I just found out about him a few months ago in a Panera bread, I Shazammed one of his songs ahi esta mi niña, beautiful song that tells a good story, I’m a drummer but the beats to a lot of his songs are great, gone way to young.. RIP brother, did a lot for people wether you thought so or not..🙏🏻
I just watched the tribute his father put together for him at the Ryman, and the algorithm brought me to this. Justin was loved by folks like his friend Jason Isbell, Buddy Miller, Emmy Lou was there. Like Townes he spent too much time with problems that distracted from his potential, but I don’t think either of them were destined for or would have thrived with fame. This performance is Justin even though it’s not his song. Harlem River Blues, White Gardenias, Memphis in the Rain, They Killed John Henry, those songs were his. Watch the Tribute if you can.
I have been lucky enough to see him several times over the years in small venues. He did, each time, change the room just by being there. I believe he had a sledgehammer tattooed over this right thumb from a comment that someone (i am remembering it being Guy Clark, but I could be wrong) about him having a picking thumb like a sledgehammer. It was very characteristic of his style. If you get a chance, listen to some of his original work, as well -this is a cover of an old Lightnin' Hopkins song and while he does it well, he was an incredible songwriter in his own right. Thanks for taking a listen. Rest in Peace, Justin Townes Earle.
I have had some "issues" involving various substances myself. His lyrics, while not diary entries, are just heart wrenching to me. In a weird self-centered/prideful, but self-destructive, self-hating way, his songs and lyrics feel like he's reading my mail.
@@awmlawoffice Spot on. That's as good a description of how his music was, and why ppl like you and me could relate as I've heard. It's a great loss...
I saw Justin when he was very young playing on stage with his father in Dublin (must have been one of his very early on-stage performances and I’m sure I heard his father introduce him saying he had a thumb like a jackhammer! I met him outside afterwards and gave him a light - Rest In Peace
It's called "style" guy had it for days, wrote the book... And you said it "performer" gave everything to the performance. Saw him three times and three times he wowed me. Thank You. I feel so fortunate to have been wise enough to drive all day on two occasions to make the shows.
I was fortunate enough to see him 5-6 times in a small club (300 seater), loved him from the get go. Best night was when he told someone who kept requesting songs to "shut the F up", became a legend in my mind after that. His death hurts me more than I care to admit, thanks for posting this. RIP JTE
were you at the 3TEN concert last year? Something like "I know in my head how the shows gonna go already. I'm the professional." That lady was super irritating. That show was rough though. At the time he said it was a flu, in hindsight it sure seems like dopesick.
This is the comment I came here for. I've literally never watched a reaction video before and I never will again. Listening to this utter asshat sit here and judge this performance like this makes me feel dirty for even adding a view to this video. It was a moving performance even with this doofus talking.
Yeah I think that’s pretty well put. At a certain point trying to break down Justin’s “act” just ends up back at he doesn’t make sense cus it’s just him up there
I fell in love with his dad's music 40 plus years ago. When I heard Justin for the 1st time, it was like WOZA!!!! Even his dad said Justin was a much better songwriter and guitar player than I could ever think of being.
Michael he was a sweet sweet man. That wasn't indicative of his overall style but was indicative of how much he put into a song. Its a song about burning the candle too long so he embodied that. He was quiet and thoughtful and paid attention when you spoke to him. He had his demons but most thought they were behind him. I'm going to miss him. 💔
You should do a deep dive into his music. Dude had a lot of demons & struggled with heroin. I love his music & listened to it a lot when I was drinking heavily & struggling myself.
Hey Michael, I've seen a few of your videos, and just ran across this one. I worked with Justin doing audio/video/stagehand work in Nashville. I considered him a friend, but only knew as much as he wanted me to know about him. We talked about sobriety mostly. He was a heroin addict, and he told me the first time he did it, he stole it from his dad when he was like 12. He was an enigma. Super sweet guy though man. Listen to Jason Isbell's "Back When We Were Close", it's about Justin. Watching your reaction to him made me cry, because he was a fascinating artist. I miss the guy.
As a father to an Autistic son. I'm telling you right now JTE was Autistic. The uniqueness and trying to figure out his body language in his performance... I'll help you out. He was autistic and I promise it did take everything to do what he loved. Love and miss this man so much.
Saw JTE in the Cabaret Tent at Shakori Hills Festival maybe a decade ago. He and one other guy ( multi -instrumentalist) came in humble and nonchalant. JTE was wearing a big ‘ol white Stetson hat and when he started to play he picked an audience member, looked them dead in the eye for 3-5 seconds, the moved his gaze to someone else. There were maybe 100 people in that tent and over the next hour he proceeded to knock my socks off with a highly intimate, extremely focused and tight performance and when he looked right in my eyes, it was if he was channeling Hank Sr........like that was his intent......to give us a performance that you could not get anymore, on any corner of the earth.....a one shot walk back in time. It was surreal and I never have forgotten that performance. Never will. Intended to see him again, though that will never happen. Me and a buddy talked with him briefly afterwards. He was extremely polite and very humble as we gushed over what we had just witnessed. Thanks, Justin Townes Earle, for the memory and may you Rest In Peace.
I was lucky to see Justin in northern Ireland twice. A fabulous singer, songwriter and guitarist. He also spoke so candidly about his life. I've been to every Steve Earle shows in NI. I was so sad to learn of Justin's passing. I play his music constantly.
He was awesome. Got to see him 3 times and met him last year after a show. Really cool guy and influenced me deeply. So sad we lost him. Rest In Peace Justin.
DaisyMae0929 I wanted to see him play near me a couple years ago and I decided not to after a couple friends didn’t want to go see him. I should’ve gone solo. Sigh
I went to see him with a friend who was a fan of his father, having no idea what he would be like. It was an experience I have carried with me ever since and have never been able to top though I have been to many other great concerts since. He was just simply one of a kind.
@peters uvefelt yes, well put, the pressure on this young man must have been intense, I just discovered him today. Reading a bit about him and listening to him talk in videos, those " demons" were not all from within, as you say ...ghosts.
Justin was a genius. A mighty songwriter, great guitar picker and heaps of soul. Watch his concerts, listen to his music. And for the record, he always walked around the stage, that was JTE. RIP pal.
Thanks. I'm a guitarist, but his lyrics, particularly on tunes like Who am I to Say are gut wrenching to me. Always were, but even more so in light of how he lived and died.
Thanks for doing this one. JTE will truly be missed and was an amazing talent. Was fortunate enough to see him several times over the years, most recently in March right before the shutdown. Rest easy, Justin.
He certainly was a very unique performer and just so good at his craft. RIP Justin Townes Earle. He is not uncomfortable that is him on stage full stop. Just a damn shame he is not here now
I really enjoy your reaction videos, but I can honestly say, this is the first one that I’ve watched with tears in my eyes. Thank you for taking the time to share some of JTE’s music with new listeners and hopefully, new fans.
Wow i just stumbled on this and as huge Justin fan as well as a fanatic bluegrass banjo picker...this is a great tribute to a great musician. There's sooo much more to his musicianship than what the average person has seen. Those vocals are riddled with passion and experience, and playing with so many different musos has left a mark on his playing. He had his own style and it was in your face, gut wrenching and awe inspiring. Thanks for a great video Rip beautiful man and fingers crossed if there is more than what we know in this world, we'll all get to cross paths again xxx
A turbulent and troubled life that ended too soon. Maybe he is finally at peace. I'm playing a lot of his stuff, his fathers' stuff, and his namesake's stuff today. Crying through a lot of it, smiling through some of it, glad to have all of it. RIP JTE
Thank you for doing this Michael, I've been asking for you to do this in the comments for a couple months now. It sucks that it had to take his passing, but I'm still thankful for you doing this. I'd still love to see you do one on Lone Pine Hill by him.
I suffer from Social anxiety Disorder and until I tried to get sober I found myself self-medicating, while being very effective in a sales position. As such I really connect with the felling of being there but not wanting to be there and at the same time knowing it's where you are supposed to be. It's an incredibly uncomfortable feeling but at the same time there is such a rush if you can push through the initial discomfort. The crazy thing is If you watch his Tiny Desk with NPR he seems sober and more at easy substances are such a terrible crutch and enemy rolled into one.
The way he could touch your soul with his words are unlike anyone else! His fathers tribute album is also amazing. JT brings a tear to my eye everytime
I had the good fortune to see Justin perform both before he got clean and married and after, and his presence on stage definitely changed but I think the takeaway here is accurate. There was so much of him in every performance wherever he happened to be in his life at the time that listening to or watching him play feels intensely personal. His was the celebrity passing that hit me the hardest in a long time. Felt like losing a distant but beloved family member.
Lol, "it coulda been drugs... but there you are having a water? I don't know." Drug addicts have to drink water too, man (just ribbing ya). He was famously an addict, first trying heroin at 12 years old, and fighting addiction, depression, and anxiety his whole life. That and he was an artistic fireball- I think that's what you're seeing up there. You should watch his Tiny Desk too! He was amazing.
I remember that he had a huge callous on his thumb, something happened and it fell off and the next couple of concerts he would mess up and say his thumb is shorter now that he callous fell off. That is a cover song but some of his others are better. "Nothings gonna change the way I feel about you" Harlem River Blues" Midnight at the movies" Oh and he was once one of GQ's 25 Most Stylish Men in the World
Sadly I not so long ago became aware of Justin, big fan of Steves. This blew me away to hear this guy saying the exact thing I took away from Justin's form of performance, thinking this kid is really uneasy, self conscious. Am so glad I've gotten to see so much of his history and to learn about his relationship with Steve.
I've really loved watching justin over the years and have been lucky enough to seen him live a handful of times and can't get enough. rip, thanks for the review :)
His appearance on Letterman (contrasted with a small hall in a public library) is quite impressive. Dave and Paul are gushing after the tune ends. The live audience also goes nuts. Granted, there is a band and it all comes together amazingly. The tune is "Harlem River Blues" and the lyrics are striking (an uptempo song with a very dark message). With that, really enjoyed this video as well. :) I am now curious about your other videos. BTW, more recently, JTE did say he toned down his picking style because it destroyed so many strings.
I just really loved how UN everything he was, truly an artist and a breath of fresh air. jte was the closest thing to a true original and the genuine article as we are likely to see in our lifetime. rest in peace, if you can.
hes not uncomfortable.. hes lost in it . hes feeling it .. Knowing what his hands went thru id love to see you try and play this (not a challenge.. just wana hear someone play it). acoustic.. no help.. His every note is clear concise even in the bends.. during this time he was using super glue to hold his finger wounds closed. instead of holding that guitar.. pick up a taylor accoustic or something.. feel it and try playing this way.. You said something about muting or something the way he hard picked but it was precise clear and sharp as a razor.. every note every chord. those 4 fingers and his thumb sneaks in .. all spot on ..
Mr. Earle seems like he was always in great pain but made amazing music. I never saw him play live but saw his dad in 1986. When I realized this is the one the song Go To Sleep Little Rock n Roller was about I cried.
Leah Sampson Even though he messes up the words, it's an extremely powerful performance, for sure. My favorite tune by Townes might be "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold". He was the best songwriter of all-time, in my opinion. Like Justin, my son's middle name is Townes. Damn shame he went down the same path as his father's hero.
Lots of fine comments from people who understood JTE, a sweet genius. Not to get into the whole “authenticity” thing, but Justin plays blues like the older Black bluesmen. The grittiness, the jangly-ness, the discordant stuff, the varying rhythm, the sprung lines - John Lee Hooker would want Justin Townes Earle on his undercard. Rest easy, Justin. I miss you every day.
I think that Justin once said in an interview that he was himself surprised of having surviced the 2000s since he took each and every drug you could think of. Seeing hiom in Stockholm 2 years prior to his death, he said that society should ask drug addicts "what hurts so much that you have to use". He was a hurted soul and that's what made hi music and performances so strong and unforgettable. He sure had so many great albums left to write. So sad that he had a wife and little daughter and OD:ed. Thanks to you, Michael!! It was great hearing your take on this performance.
I was lucky enough to see JTE live a handful of times. He was mesmerizing. Another great one, gone way too soon. Also, can we talk about the fact that he’s blowing these people away in what appears to be a little local f*cking library?!
Definitely in ears, in my times of seeing him live He always had it, my friend who ran sound said he didn’t want a monitor in the way. Both big and really small venues I saw it. Just sits on his pedal board
I saw Justin live for the first time on December 18, 2010 at Webster Hall in New York. He had an upright bass player and I believe a fiddle player with him. It remains to this day one of the best concerts I've ever seen. I was right up front and could see everything. His guitar playing was simply mesmerizing. It was one of those shows that makes you happy for days afterward because it was so, so good. Others have suggested a reaction to Townes Van Zandt's "Waitin Around to Die" from Heartworn Highways, but I'd suggest Townes' song "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold" instead, as the guitar part is more interesting. Townes was one of the best acoustic guitar players around.
Thanks for covering this song Michael! This is my favorite JTE video, and one of my favorite musical recordings! Extremely sad that he died way too young and he won't be able to give anymore performances like this one. For anyone that hasn't listened to JTE's debut album Yuma... do it today!
I’ve always been so moved by that driving relentless steely playing of his (he knew he was a desperately heavy picker and commented on it often) in concert with his body language, especially the times I saw him live in small settings. Like a wolf when a cage-trap closes on him. So desperate for an exit that he hurts himself trying to get away. You could see the sweat on his cheeks and the pain in his face and you could see how his fingers would hold on to the strings and almost pull them out of tune. It was like watching a train wreck - and a conductor that knew it was coming but couldn’t stop it. And that chugging chugging chugging of his guitar was a freight train on its way to someplace awful. He knew it. He would talk about John Henry - did so in every show I can recall. And not just when he played John Henry. He had absorbed that legend - of a mere man running a race as hard as he can knowing that any success is the same as death. Justin would say he had a ‘hammer hand’. And he died, like John Henry, exhausted … hammer in hand.
i think if you look into him you will really be impressed. dropped outta school in the 8th grade and has earned his way. his dad told him you write about what you know. so keep that in mind. he gives credit to the drugs for a lot of his inspiration.
I've heard people use the expression about two guitars at once but this guy littlerally sound like two or 3 playing as the same time. There is a totally distinct melody and rhythm
*I BEEN ASKING FOR YOU TO DO ONE OF HIS SONGS NOW, FOR LIKE A MONTH OR MORE!!* WRONG SONG TO BE INTRODUCED TO HIM THOU... lol (Best right hand in the gaaaame yo)
It's sad how this "guitar teacher" doesn't understand the music, the art or the artist. This video is insensitive after Justin's passing. Justin was a brilliant musician and the best performer I've ever seen live. His performance of Bad Gasoline would make Lightnin' Hopkins proud. Justin was one of a kind. He carried the torch of traditional music in many styles and trailblazed his own path in the modern music scene. Rest easy Justin. Your music will be loved by many forever.
I saw him five times throughout his career, and saw this song preformed almost each time. Even when he had his band, this was performed solo. He did comment once that it was suggested he used a backing track, which he did not. His own version of Travis playing is very difficult to imitate, and often broke strings during a concert.
Glad you did this one, I think a lot of people get bent when another person's opinion doesn't line up with their own. Personally I think JTE was a once in a generation type artist and made a Hopkins song crack but I respect your take and am happy to have heard it. Again, thank you.
Michael - PLEASE do a video on his song Halfway To Jackson - Live at Paste Magazine. You can really see his hands work there. JTE had a tattoo of sledgehammers on his thumb because he was told when he was young by a friend of his dad (Steve Earle) that he “had a thumb like a sledgehammer” hitting that bass root string so hard.
He was one of a kind. I actually did a cover of lone pine hill, a little tribute to him as he was one of my favorite musicians, chrisstanleymusic. I enjoy your channel, thanks for doing this video.
RIP JTE Its blues...and its sooooo good to hear and to you Teacher,love youre videos and is glad that you also know your call in life.....I do belive that he may have had an autistik aura...fantastisk musicians.but not social!
I see that sort of energy sometimes from my roommate and also from my son. Both are bipolar and sometimes the mania and manic episodes present themselves with that unable to stay in one place, struggling to hold it together, and not sure if they are going to explode or crash and burn all at the same time. It can be disconcerting to watch. I had never really listened to Justin Townes Earle before. I will have to explore more of his music.
JTE had a pretty vast knowledge of music. This is very Lightnin Hopkins-esque, whom was a huge influence on his namesake Townes, his father Steve, and pretty obviously, himself.
Some people don't like being in the spotlight. If you can harness that the crowd eats it up. I perform cause I have something to say but I hate it and it never gets easier. I have trouble remembering my songs so I play with my notebook and it allows me a focus point but people love it.
Love Justin beyond belief. Much of his body language and stage presence was drug induced. If you watch enough of his videos, or have seen him live, there is a noticeable contrast between sober and not sober performances. He was quite vocal about his struggles with addiction and depression.
Ye definitely, its not blues shownanship he was high. He could play like THAT high. Crazy talent. Loved JTE since i seen him live on some KEXP video podcasts like 12 tears ago. Another great artist screwed over fentanyl laced cocaine
@@aaronconnell2152 he wasn’t high in this one actually. He had immense passion and energy. Always. He could play like this in his sleep. Regardless of substances, medications..
Mike, check out some Tom Waits if you want to see more "completely in-his-head-vibe" that is hypnotising those he's performing for. Glad you picked up on how mesmerized the room must've been. You're watching the man's soul.
I'm late to the party. Going through all the JTE footage. Found him late. I believe he was a shrewd perfomer that engaged his audience by disengaging. He seemed to go into his own world at times and it was facinating. Great singer. His voice matched his songs perfectly.
