Seeing a live band can be a very different and individual experience for each and every person in the audience, some are there for a good time, some are there because they had no choice, and some are there for the music. Every time I go to a concert, I am there for the music, I want to show support for someone who has the courage to pour their heart and soul into a song and put it out there for the world to hear. The songwriter is, and will always be, the heart of the music business. Without words music is just sound, the lyrics are responsible for breathing life into a song and give it an opportunity to become significant to another human being. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with an awesome lead guitar and tight band but you can mutter almost anything over a good backing band and have a song worth listening to. The songwriter is responsible for bringing that special significance to the attention of the listener, allowing each person to find their own understanding of what the song means to them and how it relates to their life on a more personal level. You just can’t accomplish that with noise, no matter how loud you play it.
As I look back over the past five years it is clear to me that there has not been a single songwriter that has been more personally significant to me than Josh Grider. I still remember the first time I heard “Everybody Knows” like it was yesterday. I sat there in awe as each and every verse of the song genuinely meant something to me. It’s a rare occasion when a song on the radio has that much power within its lyrics. That day I found a special significance in the work of Josh Grider and I have been a fan ever since. He has since released three more albums that have not only built a stronger foundation of respect with me, but with Texas Music fans in general. If you are a true fan of Texas Music you most likely already have “Crazy Like You” on your iPod, from Grider’s 2007 album Million Miles to Go, and as great as that song is there is so much more to be discovered in his work since.
There is no denying that Josh Grider has a natural artistic talent that is just missing in many acts today. He truly stands out from the crowd when it comes to songwriting and finds himself in good company as he shares the stage with Drew Kennedy for an acoustic song swap at Schotzi’s on Tuesday, March 2nd.Both of these songwriters, while still rather “undiscovered” in their own right, possess the kind of raw talent that makes the big names in the business green with envy. This is a great opportunity to catch two brilliant musical minds working in unison in a song swap environment where there are no rules or set-lists, so anything could happen.