Live Music Spotlight: Jamey Johnson

I had the opportunity to see Jamey Johnson play the second of two shows at J.D. Legends in Franklin, Ohio. Last night’s show was not the first time I had watched Johnson perform live, but it was by far my favorite.

Johnson delivered an outstanding performance of a near-perfect setlist that included more than two dozen great songs. The setlist seemed to be created for Johnson’s biggest fans. He did perform his hits like “In Color” at the concert, but the setlist included many album cuts. Like fans of artists such as Eric Church and Cody Jinks, Johnson’s fans also know the words to songs that weren’t released as singles.

I have been a fan of Johnson and his music since he released “The Dollar” in the summer of 2005. It was the first single from an album of the same name. I was able to relate to the emotional lyrics of the song. I loved the entire album and I played it often. I was thrilled that Johnson played three tracks from that album. In addition to “The Dollar,” he also played “She’s All Lady” and opened the show with “Flying Silver Eagle” last night. It’s a real credit to Johnson and his strong songwriting skills that his fans know songs that are nearly 15 years old and never released as radio singles.

Johnson also performed “Give It Away.” a song he wrote with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon. The song was a number one hit for George Strait in 2006.

Between the songs Johnson has recorded and the songs he has written or co-written that other artists have recorded, Johnson has dozens of songs in his catalogue. He played some of his best songs and also included some cover songs in his set. A lot of artists play one or two cover songs in their concerts, but about half of Johnson’s set was cover songs. Johnson is a great vocalist and it was a treat hearing him sing iconic country songs like “Mama Tried,” “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” and “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink,” among others. I applaud Johnson for providing his fans with an experience and allow them to hear songs they can’t hear by playing one of his albums.

Johnson knows his audience very well. He did a version of Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job And Shove It” that had the audience singing along. In my opinion, Johnson’s version of “Long Black Veil” was worth the price of admission. I’d love for him to record it so I could listen to it over and over again. I also enjoyed Johnson’s version of Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page” a lot as well.

Especially since the concert took place on a Sunday, I thought that it was appropriate that Johnson sang a medley of gospel songs such as Hank Williams’ “I Saw The Light” to close the show.

Chris Hennessee opened last night’s concert and he did a great job. He has some great original songs.

J.D. Legends is an entertainment complex in Franklin, Ohio which hosts several national acts every year. In addition to Johnson, this year’s lineup has included artists such as Whitey Morgan, Cody Jinks, Tracy Lawrence and Wynonna. Lee Brice will come to J.D. Legends for a concert next month. J.D. Legends is a great place to see a concert because it allows fans to get much closer to the artist than they would expect to get in a large arena.