Every once in a while one longs for a musical experience that does not involve a packed bar and/or blaring music. Don't get me wrong, rock n roll will always be in this music lovers blood but even the wildest rockers need to walk on the milder sider of life from time to time. What better way to do this than a leisurely jaunt through Borders Books on a weekend eve. Books of all varieties await along with made to order java but best of all... you can usually find one or more of Augusta's young up and coming singer-songwriters showcasing their still in the works wares. If your looking for something new, a change from the normal rotation of lokal acts, Borders has new artists, some who will make up the club rotations of the future. But for now, check out Borders. You can say you say them when!
One such up and comer is John Krueger, a singer-songwriter who mixes his love for Americana artists such as Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams with an affinity for pop hooks. Seeing Krueger live is like time warping back to an episode of the Partridge Family but with better songs. If bubblegum could be legit it would be called John Krueger. Krueger is almost two different people. The serious balladeer on one side and a clever humorous parody of himself on the other. That not a slag either, that's a serious compliment. Krueger Can drive a point across all the while grinning with his fingers crossed behind his back. Want proof? Here it be.
As we waited for our frozen mocha something or another at the coffee bar, we were stalled even further as the counter girls squealed in delight over Kruegers cover choice of Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby". Not just any version but one that would have made Peter, Paul, Mary and Weird Al proud. We finally received our frozen java along with the comments "he's soooo good". Obviously the girlies still like the teen musicians. But Kruger is no Hanson. Despite a unique pop sensibility his roots run deeper than the average Backstreet Boys does. Krueger showed his cards as he wrapped carefully played originals around covers by such important artists as Dylan (Live a Rolling Stone) and Billy Joel (Piano Man, which he played acoustic!). As any professional would, Krueger pimped his merch, acknowledging each time he performed a song that could be found on his debut release, took requests, and even humbly thanked each tipper. Despite being a tad under the weather, this fresh-faced newcomer presented a mellow acoustic show with hints of humor and personality. Krueger may come off as shy, but we think it's just a ploy to make the girls squeal.
To hear selections from John Krugers debut release check him out at myspace