Joe McGuinness headlines a night of blues / folk / americana roots music with special guest Bill Sheffield. Pre-show open bluegrass jam begins at 6pm; show starts at 8pm.
$7 Adv – $10 Door
Doors @ 6 PM (pre-show bluegrass jam)
Five minutes into a Joe McGuinness set one would be inclined to believe that Joe was born with a guitar in his hand. Joe started playing the piano around age 3, picked up the saxophone at 9, the guitar at 13 and later learning the banjo.Joe grew up in a large musically diverse family. Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma and Grandpa along with a slew of kids, all singing together was a regular occurrence. Gathering at his Grandparents was the, “hub of food and harmony” says Joe.
Joe started writing early on at the age of 13. A tune about losing his grandfather who had recently passed, called "Reminiscing". The attention he received from it pushed him onto the songwriters path. He joined his first band shortly after picking up the guitar, playing lead with a group of much older musicians. "It was great," recalls Joe, "I was 13 and the rest of the guys were all in their 40s, and treating me like I was a key part of the band.” Joe's style was morphing as he got older, as it does every couple years.
Joe finally set out to complete his first professional album. Songs for From These Seeds were written in this mysterious period of transformation, the album revealing a snapshot of the man and what he has been through so far in life. This first attempt brought quite a buzz, including winning the Atlanta Blues Challenge in 2008, and the CD was named Atlanta Blues Challenge's Best Self-Produced CD as well as making it to the top 25 of the International Blues Challenge Best Self-Produced CD's.
Since releasing this award winning, highly acclaimed album, Joe has been hitting the Atlanta scene hard, amazing audiences with his acoustic guitar work, powerful voice, innovative song styling, and mockery of the banjo. Playing with many musicians around Atlanta's thriving music such as The Wood Brother, Levi Lowrey, The Wheeler Boys and more, wowing crowds with his solo show and trio, The McGuinness Trio.
In 2010 Joe released Tin Umbrella, a full band sound. As with each of Joe's songs, these are a continuing journey in Joe's life mixed with a unique collaboration featuring Oliver Wood on the title song.
Joe’s has taken his songwriting to a new level with his new album, Teeth, released in April 2014. Each song is beautiful and as different then the next. Coving “Fishbone Joe” by Donnie McCormick with vocals from Bill Sheffield, Dave Roth and Josh McCormick (Donnie’s son) It's a well deserved tip of his hat to the Georgia music legend that Joe had the privilege of calling his friend. And just like Donnie, Joe will captivate your soul with his songs. Get yourself out to a show and prove me wrong. I dare you.
Joe McGuinness Official Site
Joe McGuinness on Facebook
Joe McGuinness on iTunes
Everything about Bill Sheffield is authentic. It's there in the intense, transcendent way he finger picks his guitar with hints of John Hurt and Blind Blake flashing through. It's there in his songs that wrestle with earthly pleasure and the need for redemption. And it most definitely is there in Got A Gig, Gotta Go, his 9th studio recording on American Roots Records. Journal On A Shelf, Sheffield's release and the new Got A Gig, Gotta Go distill a lifetime pursuit of authentic American roots music that announce the arrival of one of the most significant roots musicians to emerge in the past decade.