BRETT SHEROKY

Tuesday April 25, 2023

@ The Basement in Nashville, TN

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Growing up in the rock music scene, it was something special every weekend to find out which of your friend’s bands were opening their basement to host a show when their parents were out of town. These shows were a little rowdy, a little wild, and quite a bit cramped… but a whole lot of fun and always so memorable.

It makes perfect nostalgic sense then as to why I love The Basement in Nashville so much.

Located just a few blocks South of the flashing neon lights and bachelorette parties that litter Lower Broadway, The Basement offers a completely different, much more vibey atmosphere.

Situated into a historic three-flat in quite literally what is the basement of the home, the venue boosts a stellar track record of legendry acts and emerging talents that have stood on their stage over the years as can be read on the stickers and past show posters that cover their walls and ceiling.

With a whole new crop of rising talents taking their stage day in and day out, The Basement’s calendar carries an eclectic blend of sonic styles, giving a wide range of artists a stage to play while providing a welcoming atmosphere for fans of live music to bask in the aura.

Brett Sheroky, a published songwriter with SeaGayle Music who has had recent cuts with Matt Stell (“Man Made”) and Jake Owen (“My Boots Miss Yours”), put on a forty-minute display in front of a solid crowd of Tuesday night faithful’s which not only showcased his strong songwriting expertise, but saw him taking another step into the spotlight of his budding artist trajectory.

The boot stomping rhythm embedded into the guitar strum of “Like You No More” immediately had the crowd toe tapping and bobbing heads as Brett bounced his shoulders in perfect timing, kicking up his boot covered foot as he wrapped his rich vocal around a distinctively modern blasted honky-tonk style.

Slapping the insatiable honky-tonk groove with a Southern rock kissed edge through “Move On Fast” kept the energy level skyrocketing as Sheroky pumped his crisp vocal into the lyric that begged to ask, “Do you move on fast or do I catch on slow?”

“Who’s drinking with me tonight?” he asked, raising a holler and swaller while the opening licks of “Worth A Shot” continued to inject the crowd with high octane as Brett pounded his voice through the familiarity of the lyric that had the crowd singing along as the guitars dripped with edginess and his voice laced into its lower dipped register through the hook.

“We got any country music fans in here?” Sheroky knowingly asked with a sly grin, eliciting a crowd pop as he shredded into the quick two-step melody of “Chickens” which instantly had hips shaking and boot heels clicking, further igniting the crowd when he mashed into “Chattahoochie” and threw a nod to an obvious musical influence.

With a slowed down pace into “Good Thing Going,” Brett encouraged the crowd to sing along with his recent single as he allowed his vocal prowess to perfectly hold tight to the heartbreak ideals of the regretful lyric of losing in love.

While new song “Ain’t No Thing” hit an addictively carefree feel into its sway along vibe, he took us straight to a Friday night, sawdust covered dancefloor with “Last Thing I Need” as he sat squarely in he pocket of a smooth country push, twisting a swampy muddiness into the guitars that teetered on tipping into a rock edge while slapping the country tilt.

After earning a rousing ovation when he spoke of working hard and not giving up even when you want to, the funkiness of “Everybody Wants” gripped the crowd as he spewed out fiery lyrics, dropping truth bombs into lines about how nobody wants to work hard for their desired goals, but wants their 15 minutes of fame.

“This is the first song that I can remember writing that was not just to pitch around town to everyone,” Brett shared as he gratefully told, “it’s one that’s opened a lot of doors for me,” encouraging everyone to sing along with his breakthrough, “4 Goodyears,” rounding out his set by perfectly bookending the blitz of new material he hit the crowd with,  by leaning into the fan favorite that brought him to the dance as was evident in the serenading of “whoa’s” as he capped off an outstanding forty minute set that left it all on the stage while the crowd clamored for more.

FULL SET LIST
1) Like You No More
2) Move On Fast
3) Worth A Shot
4) Chickens
5) Good Thing Going
6) Ain't No Thing
7) Last Thing I Need
8) Everybody Wants
9) 4 Goodyears

• Prev
• Next