Jaimee Harris at C Boy’s Heart and Soul
A faded sign advertising mixed drinks for the once established Rome Inn hangs above the back door at C Boy’s Heart and Soul. The popular nightclub is a living shrine to the soul artists that put the Lone Star State on the map, with large murals on the back wall, event posters from the famed New Orleans’ room Tipitina’s and Austin’s home of the blues Antone’s.
The crowd stays respectfully quiet on a busy Saturday night, hanging on every word Jaimee Harris sings from her new release Boomerang Town.
The piano adds beautiful atmospheric notes to accompany the Americana rhythms from Harris. The songs have a way of building as they progress, adding more importance to the stories told.
Harris shows off her new jacket she picked up earlier that day in town, a colorful red to match her heart shaped glasses. The gold ribbons behind the stage glow each time the disco ball spins around and the crowd erupts between songs.
Jaimee Harris performs at C Boys Heart and Soul. Photo by Andrew Blanton.
“I was working at the supermart, when I fell for Julie,” Harris sings. “knocked her up
Like everybody said I would. The day I turned sixteen I got that job, I couldn’t wait to buy a car, save enough. Leave this town for good.”
Boomerang Town tells the story of a small town teenage romance, and the hopes and fears associated with an unexpected pregnancy. Through the desperation, Julie escapes into the unknown.
“Julie steps over the rail, thinks about salvation,” Harris sings. “The sun arrives and collides with the steeple, casts a shadow over God’s most desperate people. Julie takes it as a sign, lets go, and starts flyin’.”
The influence Harris received from the Live Music Capital of the World is present with this coming of age tale, with a nod to James McMurtry and Steve Earle who both honed their craft in the southwest.
Harris brings a fresh perspective to the songwriting craft she has spent so many years working on. Filling a blues club on South Congress on a busy weekend shows how much her fans connect to her honest approach to the writing. You can catch Harris touring throughout the country here:
https://www.jaimeeharris.com/home/#tour
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Jaimee Harris “Boomerang Town”