Mar 15

Mar 15 Karen Jonas: The Restless (Album Release Show)

Opening for the Po Ramblin Boys, Karen Jonas was still glowing from the release of her new album The Restless along with a pair of sold out performances; no doubt with several more on the horizon.

Turns out she marries up just as nicely with an ice-cold beer as she does with a glass of your favorite red. However, this woman drinks whiskey!

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” ~Mark Twain. This is how I feel about whiskey and Karen Jonas’s music. After listening to her latest album more times than I care to admit in print, I was finally able to catch Karen Jonas and company live.

What a tremendously delightful treat! She played her entire new album in order from start to finish. Along with a couple of her favorites. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you Karen Jonas is an absolute force!

In between songs, she dazzled and charmed the audience with keen insights about the next song. Why are so many of her songs set in Paris? “Cheaper to write songs about Paris than to fly.”

Prior to my favorite song on the album, she playfully quipped, “Instead of being drunk you maybe feel elegantly wasted.” I absolutely adore this song and hearing it live even after listening to it countless times prior, I feel emboldened to double down and restate that this is indeed my favorite and maybe it should be yours too.

While regaling the story of how the song, “That’s Not My Dream Couch” came into existence, she confessed that despite her ability to sing in French she’s not able to actually speak it. She goes on to say, “Canapé du rêves (Sofa of Dreams).” Maybe she blundered the phrase, perhaps the audience wasn’t impressed enough, she quickly goes, “No one speaks French? Perfect!” Which then received some laughter and she dove right into the song.

Man, the start of the B side (“Rock the Boat”) just hit hard and honestly resonated with me a bit more solidly tonight than any other time. The level of scrappiness and passion from Karen Jonas was next level and quite frankly reminiscent of two heavyweight prize fighters at the start of a match. There was an incredible burst of fire, intensity and tenacity that led me to the realization that Karen Jonas has a few more delectably hidden gears that she can ratchet up at will.

The ever-whimsical Tim Bray lead guitar was just as delightful, entertaining and exhilarating to watch in person as I imagined.

Seth Morrissey, the stoic genius behind the scene effortlessly and dutifully played the bass and double bass throughout the night. Suddenly and surprisingly he started belting out the second to last song of the night in a really impressive bluesy voice.

Mar 2

Mar 2 Karen Jonas: The Restless

Justin N. Kohrs

Karen Jonas’ smoky, steamy and sultry voice serenades the darkest parts of your being. I don’t have enough platitudes to do this album justice. She’s clearly put the work in, paid her dues and this album undoubtedly should be placed high on top of the Americana chart.

Americana literary songsmith Karen Jonas’s sixth LP, The Restless (out Mar. 3), is a dark alt-country exploration of vulnerability. Each song is a confession that lands somewhere between nostalgia and doom. The Restless is a visceral experience: you can feel the “lace and velvet” and taste “the bite of bourbon” on your lover’s tongue.

Dec 17

Dec 17 Favorite Albums of 2020

The Amp Staff

Last year seemed like a banner year for releases, but the buzz for 2020 albums, tours and festivals had everyone thrilled for what was to come. No one imagined that all of that would come to a screeching halt in Mid-March when a global pandemic struck. A devastating blow to the performing arts community among so many other small businesses, the education system and the healthcare community. Many musicians had just released or were nearing release dates for their music, but were left unable to tour in support of it. Some chose to delay their releases and others forged on and released albums, EPs and singles anyway. I have a great deal of respect for those that took a gamble and provided us with one of the most important things to help get us through this difficult period. The power of music has continued to bring us together when we can’t join each other like we normally would. Thankfully, social media has allowed the artists to perform livestreams or even just promote their art. It’s allowed the fans to share music and continue to discuss and analyze it. Here at the Amp, we’ve made our own individual lists of our favorite three albums this year to share with our readers. We hope that you’ve listened to some of these amazing artists and their albums, but if not, we hope that you’ll at least give them a listen and perhaps find some new favorites.

Sep 1

Sep 1 Karen Jonas: The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams

Stephanie Blackburn

On March 14, 2020, I was listening to the remarkable duo of Americana singer/songwriter Karen Jonas and guitarist/producer Tim Bray perform favorites like, “Butter” and “Country Songs” while sitting at a table with a small group at a venue outside of Fredericksburg, VA. It was the last show I attended before the live music world was flipped upside down, and I stayed until the final note fell silent. Talking to them afterward about recording and promoting their 5th album without knowing that everything would soon go dark in the industry seems like a lifetime ago. At that time, nobody could have predicted that their UK tour, as well as their SXSW showcase where they would be able to share their music with wider audiences, would be cancelled. Like so many artists, they regrouped and used live feeds from local venues to share their music with fans.