Before Cody Jinks and The Tone-Deaf Hippies performed the last song of their show at Nebraska’s Ralston Arena on Friday, February 7th, Buck Bennett had a few words to say. Bennett, who runs Buck’s Bar and Grill in the tiny town of Venice, Nebraska, said he’s been a fan ever since Jinks walked into his “shithole bar” and “played for nobody.” Now, before a crowd of a few thousand folks, Bennett said that with Cody, even though he’s playing bigger venues, it’s not so much about the show as it is about the songs.
It’s a sentiment that’s hard to argue with. People don’t go to a Cody Jinks show to hear of couple of hit singles (his songs aren’t played on mainstream country radio anyway), but tend to hang on every word of every song, usually singing along. Of course there are long-standing favorites, but Jinks is a prolific songwriter — his 22-song set didn’t contain any covers.
That’s not to say Jinks does it all by himself. Over his country music career, he’s amassed a tight-knit group of co-conspirators who get together to write songs. Before playing “I’m Not The Devil,” the title track to his 2016 album and a song he co-wrote with Ward Davis, Jinks told a story about it taking awhile to find his country music friends, and how they all help each other out. Many of these friends helped write the songs on After the Fire and The Wanting, albums released one week apart last October, and which both reached number one on the country album sales charts. Davis, Josh Morningstar, Tennessee Jet, Paul Cauthen, and Rebecca Jinks are just a few of Jinks’ collaborators.
In addition to a stellar group of songwriters on the front end, Jinks’ band, The Tone-Deaf Hippies, is the engine that powers the live performance. David Colvin (drums), Drew Harakal (keys & acoustic guitar), Joshua Thomson (bass), Chris Claridy (guitar), and Austin “Hot Rod” Tripp (pedal steel), cohere the whole affair, and can finesse a piece of music or put the hammer down with equal reliability.
Speaking of friends, Jinks brought along a couple of openers who are on the rise in the independent country music scene. Alex Williams performed a short set to get things started, working through songs from an upcoming album as well as several tunes from his acclaimed debut, Better Than Myself. Jinks came out to add harmonies to the chorus of Williams’ ode to being oneself, “Freak Flag.” With a style and voice that brings to mind 70’s power country, Williams seemed right at home covering Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Back My Bullets.”
Nikki Lane was up next. The unapologetic daughter of an asphalt paver and a single mother, she said life is what it is and sometimes you just have to figure it out. Her hard work and authenticity make songs like “Try a Little Harder” connect emotionally with fans. When her “tour manager who is also the sound guy who just became guitar tech” was changing a string on her guitar, she entertained the audience by singing the first song she ever wrote, years ago while stuck in traffic in California. She sandwiched one of her tunes inside a cover of what she said was her favorite song, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing In The Dark.” With three strong albums to her credit and another coming soon, Lane is definitely figuring it out.
Jinks opened his set with “Same Kind of Crazy as Me,” from The Wanting and from there on, the audience was in full participation mode. All of Jinks’ songs are heartfelt and honest, no matter the subject matter. As reflections of life, many deal with actions and consequences, inner struggles and trying to do the right thing, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. “Tell ‘em What it’s Like,” a song Jinks wrote for his wife, reveals an often overlooked side to being a successful touring musician. “Somewhere in the Middle” was sung for all the blue collar workers in attendance. “Which One I Feed” addressed the struggle of the good and evil inside of us all. “Cast No Stones” reminded us that we can be true to ourselves without disrespecting others. These songs connected on a deep level with fans. When Jinks asked the crowd who had seen him before, and then who was seeing him for the first time, he thought it was about a 60/40 mix, which says that more and more people are climbing aboard his country music authenticity train. It’s refreshing that, although he’s less likely to play little venues like Buck’s Bar and Grill these days, he hasn’t forgotten those who were there in the beginning, and invites them to come along for the ride.
After having Bennett and Williams and Lane and a couple of others join the band for a run through “The Raven and the Dove,” Jinks closed the show with “Loud and Heavy,” a song from 2015’s Adobe Sessions. The following day, Jinks learned that a million copies of this song had been sold, landing him a platinum record. To use a phrase that Jinks had enthused to the crowd Friday night, “Ain’t bad for some poor white trash from Fort Worth, Texas.” Not bad, indeed.
Cody Jinks, Ralston Arena, Ralston, Nebraska, February 7, 2020
Same Kind of Crazy as Me, Must Be the Whiskey, Big Last Name, Mamma Song, Tell ‘em What it’s Like, No Words, David, Wounded Mind, Holy Water, Think Like You Think, The Wanting, I’m Not The Devil, Somewhere In the Middle, One Good Decision, What Else Is New, Which One I Feed, Ain’t a Train, Lifers, Cast No Stones, Hippies & Cowboys
Encore: The Raven and the Dove*, Loud and Heavy
*with Alex Williams, Nikki Lane, Buck Bennett and others
5 Responses
Is there any way to get a printed copy of the one with Cody Jinks. I was in one of the pics and would like the article.
Hey Brad – are you asking for a photo print?
I’d love a print of the first picture. That is my mom Cody is reaching out to. Could someone reach out to me and let me know what I need to do to get a copy either emailed or something. Thank you so much for catching this special moment.
You can email the photographer: [email protected]
Thanks so much