Austin, TX based singer-songwriter (and ridiculously fleet fingered guitar slinger) Jesse Dayton and his band played a swinging and energetic set of electric blues to a full house at Conor Byrne Pub in Ballard Saturday evening. Dayton has built a loyal and enthusiastic audience through years of heavy roadwork supporting a string of critically acclaimed and widely appreciated releases. As well as recording and touring with his own combo, Dayton has worked with artists such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Samantha Fish, LA punk band X, and Rob Zombie in both supportive and collaborative roles.
Dayton drew heavily from 2024’s excellent, Shooter Jennings produced ‘The Hard Way Blues’ as well as revisiting select tunes from older albums before finishing the night with a roof lifting take on Townes Van Zandt’s ‘White Freightliner Blues’. Dayton prefaced his tunes with tales of life on the road, observations on what it means to be a Texan in 2025, spending time with the likes of playwright Sam Shepard, and other humorous and interesting asides to his adoring and attentive audience.
I would be remiss to not mention Dayton’s talented supporting cast Saturday, bass player Mark Riddell and drummer Eric Tucker. There are no shortcuts or magic tricks when it comes to creating an ensemble such as the one that took the stage at Conor Byrne this weekend. That sort of steady as a rock, unshakably in the pocket and ‘on the one’ musical communication comes only as the result of many hours playing together and many miles travelled. It’s often strived for, seldom achieved, and unforgettable when experienced live and in the flesh. I’ll be more than ready for a follow up dose when Jesse and his crew next swing through the Pacific Northwest.
