Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

Jack West was just 13 years old when he wrote “Old Soul” in 2018, singing “An old soul is who I am...” Three years later, the preternaturally talented singer-songwriter-guitarist is now 16, with a debut album (2019’s For the Record), a live EP (2020’s Live at Easy Street Records from a New Year’s Eve performance at the renowned Seattle retail store) and a handful of “Covid singles” including “Forever” and “The Last Arcade” released in the summer and fall of 2020, under his belt.

West’s single “Missing Out,” a nod to the pandemic lockdown, features Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready who laid down a soaring guitar solo, that completed a full circle - starting with West’s performance accompanied by Eddie Vedder in Nashville, followed by the release of his first album For the Record produced by Barrett Strong who is known for his work with Pearl Jam at Strong’s Laundry Room Studio.

With his touring career taking off after an appearance at the famed BottleRock Festival in Napa, CA, followed by performances at the 50th Woodstock Celebration in Bethel, NY, and at notable rock photographer Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery in Asbury Park, West then saw his touring schedule cut drastically short in 2020. 

Indeed, West gave a little hint to his future musical direction on the synth-driven single “A Little Shine,” a track about a relationship that’s perfectly fine, though you still can’t wait to get away, what Jack shrugs and calls, in his own laid back way “just keeping it real, I guess...” His recent experimentation has led to a different process of music creation;  more complex than ever before, less guitar-driven, and developed more from synths, MIDI, piano and keyboards. 

“It’s dream-pop acid music,” says West, crediting Lana Del Rey’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club for some of his musical inspiration, as well as early psychedelic rock groups like The Doors and Pink Floyd, cementing his “old soul” status. “Times have changed,” he says about the past 18 months. “Things have gone off the rails for everybody.”

West put his focus into several Instagram and Facebook live performances, and was fortunate to play a handful of live shows in New York, Maryland and Philadelphia this Spring. West’s next scheduled performance is slated for summer at the 14,000-capacity CMAC in Canandaigua, New York, to honor First Responders.

BottleRock Talent Buyer Tom Hoppa called West “the forefront of the next generation of rock ‘n’ roll." His BottleRock performances captivated and awed audiences. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jack – he is an artist for all to keep on their radar.”
https://www.facebook.com/Jackwest32

Brody Schenk - When The Who recorded “The Kids Are Alright” in 1965, they made a timeless statement, one still ringing true today, as displayed in full force by Rochester’s homegrown 16-year-old Brody Schenk. Whether he’s ripping it on electric guitar at Abilene, Iron Smoke Distillery, Johnny’s, Mucrony’s or elsewhere — wowing the adult patrons — or cued up on a streaming platform for his precociously written and performed acoustic songs, the kid, er, young man, is alright indeed. And word is spreading, especially this past December, with Brody interviewed by (a clearly impressed) Brother Wease on the Brother Wease Show (95.1 FM WAIO) and by Wil McKenna on the ROC Show (104.3 FM WAYO), with both men delightedly comparing Brody’s original acoustic song, Charlie Brown, to having John Prine- and Bob Dylan-esque musical stylings. (The song was produced by Rochester’s own Elvio Fernandes, the keyboardist for Daughtry.) Brody was also spotlighted on EarToTheGround.com in “Three indie folk tracks to put a smile on your face”, with reviewer Greg Jones stating, “[Charlie Brown] tells a wonderfully accessible and sweet story. As you listen, you’ll be impressed … This guy just gets it.” In his interview for the Recording Artists Guild (rag.com), RAG declared, “[Charlie Brown is] such a vibrant release, we had to sit down with Brody Schenk to talk about the song and what’s next for him.” 

What’s next for Brody? Well, more new original songs coming to all the major streaming platforms, for sure. And once things return to whatever the new normal will be, Brody is champing at the bit to get back on stage to bring his genuine, spirited, and dedicated musical craftsmanship to audiences in Rochester and beyond. While Brody’s latest press has been about his acoustic breakthrough, he also tastefully shreds it on electric guitar and sings in two Rochester bands, the Old Souls Band and JUDAH. Both jam outlets deliver thoughtful originals and rock-solid covers of the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Neil Young, Phish, Wilco, John Mayer, Chicago- and Delta-blues classics, and more. (To wit: Shakedown Street—>Another Brick in the Wall Part 2—>Shakedown Street — cosmic confluence defined.) It’s rare to find a musician/songwriter with so many musical wheelhouses, yet Brody is a unique, multifaceted musical artist, one constantly working on his crafts while truly bringing joy to his audiences. 
https://www.facebook.com/brodyschenkmusic

Tickets: $15, on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com/

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