Ryan Bingham

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Ryan Bingham at the Ryman in Nashville TN, USA, November 11, 2019

Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.

Kurt Vonnegut 11.11.1922 – 04.11.2007

by Melodie Cody

I saw Ryan Bingham for the first time at a small venue in Indianapolis in 2013. Honey Honey opened for him. It was a great show, but seeing him at the Ryman this November was beyond expectations.

Jamestown Revival (credit: Melodie Cody)

Jamestown Revival opened for Ryan Bingham with a seated acoustic set, the band sitting closely together in the middle of the stage. Their first song, Crazy World (Judgement Day) quieted the crowd. Each song was done with incredible harmony that filled the Ryman Auditorium.

Ryan Bingham came out on the Ryman stage in a red jacket, a Kurt Vonnegut t-shirt (I am from Indiana, this impresses me), pants and a nice pair of boots. He launched into Nothin’ Holds Me Down and then Jingle and Go. The night was full-on Americana Rock n Roll/Folk music. His band was top notch and included Jesse Dayton on lead guitar and Richard Bowden on fiddle. Back up choir Candace Coles and Tara Stinson. Not one song was a disappointment to the packed auditorium.

Ryan Bingham was born in Hobbs, New Mexico and that is where it all begins. His show incorporates his life experiences and how he evolved into a musician with each song played. We got to hear a story about his early life, finding his dad, which lead to his learning traditional Mariachi cords. How he wrote the song, Wolves, after the Parkland shootings and the creation of March for Our Lives. Some of his stories are delivered with a dry wit and other of his stories delivered with the seriousness they deserve.

Before the evening ended, Jamestown Revival came on stage to sing with Ryan Bingham on Willin’ (Little Feat 1971) and the closing song of the evening, Southside of Heaven also accompanied by everyone in the audience. All of it making it an evening to remember.