Staff Writer Leah Henry follows up her Justin Jones preview with some quality time with the not-so-melancholy-in-real-life performer.
In the back lot of IOTA, Justin Jones was not as depressed as his music implies and appeared more hopeful and energetic than I’d anticipated. Based on my conversation with him, his family can relax a little; he’s not going to be jumping off a bridge anytime soon. Justin’s explanation for his melancholy sound was that the blues are the only tunes worth singing.
He playfully yelped, “I’m not ready yet!” as he jumped into a small white van and slammed the door when I attempted to locate him. (It’s only fitting that one of the night’s performers called him a “divo.”) After I threatened to follow him into the van, he popped out and was eager to have his brain picked, lighting a cigarette as we walked.
Justin Jones | The Losing Game
Friday night, he was filled with deep concern about the men’s collar-stays in the expensive shirt his lady bought him, laughed about his struggles with Yoga, and casually mentioned his recent thirty pound weight loss and enjoyment of cigarettes. After he introduced me to his wife, they gently quibbled over one of his songs, utilizing a smart phone to end the dispute. I am unsure who won and don’t think either cared.
Justin unceremoniously became the “host” of the IOTA parking lot, introducing me to Laura Tsaggaris by openly mocking me for my pre-coverage, quoting me back to me: “Here’s the local legend…” Laura smiled politely and shook my hand; they clearly have a good relationship. Laura and Justin went on to prove this tightly-woven musical bond during a duet they sang for the overly-chatty crowd at IOTA.
Justin confessed that Laura was one of the first people he’d met upon his arrival to the DC area in 2001. He joked that he’d “found her on the internet” and smiled when recalling having Laura sing vocals on his first album. As I was curious about his plans––solo and with The Driving Rain––and ever-changing sound, he assured me that he would like to sell out shows at “the 9:30 Clubs” across the country and could not be held to one single genre, promising me that the performance tonight would showcase just that. It was nice to talk to a driven musician with a clear vision.
Justin Jones and the Driving Rain played new and old with the same pleasure, winking and laughing, smiling and bobbing their heads, enjoying what each brought to the table. Their sound was polished and accessible, the absolute best combination in a live band. The longtime fans felt comfortable enough to yell out one or two requests while the rest felt guilty having only paid fifteen dollars to hear this caliber of talent on a Friday night.
They played “Charlotte” from Love Verses Heroin, surprised me with a cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sitting on) the Dock of the Bay,” and pulled “Gutter” from Little Fox, Justin Jones’ first record released by 9:30 Records, 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz’s new label, because “Gutter” is one of my favorites. (Or at least, I’d like to pretend this is why they played it.)
A special thanks to Stephen Negrey, owner of IOTA, for making wonderful updates to the venue and for being so friendly.
