’s like everything is heightened in his hands and voice – the blues are bluesier, the urban is grittier, the Texas has more drawl, the country has more twang, and, perhaps most significantly, the female side of him has primacy over all.”
Singer-songwriter Anthony D’Amato’s latest album, “Cold Snap,” features guest performances by by Conor Oberst and members of Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive. D’Amato has drawn comparisons to Josh Ritter and Bruce Springsteen.
For reservations in The Restaurant or in the club call 518.828.4800.