Empty Bar Room, Band Still Playing, Living The Dream.

            Yesterday, I noticed on Twitter that Ted Russell Kamp, was playing a show in Nashville.  I became a TRK fan years ago while he played bass in The .357’s, Shooter Jennings back up band.  I saw Shooter a few times in Seattle and in L.A. When I saw them in L.A. I was with Elliott, and we got to meet the band and hang out with Shooter a bit, and it was a great time, especially for the 19 year old country fan that I was.  At the time, Kamp opened the show with his solo act and it was great, Elliott and I bought a CD there and then the rest on iTunes, and I continue to buy his stuff when it comes out. 

TRK lives in Los Angeles now and plays shows all over the place, so when I saw he was in Nashville and I was off work I pretty much had to check it out.  It was snowing just a touch last night and in this town if it looks like snow, NO ONE goes out.  I got to 12^th and Porter, at 8:00pm when the first guy, Hugh Mitchell was supposed to be on.   There were 4 people working at the bar, and me.  The stage was down stairs and not open yet, so I thought maybe I read the times wrong, where was the line of people?  This was Ted Russell Freakin Kamp?!  I got a beer and leaned against the bar and waited for the show.  There as about ten of us down stairs by in the stage room and I was litteraly the only on that was not friends with the band… yet.  Ted played bass for both opening acts, it was real rock and roll, Americana, with some bluesy country twang, good stuff all around.  Hugh Mitchell was great, then Bart Ryan went on and did a solo singer songwriter act, it was a really fun show to watch.  Between acts before TRK went on, He was talking to a girl and I heard him say, “Excuse me I need to go introduce myself to the one guy I don’t know here…”  Which was me.  We talked for a bit I told him I saw him with Shooter a couple years ago and have been a fan ever since, and living in Nashville now I was excited to come see his show tonight.  He appreciated it and thanked me for coming.  He and his band did an awesome show, I felt like I got to sneak into his band practice, because at this point there were five of us in the audience, probably a little disappointing for him, but way cool for me. 

He did some new stuff, some old stuff, and then said, “Thank you to Mike, for doing the sound, Jeff, working behind that bar… and Hell, thanks Laura for being here, Cooper, and Michelle, thanks for staying.”  Then the last song he played was “Steady at The Wheel” a song he wrote and Shooter Jennings cut on his first album “Put the O back in Country” and said, “Coop, this one’s for you, welcome to the club, its not a big one, but it’s beautiful” He’d already dedicated the love songs to all the girls there. 

After the show we talked a little more, apparently he has lived in Seattle, L.A. and Nashville, places I too have lived.  I told him he rocked, I already had all his CDs, which he replied “Really? Cool!”  And he said good luck with your music, he loves banjo and said keep me updated on your music, as he comes to Nashville every few months.  And I signed up for his email list.

I realize Ted Russell Kamp isn’t Brad Paisley and a lot of people don’t know who he is, but I am a big Shooter Jennings fan, and I have been listening to TRK for the last six or so years, and I am a fan of his.  To me he is a great country artist just like Dierks Bentley, Jack Ingram or Brad Paisley.  I had no idea there wouldn’t be many people there last night, and they were so good, there should have been a packed house, but I enjoyed it the way it was. I also loved that everyone there loved being on stage playing, I'm sure they wanted a bigger turn out, but they were going to rock faces off either way.  to me,  he’s living the dream, I can’t wait to play an empty room and meet a few people that say “I love your music” or “I love that one song, I lived it!”  And head out to the next show the next day!  Keep it up TRK and if you want to hear some great music, listen to some Ted Russell Kamp!