I was very excited to find out this morning that Jim White is going to be playing at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh, PA a week from today on Friday, May 16th. Its also going to be broadcast live on WYEP. Jim White is probably one of my all time favorite living musicians. If you don’t have plans Friday night, and enjoy some good metaphysical alt-country, then this show is not to be missed. I’ve got my tickets. I’ll see you there.

When Jim White’s Luaka Bop debut Wrong-Eyed Jesus appeared in 1997, the unique blend of alt country and metaphysics startled many with its idiosyncratic freshness. It was instantly acclaimed as a classic of the newly burgeoning “sadcore” scene, a point which amused the Florida-based songwriter to no end. “For 20 years I’d written these dark little songs,” he notes dryly, “Every once in a while I’d play them for someone and they’d shout, ‘Stop! That sucks so bad it makes my ears pop!’, then a thing called alt country came along and, boom, all of a sudden everyone’s hollering ‘Jim, you’re a friggin’ genius!’ I mean, what happened???”

Its good to see another Pensacola boy make it good in this world. If you’ve ever spent any time in the deep south, or below the deep south in the area around Pensacola, FL (what I lovingly call “occupied Alabama”) you will feel right at home with Jim White on stage. If haven’t spent anytime in this area of the country, then this show will be an opportunity to peer into the soul of the south. Don’t be scared.

as an aside: I wonder what it says about me that my favorite musician is Jim White and my favorite author is George Saunders?

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