It has been twelve years since The Jayhawks played The Button Factory in Dublin, supported by Richmond Fontaine duo Willy Vlautin and Dan Eccles, and sixteen years since Gary Louris played Whelan's alongside former Jayhawks member Mark Olson. Tonight, Louris completes a hat trick of appearances with a solo set that had the audience and obvious Jayhawks lovers enthralled for over eighty minutes.
Formed in 1985 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Jayhawks, alongside American Music Club, were arguably the pioneering bands in the alt-county genre, followed a few years later by Uncle Tupelo and, later, Whiskeytown. Unlike the vast majority of the bands in the genre, whose influences were strictly American country and rock, The Jayhawks, particularly under Louris' watch, also took on board the melodies of classic 60s Brit-pop to forge their distinctive sound.
Currently living in Quebec, tonight's show is Louris' first date on a tour of Ireland and the U.K. It follows a few days spent in Ireland with his Canadian wife and visiting relatives. ('I'm half Irish, my mother was a Dunne'). Featuring new material from a solo album due for release early next year, some Golden Smog material, a number of co-writes and some classic Jayhawks songs, the show is a reminder, if needed, of Louris' outstanding back catalogue over his thirty-year career.
Not surprisingly, his selection of songs from his Jayhawks' war chest is a highlight, but his other inclusions and the backstories about their conception are also hugely entertaining. Introducing What Would I Dreamer Do?, he recalls contributing the song to the 2018 tribute album THE MUSIC—FOREVER WORDS, where he and others put music to Johnny Cash's lyrics. Louris adds that the opportunity to play on stage with Cash and June Carter Cash was a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
Co-writes with Jeff Tweedy (Listen Joe) and The Dixie Chicks (Everybody Knows) are also performed. Heavily influenced by The Kinks, Louris and his fellow Jayhawks were the studio band on Ray Davies's 2017 record AMERICANA. In celebration, Louris invites West Cork's guitar supremo Bill Shanley, who has been performing with Davies regularly for over fifteen years, onto the stage to join him for two songs. They play The Kinks' Strangers, which, ironically, Shanley had never previously played, and a standout version of Waiting For The Sun. The other Jayhawks songs included in the set and lapped up by all in the crowded room are I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, All The Right Reasons, Angelyne, Tailspin, Blue and two encores, Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces, and Save It For A Rainy Day.
It was a relaxed and memorable evening in the company of roots musical royalty. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Louris will soon bring his fellow bandmates, Marc Pelman, Karen Grotberg, and Tim O'Reagan, back to our shores for a whole Jayhawks show. Here's hoping.
Thumbs up to Dubliner Stefan Murphy, who opened the evening's entertainment with a selection of songs from his album HOSPITAL VERSES.
Review and image by Declan Culliton