Joe Pug. October 18th, 2008 at the Paradise in Boston, MA.
Hailing from my hometown of Chicago, Joe Pug made his first appearance to a Boston crowd this past Saturday night, opening up for Railroad Earth. I was never free to make it out to one of Joe's shows in Chicago at Schubas or the Hideout -- perfect venues for his music -- although I really wish I had been after finally seeing him perform. He plays with all the honesty and sincerity that his songwriting displays and requires, and it's rather captivating. Unfortunately, most of the crowd didn't care what was happening on stage until the headliners came out, which made it one of the chattiest crowds I've ever seen. And it doesn't help that Joe Pug's music is broadcast with only an acoustic guitar and his soulful voice, augmented with some slight harmonica use. I mean, when you're a solo artist, there's only so much you can do to overcome an oblivious crowd. Luckily, Joe performed like a true veteran and gave a great show to those who were listening. He has a magnificent stage presence; he's very comfortable in the spotlight, but he's very open and human as well. Even when dealing with slight technical issues (his mic didn't work until his first song was almost done), he displayed grace not always seen from artists. It was a solid 45-minute set, and it secured my belief that Mr. Pug is going to be one of the most important songwriters of our generation. I look forward to seeing him again in a more proper setting with an attentive audience.
Joe Pug - Hymn #101 (from Nation Of Heat EP)
Joe Pug - Speak Plainly, Diana (from Nation Of Heat EP)
Hailing from my hometown of Chicago, Joe Pug made his first appearance to a Boston crowd this past Saturday night, opening up for Railroad Earth. I was never free to make it out to one of Joe's shows in Chicago at Schubas or the Hideout -- perfect venues for his music -- although I really wish I had been after finally seeing him perform. He plays with all the honesty and sincerity that his songwriting displays and requires, and it's rather captivating. Unfortunately, most of the crowd didn't care what was happening on stage until the headliners came out, which made it one of the chattiest crowds I've ever seen. And it doesn't help that Joe Pug's music is broadcast with only an acoustic guitar and his soulful voice, augmented with some slight harmonica use. I mean, when you're a solo artist, there's only so much you can do to overcome an oblivious crowd. Luckily, Joe performed like a true veteran and gave a great show to those who were listening. He has a magnificent stage presence; he's very comfortable in the spotlight, but he's very open and human as well. Even when dealing with slight technical issues (his mic didn't work until his first song was almost done), he displayed grace not always seen from artists. It was a solid 45-minute set, and it secured my belief that Mr. Pug is going to be one of the most important songwriters of our generation. I look forward to seeing him again in a more proper setting with an attentive audience.Joe Pug - Hymn #101 (from Nation Of Heat EP)
Joe Pug - Speak Plainly, Diana (from Nation Of Heat EP)
Labels: Show Reviews
glad you finally made it out to see pug.
-sharyn
i've heard joe pug, not too bad!, love the site
barrett
www.indyconcerts.com
I caught Joe Pug opening for Kasey Chambers in Chicago a couple weeks ago. Great show and stage presence. He has a real Dylanesque quality to his music and great lyrics. He was able to touch on the political without losing the crowd. I was impressed. I think he will have a large flock soon enough!
-Michael
www.michaelheaton.com