Jeremy Wallace Trioo

Saturday August 9, 2013 @ 10:00 PM

Jeremy Wallace started writing songs the way many singer-songwriters do: he culled personal experiences from volumes of journals packed into milk crates. Somewhere along the line, Wallace’s personal lyrics merged with the lives of lonely fictional characters – the unlucky, the heartbroken, blue collar joes who drank too much, smoked too much, loved too much for their own good – and his music took a turn. A mature narrative voice emerged, one that reflected his world and connected with ordinary people. When audiences hear Wallace’s music, they see themselves in the stories he weaves.

Perhaps that’s because Wallace himself is an everyman. Even with two albums under his belt, ("My Lucky Day" on Palmetto Records and his second release "She Used To Call Me Honey") Wallace still types everything he writes on a well-worn Smith-Corona, drinks his Budweiser from a can, paints houses when he's not performing, and drives an old Dodge Coronet. He connects with an audience through honest, simple stories of hope found and lost, of small moments that shape lives.

One of Wallace’s earliest inspirations, the late Dave Van Ronk, served as a mentor and friend during Wallace’s formative years as an artist and introduced him to the music of Leadbelly, Kokomo Arnold, Furry Lewis, and Charlie Patton. After 18 months of work with Van Ronk, he told Wallace he had showed him everything he could. "You got it in you to be a musician, but it doesn’t mean anything. If there's anything else you can do besides this, do it. The business will break your heart."

Wallace didn't take the advice. His dynamic debut, "My Lucky Day," was an exploration of his influences - a little folk, a tinge of rock, some country and loaded with gritty blues. For his second full length album, "She Used To Call Me Honey," Wallace turned to experimentation and pushed the boundaries and expectations of what a singer-songwriter can accomplish in both the studio and as a live performer. Edgy, dangerous and with a greater emphasis on the raw energy of his craft, Wallace emerged with a stunning album that both diverged from and complemented his previous material.

Not much has changed since Wallace completed his last studio album. He has followed a relentless schedule of live performances and is currently at work on his third release, "Broke and Hungry," a mix of original arrangements of traditional songs as well as new material. The collection is a reflection of Wallace’s station in life: he has fallen in and out of love again, busted a few knuckles, bruised a couple of shins. Even though his loyal following will notice a certain wistfulness in the lyrics, they will also recognize a new confidence in Wallace’s voice and guitar. His humor has gotten a little darker and the sound a little looser. Consciously unpolished, "Broke and Hungry" promises to captivate old and new fans alike.

"He's one of the most arresting new talents I've ever heard. When I hear him I get the same feeling I got the first time I heard Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie." - Dave Van Ronk

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Tickets:

$15, $25