JD McPherson: The Sheen Center 2024

With the release of Nite Owls in late September, JD McPherson returned with his first album of original songs in six years. While he still draws from stories stirred by his Oklahoma upbringing, and adroitly and soulfully meshes rockabilly and rock 'n' roll, McPherson also leans on surprising guitar influences on Nite Owls, from the reverb-splashed film scores of Italian composer Ennio Morricone to the dark opulence of Depeche Mode.

The album, which McPherson produced, didn't have the easiest birth. “I actually recorded a version of Nite Owls several years ago in L.A., but the environment within my band just wasn’t working at all,” explained McPherson in a press release. “It was a painful time. And then the pandemic hit, and I went pretty dark.” He resurrected the project with a new band (of old friends) and a refreshed focus in Chicago at a studio where he recorded his 2010 debut album, Signs & Signifiers, Reliable Recorders.

In addition, McPherson has been touring with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (as their opener and touring guitarist). He even wrote a new children's book, Socks: A Kid’s Christmas Lament, cleverly based on "Socks," the title track of his Christmas album.

McPherson and his current band — drummer Chris Gelb, guitarist Doug Corcoran, and bassist Beau Samples — played an exhilarating 10-song set for Marquee Members at the Sheen Center that included a trio of tracks from the new album — "Sunshine Getaway," "The Rock & Roll Girls," and "Just Like Summer."

[Recorded: 9/3/24; Engineered by Jim O'Hara; hosted by Eric Holland; produced by Meghan Offtermatt; Videographers: Louisa Schramm, Therese Burgo, and Lyla Toomey]