The Barkley Theatre at the Oats Park Art Center was rocking on Saturday night when Eilen Jewell and her band performed to a sold-out crowd. The band played for an uninterrupted 90 minutes, performing a foot-tapping collection of their original songs interspersed with quips about how many of those songs came to be.
Notes of Van Morrison, The Stray Cats, Gerry Garcia, and Credence Clearwater Survival could be heard in some of their songs which are a fusion of folk, blues, jazz, and rock-and-roll styles all rolled into one serious set of talent on stage. Jewell played her harmonica along with her acoustic guitar and also picked up her electric guitar for a few tunes. She was joined onstage by band members Jason Beek on drums, Johnny Sciascia on upright bass, and Jerry Miller on lead guitar.
Together they performed numerous songs from Jewell’s newest album “Get Behind the Wheel,” her ninth studio album that is soon to be released and is available for pre-order from her website. “We’re all social creatures just trying to find home, and we need each other for that.” She said such revelations help keep the album from ever drifting too far into despair. The playful song called “Winnemucca” for instance, embraces an openhearted joy. The instant classic “Crooked River” finds fervent hope in the possibility of a fresh start. The dreamy “Silver Wheels and Wings” shed the trappings of oneself to find buried spiritual treasure.
Jewell was born in Boise, Idaho beginning her career when she was in college in Santa Fe. She moved on to Venice Beach in Los Angeles where she continued performing, then on to Boston. She’s been releasing albums and CDs since 2006. Her band has also played nationally and internationally, and her songs reflect all of the various lifestyles and experiences. Along the way, Jewell’s husband who was also her drummer and manager had passed away. “In one fell swoop, it felt like I lost everything.” But she also said writing songs is how she deals with the things in her life, “just for the catharsis of it.”
More information about Jewell, the band’s upcoming concerts, and purchasing their merchandise can be found on her website, https://www.eilenjewell.com/.
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