Singer-Songwriter Jesse Terry Returns to the Living Room

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Singer-Songwriter Jesse Terry Returns to the Living Room

 

It's our LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR! He's played for us before in several incarnations but this time Jesse joins us as a fellow Virginian since he recently relocated his family and accepted a position as a teacher at Shenandoah University.

Rooted in rhythmic rock & roll and sharp songwriting, Arcadia marks a turning point in Jesse Terry's career. It's the seventh original album from an award-winning musician who's spent much of the past decade on the move, playing 150 shows annually, bouncing between solo performances and full-band gigs. Arcadia captures both sides of that musical personality, finding room for amplified anthems one moment and intimate moments the next, showcasing just how wide Terry's reach can be.

"There are so many different parts to all of us," he explains. "For me, I have the husband part, the father part, the songwriting part, the touring part… and I like embracing all those different sides with my music, too. I listen to just as much Tom Petty as I listen to James Taylor. As much acoustic Neil Young as electric Neil Young. There's a rock & roll side of me that's been waiting in the wings for some time now, and this is the first album to capture that side and present me as a whole artist."

Arcadia is layered with dueling electric guitars, stacked vocal harmonies, and heartland hooks, all supplied by instrumentalists like Ethan Ballinger (Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack), Ross McReynolds (Katie Pruitt, Becca Mancari), Sam Howard (Molly Tuttle, Joy Williams), Juan Solorzano (Ruston Kelly, Parker Millsap), and Danny Mitchell (Rodney Crowell, Anderson East). It's a big, bold sound — the sort of record that begs to be played in the car, windows rolled down, driving down the fast lane toward some new horizon. At the center of that sound is the craft Terry has been sharpening since his years in Nashville, back when he composed songs for others as a staff writer on Music Row. A grand-prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Terry established himself as a top-shelf songwriter and storyteller even before he built his audience as a solo artist, landing performances at bucket-list events like Bonnaroo and AmericanaFest along the way. Nearly a dozen albums later, Arcadia captures him at his articulate, energetic peak.

"I don’t enjoy writing songs that wallow in the past," he explains. "I'm really excited about songs that reveal the truth and help us process complex emotions and situations. Songs like 'Poison Arrow,' 'Gunpowder Days,' and 'Waiting Out The Hurricane' dig deep into my childhood and have helped me process various traumas so I can move forward. Sometimes, songs express the person you wish to be, not the person you are."

And who, exactly, is Jesse Terry? On "Burn The Boats," he's a man caught between heartache and personal transition, his gorgeous vocals sharing the spotlight with jangling guitars. On the Springsteen-worthy title track, he finds his own "Arcadia" — a creative utopia, named after the historical region in Greece but imbued with mythic qualities — in the songwriting process itself. And throughout the album, he pulls triple-duty as singer, songwriter, and co-producer (a role he shares with Dylan Alldredge), crafting a record that's as distinctive as it is diverse.

"I'm more obsessed with music than ever before," he says. "I love the idea of bringing something beautiful into the world."

 

 

Reserve Tickets

This concert is a private event. It is for friends and friends of friends. We sell tickets in advance to reserve seating as it is limited — we usually sell out. All of the proceeds from the sales of the reserved seating go directly to the artist. Please reserve your seat WELL IN ADVANCE. House concerts are a wonderful grassroots phenomenon! World-class musicians and developing local talent alike perform in the intimacy of private homes and similar nontraditional spaces!