Johnny Stimson Delights At The Stillery
Published
Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of attending a rather special show. It was the debut UK performance of Dallas based pop/neo-soul artist Johnny Stimson, and my oh my - it was fantastic.
After making some seriously impressive waves towards the end of last year with his debut track 'Human Man’ (which has since seen over 200,000 plays), Mr Stimson has since offered up his latest offering 'Obsession' once again proving his enviable knack for penning a track that blends an irresistible brand of feel-good pop, with well executed electronics and old-school soul sensibilities.
So it was with great excitement and anticipation that I headed down to the recently opened Camden venue The Stillery last Wednesday night. Whilst the setting didn’t quite match the grandiose feel of his music, it still felt like a special occasion, and around 9:30pm, him and his band took the stage.
After navigating his way through some early technical difficulties, Johnny was able to give the crowd an incredibly tight performance of all of his hits (and a newbie!).
Highlights included expertly executed renditions of "Obsession" and "So. Good", with the latter resulting in the whole crowd bouncing on their heels to the track’s powerful natural groove. Drummer Taron Lockett, and keyboardist Jonathan Weatherly provide the perfect backdrop to Johnny’s dizzying falsetto, with both of them seeming totally at ease in their surroundings, clearly very talented in their own right.
It’s also worth mentioning how adept Stimson is on the guitar. Perhaps left out of his recorded output for a reason, his live guitar work was nothing short of dazzling - throwing down finely polished and wildly impressive solos in all the right places.
Throughout the set, Johnny Stimson had an infectious grin stretched across his face - along with the whole crowd. The music he’s creating is timeless, instantly likeable, fun - and written beautifully. If his shows in the US are anything like the one I experienced that night in rainy London, then there’s no question in my mind that Johnny Stimson is on his way to some seriously great things. I fully expect to see him filling out much bigger rooms upon his return to the UK - whenever that may be. All I’m hoping, is that it’s sooner rather than later.
Listen to "Obsession" below:
Words by Naomi Jamieson
