I was supposed to see Early James and his crew up in Chicago on his Strange Time to Be Alive Tour, but a double-booking had me on the road to a completely different part of the country that day. I’m not one to give up, so I packed my bags a day early and found myself driving 4 hours east to Ohio (a state I’ve found myself in more times than I ever would have anticipated at beginning of this year) for a Halloween-tinged show in Columbus at Ace of Cups, a vibey little bar-venue with skeletons galore.
It wasn’t my first time seeing Early James and his crew live, but it was definitely my favorite. You’d never have been able to tell this was his first headlining tour. He and his band play like they’ve been touring the country for years, engaging so naturally with the crowd like they’d played Columbus a million times over, like it was their city. The talent between the four of them (James, Ford Boswell, Adrian Marmolejo & Joey Rudisell) is remarkable; they are so easily able to recreate the sounds of their records. They’ve quickly become one of my favorite live bands by far.
Early James is also one of my all-time favorite live vocalists. His strong rasp never wavers, only impresses, and completely takes over the room. Perhaps a funny thing for me to say given that I’m younger than him, but you’d never expect such a voice to come out of someone so young. His voice is a perfect fit for the clever poetry of his now two full-length records, the latest (and the namesake of the tour!) having dropped back in August.
The covers he played really stuck out to me, particularly “Psycho” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” “Psycho” found its way onto the setlist via a request from the crowd for Halloween. An old Eddie Noack song from 1949, James and his crew made the thing sound brand new, telling the song’s haunting story in a way only he can. I’d love to keep hearing that cover all year round, but it couldn’t have been more perfect for an almost-Halloween show. “Your Cheatin’ Heart” (of Hank Williams fame) was planned, but still felt very light-hearted and impromptu, like the band was just having their own casual little jam session. If I didn’t already know better, I’d have thought the song was written just for James to sing; I will never get over just how insane his vocals were on this one, switching back and forth from a raspy wail to a smooth croon so effortlessly.
I really couldn’t have asked for a better setlist (admittedly one of my favorite songs was missing, but I did hear it live earlier this year); almost all of my favorites were on there and not a single song disappointed. I believe wholeheartedly that every Early James fan there heard something they loved and left that night feeling immensely satisfied. Let that be a testament to you, reader, of how absolutely phenomenal of a live band James and his crew are.
He and the band are funny too, some of the funniest musicians I’ve ever seen onstage. They don’t just play for the audience, they make friends with them. There were jokes and banter galore – I even saw the origins of an inside joke that I hope to see last for years to come (to the guy who acted as James’ dad for the night, I hope you’re reading this!). There was never a lull, not really, because even when the music stopped, there was somebody on that stage making the crowd laugh. It created an intimacy to the already-intimate show that I’ve yet to see at any other small venue show I’ve attended.
Early James just might be my favorite discovery of 2022. I’ve yet to encounter another artist who can tell a story quite like he can AND perform them so well live. Nothing is lost from studio to stage, if anything, the stories only get better. Get him on your radar if he’s not already on it. Take it from me, he’s been worth every mile.
