Stephen Simmons hails from Woodbury, a small town in central Tennessee that’s known for Sunday socials, tent revivals and palm readings. After ten years in Nashville, Stephen is, in many ways, still that Church of Christ kid––humble, good-natured, but more than a little dark––but as a songwriter and a road dog, his revelations are as exhilarating as a Tilt-a-Whirl. On his new record, The Big Show, Stephen combines his trademark insight and dark imagery with the wry humor and irony of a gifted songwriter who’s been around and seen more than his share of the true human psyche.
When asked about this boddy of work, Simmons said that this record was about more than just the life of an entertainer on the road. ”Ninety percent of the time I feel more of a kinship with a truck driver than Dylan or Springsteen. People mainly see us in that brief window when were on stage and the lights are up, but most of the time were changing clothes in a gas station bathroom, killing time in a hotel or just driving. To me, the idea of a BIG SHOW is much more than that. It’s also a metaphor for our lives here in this World.”
Joining Stephen on The Big Show is his longtime producer and ringmaster Eric Fritsch (Sheryl Crow, Scott Miller), who also plays guitar and Hammond organ on some tracks. Other cast members include bassists Dave Jacques (John Prine, Shelby Lynne) and Tim Marks (Taylor Swift, Will Hoge), drummers Matt Crouse (Sheryl Crow, Michelle Wright) and Paul Griffith (k.d. lang, Todd Snider), keyboardist Jen Gunderman (The Jayhawks), steel guitar player Alex McCollough (The Wrights) and guitarist Dave Coleman (The Coal Men). Stephen and Eric matched this crew with songs best suited to each individual’s playing style. Other tracks feature Stephen alone, accompanied only by a beat-up Guild acoustic guitar and a harmonica. Put them all together and it’s The Big Show, a high-flying sonic marvel designed to thrill, wonder, delight and astonish.
Thrill as “Spark” tells of the lonely troubadour trying night after night to catch lightning in a bottle: I’ve been in a bus, in a van, on a plane/ ‘Till the view all looks the same/ I’ve been the stranger in town, the one they talk about/ And seen the marquee with my name.
Wonder at the enigma of “Parchcorn Falls,” a place of longing tinged with regret, set to a solid country-rock beat: There’s a time and a season/ Feels so right for no rhyme or reason/ And I’ve been thinking you and I could steal a little time/ For walking our bare feet down by that cool creek side.
Delight as “The Circus” comes to town. With his toes on the platform, watch the troubadour perform a high-wire act with his muse: It’s so hard to keep it all together/ So hard to get it all just right/ Just when I think I’ve got it all together/ Man, that’s when lightning usually strikes.
Be astonished as “C’mon World” sees our hero strap on his six string before an audience of non-believers after a twelve hour drive and no shower: My body old and frail/ I look a wreck, I feel a mess/ And I’d look in the mirror/ If I weren’t scared to death.
The Big Show is Stephen’s sixth record. His previous works (Last Call, Drink Ring Jesus, Something In Between, The Blame’s On U.S. and Girls) have found him compared to the likes of Johnny Cash, Ryan Adams, John Prine and Tom Petty. The Big Show also owes a debt to that songwriting pantheon, but also includes influences as diverse as Van Morrison, Tom Waits and the acclaimed HBO series Carnivàle. Above all, The Big Show is an event––a showcase for a seasoned singer-songwriter who’s got stories, insights and melodies that are unique yet available to all. Step right up.
"a singer-songwriter of marked depth and commitment, (he) recalls a more subdued Steve Earle, a more grounded Ryan Adams and any aggregation of three-named Texas troubadours you'd care to recall."
- -- Bill Friskics-Warren, THE NASHVILLE SCENE
"...not many singers achieve such a confident, full-bodied sound while delivering conversational confessions."
- ' Geoffrey Himes , THE WASHINGTON POST
"Vivid, intelligent and soulful."
- Rob Hughes, UNCUT (UK)
"...he's a Bible Belt barstool philosopher singing of sin and redemption. Intelligent, intense, and easy to like."
- ' Sylvie Simmons, MOJO (UK)
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