At the Doorstep of Something Bigger Than Wichita Falls
Jay Burnam's songwriter night is a revelation
Have you heard? Something is happening in Wichita Falls. Original rock music is drawing crowds. Artists who had music on the backburner are getting the urge to play again. Developers are opening new venues. First annual music festivals are cropping up on the calendar.
And some of the most incredible songwriters in our city are joining together to bring us amazing nights of profound, undeniable musical brilliance.
Singer/songwriter Jay Burnam recently hosted songwriter night at the Iron Horse Pub, and his choice of partners might have been the most genius move of the year so far. For a performance with no cover charge, when the crowd numbered a decidedly modest 19 at the beginning of the show, the impact of these artists can not be overstated.
The format was unique. Three artists on stage at the same time, each performing a few selections of original music before giving way to the next performer. There were no cover songs, only original compositions, and judging by the quality of the songs, that fact alone was hard to believe. The level of artistry and skill and introspection on display was something that we have not seen often in Texoma, the kind of thing you only see from bigger acts. Throughout the night we were struck by how these artists watched each other in disbelief; expressions of awe on their faces as they were humbled by the talent of another.
Hazel’s performance of “Mama’s Lessons,” from her upcoming release “Lessons Learned,” moved some to tears. The message, about a young woman struggling to make her own way in the world after being raised by a sometimes misguided mother, is a universal tale, resonant with young mothers everywhere. Her performance of “Bonekeeper,” about finding a long lost sister through genealogy, was similarly moving.
“Intervention” by Devin Davis was profound. It’s an original composition about his sister, and Hazel and Jay Burnam could be seen shaking their heads in wonder as Davis unleashed line after line of brilliant, personal lyrics. Davis later held everyone’s attention with a love song so new that it didn’t even have a name yet. He told the audience he had never performed the song for anyone, ever.
A glimpse into a still-nascent work of art is a rare treat.
It wasn’t just the performers in awe of each other. We looked around later in the evening and realized the crowd had swollen considerably, and as Davis sang, nobody was distracted or engaged in conversation. Everyone was watching intently, enraptured by his performance. Talent at this level is easy to recognize, and it’s not hard to understand why Davis has generated record-label interest.
Host Jay Burnam took his turns at the mic as well, performing his original compositions, including an acoustic version of “Static Legs,” a song he wrote with fellow musician Darion Ryan Roberts as part of side-project Frontier Families, about overcoming your own apathy. Like his fellow performers, Jay amazed everyone with his honest, insightful musical view.
There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be at a gig where the artists perform cover songs, or a tribute band’s performance of all-familiar music. But if you want to find yourself in the presence of greatness, at the doorstep of something bigger than Wichita Falls, in the neighborhood of artists who are going somewhere, who have something to say, you would be well-served by coming to see these artists.
Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
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