REVIEWS
Brantford Expositor, July 28th, 2005.
Article by Robin Sweers
"Rusty
James Fans Travel
From Gig to Gig, Club to Club"
From Gig to Gig, Club to Club"
A chance encounter and the
advice of a friend lured Rusty James to Brantford from his comfortable
life in Whitby 2 1/2 years ago. From the moment he arrived, Rusty
was captivated by our fair city and felt right at home.
After settling into his new house and getting things there running smoothly, he set out to making his name known on our local music circuit. From gigs at such clubs as The Penaltee Box, Brando's and J's Place, Rusty quickly had a supportive fan base and he couldn't get over how those fans would travel with him from gig to gig, club to club. It was a very warm welcome to our musical community.
Rusty has quite a wide repertoire to call on. Classic rock, retro '80s, disco, blues and country, his show definitely has something for everyone. I was immediately taken by Rusty's ability to read a crowd. While I was at the Ex-Imperial Club watching Rusty perform, I could see that he was working hard to form a bond with his audience and tailor the music he played to what they wanted to hear. That is the mark of a true entertainer. Rusty wasn't working from a standard set list, he was going with the flow and tailoring the night's music around the ages and tastes of the listeners. The end result was a great night for all.
Although the crowd is quite happy with the current repertoire, it is, as with many talented performers, a work in progress. Rusty is constantly expanding his repertoire to include new tunes. He was pleased to share with me that his son is now motivating him to learn new songs so that he can, in turn, teach them to his son. As well as getting suggestions at home Rusty also learns new tunes as they are requested by audience members. It takes a lot of dedication on his part but if there is a song Rusty is asked to play that he doesn't know, you can bet he will have learned it by his next appearance.
For this solo act, Rusty James takes to the stage with his keyboards, guitar and strong voice. Although originally his musical talent was shown as a drummer, Rusty has found his niche with his current setup. As with many solo performers these days, Rusty's best friend on stage is his computer. The computer generated back-up sound gives the performer the chance to focus on one instrument and the vocal performance and give the audience the sound of a multi-piece band.
In addition to his cover tunes, Rusty has also proven to be an accomplished songwriter. He is looking forward to releasing a CD in the fall that will showcase his original material. The four-track demo of original tunes has been receiving a lot of buzz and air play from radio stations and Rusty is amazed that he now has audience members requesting his original material as well as their favourite cover tunes. Although he has promised his fans in Whitby the official CD release will happen in their neck of the woods, you can bet that there will be a Brantford release party as well. Keep an eye on this column for the details of that when they become available.
Rusty is a true Canadian when it comes to his own musical tastes. His list of personal musical influences include such bands as Rush and Saga. As he told me about his favourite artists as those who influence his song-writing style it sounded like a who's who of Canadian musical superstars. Rusty tells me that when you listen to his CD you will find that each track has a different flavour to it that reflects one of his influences. I can't wait to hear it.
Now I have talked a lot about Rusty's skill as a performer in our local clubs, but a column on Rusty would not be complete if I didn't mention his charity work. Rusty makes it a point to attend and perform at as many charity events as he can. The night I saw him perform, he had already entertained the crowd at The Creamery as they helped raise funds for ALS. Rusty's warm personality is not just part of his stage show. To speak with him is to see, or rather hear, that this is a man who feels blessed to have the life he has and he revels in the chance to give back to the community that has welcomed him with such open arms.
After settling into his new house and getting things there running smoothly, he set out to making his name known on our local music circuit. From gigs at such clubs as The Penaltee Box, Brando's and J's Place, Rusty quickly had a supportive fan base and he couldn't get over how those fans would travel with him from gig to gig, club to club. It was a very warm welcome to our musical community.
Rusty has quite a wide repertoire to call on. Classic rock, retro '80s, disco, blues and country, his show definitely has something for everyone. I was immediately taken by Rusty's ability to read a crowd. While I was at the Ex-Imperial Club watching Rusty perform, I could see that he was working hard to form a bond with his audience and tailor the music he played to what they wanted to hear. That is the mark of a true entertainer. Rusty wasn't working from a standard set list, he was going with the flow and tailoring the night's music around the ages and tastes of the listeners. The end result was a great night for all.
Although the crowd is quite happy with the current repertoire, it is, as with many talented performers, a work in progress. Rusty is constantly expanding his repertoire to include new tunes. He was pleased to share with me that his son is now motivating him to learn new songs so that he can, in turn, teach them to his son. As well as getting suggestions at home Rusty also learns new tunes as they are requested by audience members. It takes a lot of dedication on his part but if there is a song Rusty is asked to play that he doesn't know, you can bet he will have learned it by his next appearance.
For this solo act, Rusty James takes to the stage with his keyboards, guitar and strong voice. Although originally his musical talent was shown as a drummer, Rusty has found his niche with his current setup. As with many solo performers these days, Rusty's best friend on stage is his computer. The computer generated back-up sound gives the performer the chance to focus on one instrument and the vocal performance and give the audience the sound of a multi-piece band.
In addition to his cover tunes, Rusty has also proven to be an accomplished songwriter. He is looking forward to releasing a CD in the fall that will showcase his original material. The four-track demo of original tunes has been receiving a lot of buzz and air play from radio stations and Rusty is amazed that he now has audience members requesting his original material as well as their favourite cover tunes. Although he has promised his fans in Whitby the official CD release will happen in their neck of the woods, you can bet that there will be a Brantford release party as well. Keep an eye on this column for the details of that when they become available.
Rusty is a true Canadian when it comes to his own musical tastes. His list of personal musical influences include such bands as Rush and Saga. As he told me about his favourite artists as those who influence his song-writing style it sounded like a who's who of Canadian musical superstars. Rusty tells me that when you listen to his CD you will find that each track has a different flavour to it that reflects one of his influences. I can't wait to hear it.
Now I have talked a lot about Rusty's skill as a performer in our local clubs, but a column on Rusty would not be complete if I didn't mention his charity work. Rusty makes it a point to attend and perform at as many charity events as he can. The night I saw him perform, he had already entertained the crowd at The Creamery as they helped raise funds for ALS. Rusty's warm personality is not just part of his stage show. To speak with him is to see, or rather hear, that this is a man who feels blessed to have the life he has and he revels in the chance to give back to the community that has welcomed him with such open arms.
