Justin Townes Earle @ First Avenue 2/14/11 (Concert Review)

"Ladies & Gentlemen...I'm all hopped up on B-vitamins right now."

That's how Justin Townes Earle greeted the two-thirds full First Avenue crowd who opted to spend their Valentine's Day listening to songs of heartache, misery and addiction. It was an obvious nod to his recent struggles w/ drugs and alcohol, as well as the newfound cold he had been fighting (which anyone who follows his Twitter ramblings already knew). As the chuckles settled, he went right into a raucous rendition of "Move Over Mama," which got much of the eager crowd bouncing in approval.

For anyone that had seen JTE before last night's First Avenue debut, the set was a nice little change of pace. His upbeat numbers, like "South Georgia Sugar Babe" and "Ain't Waitin," were sped up just the right amount, giving off more of a rootsy feel; the kind that Minneapolitans have steadily grown accustomed to thanks to the likes of locals Trampled by Turtles and Pert Near Sandstone (minus the banjo, of course). Josh Hedley, JTE's masterful fiddler, worked the crowd into a frenzy time and time again, laying down fierce solos while Bryn Davies and her standup bass kept the tempo jumping.

On the other hand, his slow songs were taken down to an even more deliberate pace. "Mama's Eyes" and "Christchurch Woman" were gorgeous in their delivery and even more beautiful in their intent, absolutely mesmerizing the entire First Avenue floor. Before getting into the appropriately named "Slippin' and Slidin," JTE delved into his addictive past [present?] even deeper. A few unwelcome "woos" came from the steadily more-intoxicated onlookers as JTE declared his love for cocaine and getting high, not the kind of response one would want to give a budding talent that has battled significant chemical dependency in the very recent future. It really makes one hope that he doesn't dive into his demons again, as JTE is on the cusp of what could be a very promising career.

As the night came to a close, we were treated to a luscious new track from JTE's forthcoming album to be recorded this fall and a nice stripped-down version of "Harlem River Blues." When one anxious member of the crowd yelled "Can't Hardly Wait!" (in reference to JTE's brilliant Replacements cover), he responded with "Do you really think I'm not going to play that here?" The encore began with a smart & lively take on Springsteen's "Racing in the Street," and closed with, what else but that aforementioned 'Mats classic.

The 90+ minute set was often amusing, sometimes sad and always enjoyable. JTE shined where you'd expect and left himself vulnerable where you wouldn't. While the setting and context was lacking in stereotypical Valentine's Day romance, only the coldest soul would have left not feeling their heartstrings tugged in some direction.