Bones Owens, who currently resides in Tennessee, has been on the road bringing his southern Americana, soulful, bluesy rock sound to towns around the US since early May. His frequency of performing is picking up in support of his third full-length album, Best Western, that’s due to hit stores on September 19.
Born and raised in Vandalia, Missouri, this tall, tattooed, Midwest “boy” at heart had a slew of friends and family make the nearly 2-hour drive to St. Louis on a Thursday night to catch his show at Off Broadway.
The troubadour pulled out a few of his older songs, including the thoughtful “Just in Case It Rains” and the gentle “Make Me No King.” He also performed the heartfelt, almost melancholy “Keep Rollin’ on,” which he prefaced by saying, “This song is about where I grew up. Fly over country. I’m proud to be from the Midwest. I’ve been drawn to this song a lot lately. It centers me and brings me back to my roots. The older I get, the more I appreciate where I grew up.”
He then brought out the electric guitar to rev up the set with the driving “Keep It Close” and a few from his upcoming album.
Aside from the array of amps, the stage was stripped down with a cluster of guitars off to one side and a drum set (complete with drummer) on the other.
Bones Owens is one of those understated performers who is comfortable on stage, and this concert photographer highly suggests catching him on tour while you can still see him up close and personal.
Hannibal, Missouri-based Sundown Shot opened performing classic covers from the likes of Jimi Hendrix to Tom Petty to The Kinks. The four lads included an original instrumental they call “Peanut Butter” that gave a nod to the ’70s rock groove vibe. In a place such as Off Broadway it would have been ideal to hear more of their own music if they have any. As it was, the members have mastered their instruments and the crowd enjoyed hearing their renditions of the chosen covers.
Originally slated to perform at The Duck Room in St. Louis, the move to Off Broadway, a much warmer room, enhanced the overall experience and mood of a Bones Owens show.
See all photos from the night here: https://bit.ly/BonesOwens25cz
