Event Scheduled
Spencer Thomas
badearl.com
Thursday May 16, 2024 08:00 PM EDT
Cost: $15 ADV/$18 DOS
Disclaimer: All prices are current as of the posting date and are subject to change. Please check the venue or ticket sales site for the current pricing.
Disclaimer: All prices are current as of the posting date and are subject to change. Please check the venue or ticket sales site for the current pricing.
CL RECOMMENDS
CRITIC’S PICK: Futurebirds keyboardist Thomas used to be a solo act, before joining that Athens band, so his new solo album, The Joke of Life, is an extension and a continuation of what once was, rather than an attempt to distance himself from his full-time gig. His rootsy garage-pop is melodic in a Harry Nilsson-way and played with just enough rawness to be considered Americana. Members of My Morning Jacket and Drive-By Truckers help out on the album, always a good sign. — Hal Horowitz
$15-18+. 8:00 p.m. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave.NE, Atlanta, 30316. 404-522-3950. badearl.com
From the venue:
The songs on Spencer Thomas’ new LP (out 2024), much like a good joke, are many-layered. His talent is immediately obvious, with sleek composition and production throughout. There’s a nostalgic, everyman flair to his music that doesn’t hang on the influences of the past, but uses them as a guiding light to elevate his voice.Songwriting reminiscent of Warren Zevon’s later work takes the helm as Thomas examines the gap that can be left between the expectations of life and the sometimes tenuous reality. Songs like “Misty Eyes”, “Fake Rain” and the album’s title track “The Joke of Life” present light-hearted, even laughable, acceptance of the often undesirable cards we’re dealt. The album chronicles a period of change and rebirth for Spencer, who is no stranger to the open road. Beneath the album’s more obvious virtues is a wit and longing borne from the experiences and struggles of a working-class musician.