JESSE ROPER + BEN CHAPMAN
Blues / Americana / Southern Rock
Doors 7pm / Show 8pm *See venue bag policy*
18+ Valid ID required for entry into venue / Under 18 permitted with parent (Accepted forms of ID: State Issued ID or Driver's License, Military ID, Passport.)
JESSE ROPER:
Jesse Roper is a blues/Americana artist with a penchant for writing modern indie infused blues music and delivering bombastic live performances buoyed by his virtuosic guitar playing. His innate and impressive musical talent has served him well, giving him the flexibility to play with soul icon Booker T. Jones, rock veteran Colin James, blues belter Beth Hart, and Canadian legend Burton Cummings. The stage is where Roper shines. It has been his home since overcoming crippling stage fright during his early twenties. Fear is a part of Roper's past that barely seems real today - especially when you see the in-concert image of a six-string solider, hair matted to his face, tearing up the stage, without a hint of second guessing.
Roper's last album 'Horizons' marked a sonic high point in his career thus far. Working closely with famed JUNO-nominated producer Gus van Go (Metric, The Stills, The Beaches, Arkells, Sam Roberts) on that new collection of songs pushed Roper into creating some of his best work.
His newest single "Make It All Work Out" is the first of multiple energetic, fresh, soulful and R&B inspired tracks from a forthcoming LP that harkens the voices of JJ Cale, Leon Bridges, Alabama Shakes - while maintaining Roper's strong and unique expression in the genre.
Adventuresome doesn't properly describe Roper as an artist, because when the guitar-wielding dynamo sets out to accomplish something, there's no telling where his mind will wander, or when his energy will go.
BEN CHAPMAN:
Ben Chapman's musical journey began at 16, inspired by fellow Georgian Channing Wilson's advice to move to Nashville after turning 21. Chapman spent years refining his self-taught guitar skills, playing countless local gigs and learning to captivate audiences—an experience that later influenced his new album, Downbeat, and its title track "Downbeat," which celebrates music's soothing power. Released on December 13, Downbeat showcases Chapman's confident "southern-funk jam-band country thing," a sound he deepened by immersing himself in The Band's storytelling.
While he initially focused on songwriting for other artists, including Flatland Cavalry and Muscadine Bloodline, Chapman is now centered on his own artistry. He frequently collaborates with his wife, singer-songwriter Meg McRee, and recorded Downbeat with producer Anderson East, a partnership he describes as a "breath of fresh air."
Now a Nashville resident for almost six years, Chapman continues to connect with his roots through "Peach Jam," a recurring event featuring artists like Brent Cobb and Lainey Wilson, all while preparing for his first headline tour and sharing his "true self" through his evolving music.
