Photos and review by Jenna Hughes
Every once in a while an artist comes along that is refreshingly different from the norm, and Jessta James certainly is that. The Montana native brought his unique blend of country, hip-hop and rock to Atlanta this past Tuesday night.
Playing with an impressive backing band that included a very talented violinist, Jessta had the crowd hooked and moving closer to the stage with every song played. Jessta’s performance was high energy and infectious as he delivered songs from his debut album It’s Time To Get Right, such as “If That Ain’t Country” and “Rock-N-Roll Angel”. His style of rapping over country/rock music is reminiscent of Kid Rock but is also highly melodic. “Time To Get Right” showed the softer side of Jessta James, a song about drug addiction that he dedicated to his deceased older brother Matt and “anyone going through a hard time.” The song was powerful and moving and clearly very meaningful to the performer. A cover of the Allman Brothers’ southern rock classic “Midnight Rider”, had everyone in the crowd dancing and singing along. The set also included a cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”
Jessta was offering free copies of his album to anyone who signed the mailing list and by the end of the night there were hardly any left on the merch table. It’s clear that Jessta James has made an impact on Atlanta that will continue to spread across the U.S. as he finishes his current tour.
Jessta is part of a 3 week residency at Vinyl! See him again or for the first time on Tuesday, January 22nd and Tuesday, January 29th!
