Mike Farris at Jammin’ Java on November 19
Mike Farris, with his vocals soaring to heights rivaling those of Aretha Franklin, played “an evening with” acoustic show in Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA on November 19. The air was filled with bluesy and gospel-based songs with a soulful delivery and commanding vocals.
At the start of the night, there was some banter about football teams and the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans just before Mike launched into the one two punch of “Lonely” and then “Ain’t No Grave.” Next up was an interaction with some in the crowd about ice cream, with Mike claiming to be a connoisseur and reminiscing about Wavy Gravy flavor before hitting the crowd with “Ease On,” which he described as a song about reconciling where we came from, with its line “Mama never told us we were poor.”
His powerful bluesy vocals maintained unwavering power through “Snap Your Fingers” and “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” which, he said, was what happens when you love somebody enough. He showed the audience his cellphone list of song ideas and fragments which was incredibly extensive, as he said he wrote the next song, “Bird In The Rain” in under half an hour.
The next song, “Heavy on the Humble,” he said he had originally demo’ed as a bluegrass song, which ultimately didn’t pan out while recording in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. His inspirational comment at this was “lots of people pick a lane in life and stay in it. I don’t pick a lane, I just follow what comes.” He mentioned also Clayton Ivey’s (who just turned 80) killer keyboard part on this song when it was recorded.
For the next couple songs he talked about missing his wife Julie back in Tennessee, and the fact that their 30 year anniversary was coming up. In this content he played “Tennessee Girl” and then the Buddy Guy song “Let Me Love You Baby,” where ha ad literally the entire audience clapping along.
Next up he introduced a song from his earlier album Salvation and Lights “Selah! Selah!,” which he described writing on the day of 9/11 in New York City.
He played the first song he ever wrote (“Gypsy Lullaby”) and then a sort of CCR style version of Tom Petty’s “Swingin’.” The the gospel version of “John the Revelatory,” the Taj Mahal song “Corinna,” an homage to Mike’s previous manager Rose McGaffey. Finally, he closed out the night with a band on “Sunset Road” and had the whole audience singing along again: “We will never worry no more.”
Mike is a top notch skilled performer and was highly engaged with the audience from start to finish, as his powerful vocals swept them up and away again and again. Several avid fans were seated right up near the stage and stayed riveted throughout. The last few songs held a touch of sadness underneath the euphoria of the evening as well, which was a cathartic release for the more sober, somber members of the crowd.
Find more details here on his website: https://mikefarrismusic.com
Many of these songs he played were from his new album The Sounds of Muscle Shoals.
Enjoy our review here: REVIEW: Mike Farris “The Sounds of Muscle Shoals”
Lonely
Can’t No Grave Hold My Body Down (Sister Rosetta Tharpe cover)
Ease On
Snap Your Fingers
That’s How I Got to Memphis (Tom T. Hall cover)
Bird In The Rain
Heavy On The Humble
Tennessee Girl
Let Me Love You Baby (Buddy Guy cover)
Selah! Selah!
Gypsy Lullaby (The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies song)
Swingin’ (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
John the Revelator ([traditional] cover)
Corinna (Taj Mahal cover)
Encore:
Sunset Road
