Jay Clifford

w/ Owen Beverly and Crowfield

Tuesday, Dec. 2 @ Georgia Theatre

originally published December 4, 2008

'Twas a cold winter's night and the Georgia Theatre was no exception. Owen Beverly dawned the stage in his winter attire including jacket and scarf only to begin his set with the sight of his own breath. The floor was empty minus a couple of roadies, while the rest of the settling-in crowd grabbed a table and beer - lying in wait for the Charelston, SC trio of bands. Beverly opened the show to be followed by Southern Rock quintet Crowfield and wrapped up by former Jump, Little Children frontman and one of the greatest voices of our time, Jay Clifford.

Six-string in hand, Beverly opened up a strong set of songs shrouded in Southern sincerity and lyrics that take you to his hometown of Jackson, MS and through the rest of the Good Ole South. His voice was powerful and resonated in the sparsely filled theatre. Being close friends with Clifford, the young musician is well-traveled, and along with joining him on this tour, Beverly has played many shows with Jump in the past, including a show at the very same Georgia Theatre in 2004. The set ended with members of Clifford's band accompanying him on two big-rock anthems - the last of which, “Benedict Arnold,” concluded with his boisterous yet melodic vibrato, which Clifford himself openly and unashamedly admires.

Following Beverly was Crowfield, a Charelston band that is joining the tour for the last leg. Its fun yet forgettful Southern rock routine was toe-tapping and hip-swaying at best, leaving more to be desired. Two redeeming factors however: first, was lead singer, Tyler Mechem's Iron and Wine-esque beard (coveted by many-a facial hair enthusiast), and second, was the accompaniment of former Jump, Little Children bassist, Jonathan Gray.

Clifford, a verteran of the Athens music scene, seemed happy to be back in town, his home away from home, even with a whole new group of bandmates. Playing selections from older records as well as most of his new album Driving Blind, he stole the crowd's attention - finally having to encourage banter so as not to break the “cool chill thing we got going on here.” Clifford has teamed up with some of the best musicians around, and the result is a truly moving set that contains real rock and roll, imaginative yet approachable lyrics and sentimental tear-jerking moments like his rendition of “Waltzing Past the Grave” which he wrote in honor of his two-year-old at home. However, the real thing that sets him apart from many other musicians is his unmistakable voice. He has a range that takes melodies to places others can't go and the control to belt the notes that need it and almost whisper the ones that can handle it. In classic Clifford style, he came out for an encore only to ask permission of the audience to play without the PA system. What followed was music at its finest. He sang his most famous hit “Cathedrals” with the help of the whole audience, which made the large and still not packed theatre seem more like a living room and Clifford more like a friend than the musical icon that he is. Overall, Charelston gave Athens some of its finest, and we can only hope that we see some more and try to do the same for them.

Collin McHugh