Nashville bandleader Johnny Jameson enjoys making the merry, and sometimes mournful, music of the traditional Irish-Celtic genre.
The singer and guitarist, who performed in Ellijay with his band The Empty Pints last March, is excited about returning here for a solo show at the George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse Friday, March 12, at 7 p.m.
“I’m looking forward to doing a good show for some good people and having some fun again,” he said.
Originally from Massachusetts, Jameson said he’s been performing the celebratory style of Irish folk music for almost 20 years. Of course, his busiest time of year is around St. Patrick’s Day.
“Even if you’re not Irish, it’s easy to enjoy it because it’s such a festive style of music. You can’t help but swing your beer glass, sing along or clap,” he said. “I’ve (only) done a couple of shows this year. Even if it’s just two or three a year, it’s still wicked fun and I enjoy every bit of it.”
Booking an artist of Irish decent, or one who specializes in that style of music, has also become somewhat of a St. Patrick’s Day tradition for Gilmer Arts. Past performers booked in that capacity include The Irish Rovers, Cherish the Ladies, The Prodigals, former Celtic Women vocalist Chloë Agnew and, last year, Johnny Jameson and the Empty Pints.
“The Appalachians were settled by a lot of people from Scottish and Irish heritage, and I think people just really like to celebrate Irish culture,” noted Pam Burns, Gilmer Arts Gallery manager.
Jameson expects to cover a festive mix of traditional Irish music, as well as popular selections by more modern artists.
“I have a 6-string and a 12-string guitar, and I’m kicking around the idea of bringing the banjo with me for one or two songs. It’s still a fun show, just with less people to look at,” he said.
“I do mainly traditional songs, pub songs and sing-along songs. Most of the songs, you can pick up the chorus in a matter of about two minutes if you don’t already know it. I’ve got some stories and some song tales. I dip into the Irish Rovers and Clancy Brothers songbooks a bit, and also do a couple of songs by U2 (and other Irish groups).”
Burns said Jameson and the Empty Pints were the last concert at the downtown Ellijay playhouse before the COVID-19 shutdown last March. After that, the venue temporarily closed and begin rescheduling almost a year’s worth of already booked performances.
His solo show will be the first concert to be presented there in almost a full year.
“Last year was our first time there and we just about had a full house. The show sold out and almost all the seats were filled, but a couple were empty because of (COVID),” Jameson said.
There will only be 40 seats available for the St. Patrick’s show, noted Burns. The venue typically seats 120, but live seating for all upcoming events will be limited during the continuing pandemic.
“Masks are to be worn and chairs will be arranged in groups of two and three set in sections 6 feet apart. We’ve done this for (our) storytelling (events) and it’s worked very well. The building will also be sanitized before and after the concert,” Burns said.
Gilmer Arts also plans to have a live streaming option in place for Jameson’s show. It will also be used for some future performances so ticketholders can watch from home if they choose.
“We are retrofitting the theater with video cameras to allow us the ability to live stream. We received a grant for part of this purchase. The plan is to have this operational for Johnny’s concert,” Burns said.
Live streaming is something Jameson has been doing recently with another band he plays in, a ‘50s tribute group, as the pandemic has greatly limited his ability to perform in person.
“We’re just now starting to book live shows, starting with this one. We also have a bunch of theater shows rescheduled for summer and fall. I’m hoping this is the beginning of things getting back to a new normal or some kind of normal or (at least) something exciting,” he said.