Muddy Bottom Blues
Program #264 (October 8 at 8:00pm and October 9 at 3:00pm)
Acclaimed for consistently capturing audiences’ hearts, Elijah Ocean is widely known for his distinct vocals, catchy melodies, and razor-sharp storytelling.
He’s opened for legends like Dale Watson and emerging stars such as Charlie Crockett, and backed up like-minded talents Zephaniah OHora and Michaela Anne.
He’s played to packed houses from the Mercury Lounge to the Troubadour and is a regular at festivals like Stagecoach, Americanafest, and SXSW. He’s been praised as an artist to watch in Rolling Stone, Saving Country Music, LA Weekly, Uproxx, Wide Open Country, and more.
Since his first live show, Ocean has worked his way up from total unknown to respected journeyman through his fertile songwriting and irresistible onstage swagger.
Self-reflection has been a consistent theme in his writing, but with age comes lived experiences, and his commentaries on timeless themes of devotion, divorce, and drinking have become more tangible and heartfelt. His gift lies in faithfully constructing melodies and lyrics that are rooted in the traditions of the genre, but are undeniably modern and fresh at the same time.
Taking cues from artists like Clint Black, Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Dwight Yoakam, Ocean’s aim is to take the baton from the forbearers of the straightforward American storyteller model and extend its reach to old and new fans alike.
Ocean paid his dues on the country music circuit starting in 2009 when he left his home state of Maine for Brooklyn in 2009, and then switched coasts in 2014 when he moved to Los Angeles. He began working as a bass player in dance halls, honky tonks, and casinos, playing country standards and learning all of the ’80s/’90s line dances.
(provided by Elijah Ocean)
