Last week was a busy one for Austin’s own Jackie Venson. Not only did she perform for huge crowds at two of the city’s most popular summer concert series (Blues on the Green and Unplugged at the Grove), she shared her immense talent with our team at our fifth Mood Live on July 11th at the intimate Mean Eyed Cat.
If you’re still not familiar, Mood Live is a monthly showcase spotlighting participants from Austin Music Foundation’s inaugural Artist Development Program, which provides a small group of promising musicians the tools they need to be successful in today’s music industry. As an added bonus, artists that take part in the series will have their music added to our global programming!
Jackie is no stranger to performing, and we could tell how much she enjoys it from her first note. Though it was just Jackie and her guitar, her use of loop pedals created a sound that was as strong and layered as any of the full bands we’ve seen on the Mean Eyed Cat stage. The audience was enthralled by her bluesy but precise guitar work and charmed by her conversational stage banter. The setlist focused on new material, with “Always Free” being the only song from a previous album. Watch Jackie’s performance of a new song below:
“Mysterious” will be featured on her upcoming EP, Transcends, which is due out September 30th. Vibe recently premiered “Flying,” the first single from the EP so give it a listen HERE. When we asked Jackie how her sound has evolved since her last release, she exclaimed that her new EP is the first time they were able to capture the passion and energy of her live shows on a studio recording. For more on Jackie’s sound evolution, the lessons she’s learned during her time in AMF’s ADP program, and her take on the local music scene, check out our exclusive interview:
Hopefully you’ve already seen Jackie Venson at one of Austin’s amazing music venues. If not, now’s the time because this hometown hero has a bright future ahead of her. She’s currently on the road with Gary Clack Jr. (which is fitting because she’s been described as the “female Gary Clark Jr.”). Click HERE to see if they’re coming to a town near you and get your tickets before they’re gone!
All our gratitude to the lovely ladies at Austin Music Foundation and Independence Brewing for being terrific partners.
And of course we have to give a shout out to everyone at the Mean Eyed Cat for their hospitality and the team at Loudmouth Rentals for making each artist sound their best!
Click HERE for photos and videos from all of our Mood Live events. We’re more than halfway through the series but we’re not done yet so check back for details on the next one.
– Submitted by Jessica Reed and Brad Bond, Marketing