I had been waiting a while for this guy to play a show in his hometown. The last time that I saw Tyler Bryant was two years ago when he and some friends were jamming on a street corner in between honky tonk joints on the famous Broadway in downtown Nashville. Isn’t that what all musicians do when they just get off tour with Jeff Beck?
So when everyone is raving about Gary Clarke Jr. as being the next big thing and crazed fans are filling auditoriums to see guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, all the cool people are packing themselves into the legendary Exit/In in Nashville to hear Tyler Bryant and the Shakedowns tear up the stage. This venue has played host to some pretty heavy hitters: Tom Petty, The Police, Johnny Cash and the list goes on and on.
The mood was set with some burning incense on stage and the intro was a medley of different artists playing over the speakers. I could hear the band doing some pre-show “go-get’em” pep talk before they appeared on stage. When Tyler took the stage he looked like some 70’s throwback – a combination of early Saturday Night Fever meets Randy Rhoads when he was in Quiet Riot in the late 70s.
It was an instant attack on the guitar as Tyler showcased his prowess for the first three songs. He didn’t start interacting with the crowd until after the fourth song when he introduced his band and told the story of him moving to Nashville when he was 17. Then he picked up his dobro and with his bandmates at the front of the stage to sing back up, they twanged out a foot stompin’ blues number called “Poor Boy’s Dream” from their newest release Wild Child. One of the highlights came when he introduced Caleb Crosby on drums, and he came out from behind his kit with a suspended bass drum and then paradiddled the hell out it. When Caleb took a breather, Tyler jumped up behind the drums and showcased his skills on the skins. For the finale of his solo, Caleb jumped off stage and parradiddled on the floor as the fans watched in awe.
Close to the end of the set he invited friend Lisa from The Veronicas to come up and sing a song called “Pyro” and they sounded great together. But, the night was about Tyler showcasing his talent; his solo’s intensified with each song. The set came to an explosive climax as Tyler kneeled on the floor of the stage holding his guitar as if he was conjuring the spirit of Jimi Hendrix. He’s a true Guitar God just waiting for his moment to shine. And when that moment happens… the world will know his name.
Set List:
Walk On
Kickin’
House of Fire
Downtown Tonight
Lipstick
Last One Leaving
Poor Boys Dream
Don’t Come Cheap
Milk and Honey
House that Jack Built
Pyro
Where I Want You
Encore:
Shackles
We would like to thank Chase Bennett and Jenn Littleton from the Tyler Bryant Management Team for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
