Justin Paul Lewis
Lately there's been a lot of Louisville/Lexington bleed-over and I couldn't be happier. Bands from the two cities are pairing up for shows in each other's towns, collaborating on albums or doing mini-showcases of their city's skill. While there wasn't any sort of official "Louisville comes to Lexington" billing about this weekend's Houndmouth/Justin Paul Lewis show, it was a great opportunity for those of us who find it hard to make the hour+ haul trek to see shows in Louisville with any regularity.
Houndmouth proved to be a pretty big draw in Lexington. They had Cosmic Charlie's about 1/3 full before anyone took the stage. But if they were the draw, Justin Paul Lewis was the "But Wait There's More" of the deal. He opened up with a nice meaty set that stretched far beyond his 4-song EP. He sang with a trumpet player who frequently got to lengthen portions of songs just to jam. It was awesome, but I couldn't shake the feeling that seeing JPL with a full band would be even better.