I first saw Joshua James live at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles with a few hundred other people. I had relatively high expectations for him based upon this performance of a Modest Mouse Cover:
Unfortunately, I came to the performance with reasonable expectations of talent, yet little to convince me that the man, and the band, had depth beyond picking good covers. What I found was something much more than I had ever expected. To be honest, I watched one of the most astounding performances that I have ever witnessed live. Covers of other artists were missing, but amazing lyrics, genuine sincerity, spectacular musicianship, truly powerful almost Morrison like presence (Jim not Van although he has it too), and stand-out songwriting were all hitting me in the face like a ton of bricks.
Joshua James and his band SHOULD be one of the most famous musicians around today. The fact that he is not more known is a bigger comment on the current state of the music industry than it is on his talent, or the will of those that adore him and his songs. I began with a cover and I will leave you with one. The great Tom Waits first sang "God took the stars and he tossed 'em" in 2004. Joshua James a few years later, and I dare say more beautifully:
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