event

American Aquarium, Jesse Daniel
Fri September 30, 2022 8:00 pm (Doors: 7:00 pm )
The Southgate House Revival - Sanctuary
All Ages
$20 adv/$25 dos/$100 VIP

American Aquarium Pre-Show Meet & Greet Experience

  • One premium reserved ticket in the first rows -or- one general admission ticket to see American Aquarium live 
  • VIP early entry into the venue 
  • Exclusive meet & greet with American Aquarium 
  • Personal photograph with American Aquarium 
  • Access to a private pre-show soundcheck performance by American Aquarium 
  • Q&A session with American Aquarium 
  • One tour poster, autographed by American Aquarium 
  • Commemorative meet & greet laminate 
  • Merchandise shopping opportunity before doors open to public
  • Limited availability  
DOS check-in details will be sent to VIP guests prior to show date, we will collect the VIP purchaser list from the box office manager when packages come off sale.  
VIP merchandise will be distributed at the show.   
 
VIP purchasers can contact info@future-beat.com with any questions regarding their package. 

Anywhere off Hatteras Island, Chicamacomico sounds made up, like some wine-drunk incantation or maybe a tongue twister—try to say it ten times fast. But as a former life-saving station built in 1874 on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the name is perhaps the perfect metaphor and title for American Aquarium’s ninth studio album.

The Old North State is tattooed on the bones of front man BJ Barham, who has never lived more than two hours from his hometown in Reidsville. But, more so, what better to represent an album about loss than a place built to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers? Song as a sort of salvation is something Barham hopes this album can do for the band’s established and growing fanbase. Sometimes when we’re drowning, music keeps us afloat.

“When these massive life changes happen, we feel like we are the only ones facing these problems,” Barham said. “I hope this album serves as a salve to anyone who has experienced this sort of loss over the last few years. I hope it makes them feel a little less isolated and disconnected. I want them to know that someone out there is going through the exact same shit and that they are not alone.”

With tracks tackling personal loss—the loss of his mother and grandmother, the loss of a child, the loss of youth and time and the creative spark that drives him—Chicamacomico feels stripped down and bare-boned in its instrumentation compared to earlier records. The orchestration is dialed back leaving the lyrics to stand naked front and center. It’s reminiscent of Rockingham, Barham’s 2016 solo album, and this may be in part a result of producer Brad Cook, who produced both albums as well as the band’s 2015 record Wolves. But it’s likely more a sign of the maturing sound and expanding scope of a songwriter now fully comfortable and confident in his own skin.

 

American Aquarium

Anywhere off Hatteras Island, Chicamacomico sounds made up, like some wine-drunk incantation or maybe a tongue twister—try to say it ten times fast. But as a former life-saving station built in 1874 on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the name is perhaps the perfect metaphor and title for American Aquarium’s ninth studio album.

The Old North State is tattooed on the bones of front man BJ Barham, who has never lived more than two hours from his hometown in Reidsville. But, more so, what better to represent an album about loss than a place built to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers? Song as a sort of salvation is something Barham hopes this album can do for the band’s established and growing fanbase. Sometimes when we’re drowning, music keeps us afloat.

“When these massive life changes happen, we feel like we are the only ones facing these problems,” Barham said. “I hope this album serves as a salve to anyone who has experienced this sort of loss over the last few years. I hope it makes them feel a little less isolated and disconnected. I want them to know that someone out there is going through the exact same shit and that they are not alone.”

With tracks tackling personal loss—the loss of his mother and grandmother, the loss of a child, the loss of youth and time and the creative spark that drives him—Chicamacomico feels stripped down and bare-boned in its instrumentation compared to earlier records. The orchestration is dialed back leaving the lyrics to stand naked front and center. It’s reminiscent of Rockingham, Barham’s 2016 solo album, and this may be in part a result of producer Brad Cook, who produced both albums as well as the band’s 2015 record Wolves. But it’s likely more a sign of the maturing sound and expanding scope of a songwriter now fully comfortable and confident in his own skin.

“When you are young, you want to play everything loud and fast and I think that comes, at least in part, from uncertainty. I hadn't fully found my voice back in those early days so the louder and faster the songs were the less chance someone could actually hear what I was saying. I'm not afraid of the lyrics sitting way out front anymore because I am confident in the songwriting. The band can still cut loose and take over a song, but they aren't expected to do all the heavy lifting these days.”

    Few songwriters swing the hammer as hard and precise as Barham and it is a testament to the humility and trust of his bandmates that they take the back seat and allow his storytelling to drive us home. With a heavy tour the rest of the year and a backlist of brass-knuckled bangers, each will surely have their fair share of time at the wheel.

But as for this record, be thankful for the subtlety, for the stillness and for the quiet. For ten songs, Chicamacomico will hold your head above water.

 

Jesse Daniel

Jesse Daniel possesses the hard-won life experience that many sing about, but few have actually lived. Instead of wearing those trials like badges of honor, he has used them to forge the solid foundation from which he has built his career. After overcoming years of addiction and all that comes with it, he set out to make a life in music and hasn't looked back since. This unrivaled determination led to his debut in 2018, Jesse Daniel, which proved to be a major foot-in-the-door for him as an artist. After touring this record extensively he released his second album, Rollin’ On, in 2020. If the first record was a foot in the door, Rollin’ On was a battering ram, making it near impossible to ignore his name in country music. It let the world know that Daniel was here to stay and received national (and international) praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Sirius XM Outlaw Country DJ Shooter Jennings, American Songwriter and Saving Country Music among many others. It’s success in spite of a global pandemic only highlighted the impact it had.

Daniel used the forced downtime of 2020 to write and record his best work to date; a twelve song album called Beyond These Walls, collaborating again with esteemed Grammy nominated producer, Tommy Detamore at Cherry Ridge Studios. A good portion of its songs were co-written by Jesse’s partner, bandmate and co-owner of their independent label Die True Records, Jodi Lyford, who is heard throughout singing harmony vocals. “I wanted this record to reflect where I’m at in life… a more mature album and version of my sound, but without sacrificing any of the things that make it “Jesse Daniel”. Every song on this record reflects a part of me.” says Daniel.The collection features members of George Strait’s “Ace In The Hole Band” (Ronnie Huckaby), Willie Nelson’s band (Kevin Smith), and even includes a duet, completely in spanish, with Raul Malo of The Mavericks.


Many have praised Daniel as a showman or performer, but less often as the songwriter he truly is. The subject matter on this album shed light onto this side of him that had been there all along, but many have overlooked. “Clayton Was A Cowboy” honors the timeless tradition of storytelling in country music, capturing the simplicity, hardship and tragedy that oftentimes go hand in hand with living truly and completely free. “Gray is a sad but true glimpse into what addiction can look like. Written from the perspective of a friend, it covers the helplessness one feels while watching someone they love throw their life away. Daniel said, “I’ve been to a lot of funerals in the past few years, most of them were for friends who died far too young. I wrote this song to tell the truth about what it's like, and to try and expose the glamorous image people give addiction for what it is.” 

Daniel’s worker's anthem, “El Trabajador”, taps into his upbringing, working the flea markets with his mother and step-father (a native of Northern Mexico), while “Soñando Contigo” covers unbearable grief and heartache in true Ranchera style.In the lyrics to the closing track, “I’ll Be Back Around”, is where the album gets its title. The only true bluegrass song on the album, it features masterful dobro played by Tommy Detamore, fiddle by Hank Singer and flatpicking guitar by John Carroll. While it is about doing time in prison, it transcends that narrative by being relatable to anyone who has been stuck somewhere against their will. 

This album is a love letter to country music in its many forms. It will leave you with a sense of knowing Jesse Daniel better, both as an artist and person. He has grown immeasurably as a singer, songwriter, producer and bandleader since his humble beginnings in small town California and Beyond These Walls lays out just how far he has come and will continue to go.