Concert Review : ZZ Ward @ A & R Music Bar in Columbus, OH 3/25/14

“Let’s make Tuesday feel like Saturday night!”

ZZ Ward, an 27 year old Oregon native signed to Hollywood Records with a Blues & Hip Hop infused style, started taking music seriously as a tween, is inspired by a wide variety or artists such as Big Mama Thornton, Etta James, Muddy Watters, Kendrick Lamar, Tom Petty, Jack White, Tina Turner and The Black Keys. She’s rapidly making a name for herself, recording with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, The Omy’s and Freddie Gibbs, playing SXSW this year for the 3rd time and getting ready to play Coachella this month , as well as Bonaroo and 3 shows with legendary blues artist Eric Clapton.

ZZ hit the stage for a sold out show at the A and R Music Bar in Columbus Ohio March 25th, following performances by Grizfolk and The Omy’s to not only take the crowd of excited fans through a whirlwind of emotions from heartbreak to happiness, but most importantly keep them dancing and make “Tuesday night feel like Saturday”.

The energy in the room was contagious.

Running onstage in bright red leather pants, a fringed leather jacket & her signature black fedora,band in tow, ZZ Ward kicked the set off with the infectious , bluesy track Put The Gun Down and ended with the pop infused Blue Eyes Blind , both off of her debut album Til The Casket Drops.

Crowd favorites throughout the night were the Adele reminiscent piano filled pop track “365 Days” , “Charlie Ain’t Home”,a bluesy, snappy acoustic number about a girl who has another man over because she’s sick of waiting for Charlie to come home. “Move Like U Stole It”, the song about hooking up with a nerdy guy in the back of his cherry Cadillac & “Last Love Song”, an vulnerable, heart breaking acoustic ballad about finally letting go of the person you once loved that everyone in the packed bar could relate to.

SETLIST:

Put the Gun Down

Til the Casket Drops

Cinnamon Stix

Got It Bad

365 Days

Charlie Ain’t Home

Lil’ Darlin’

Hold On

We’re Going Home

Last Love Song

Everybody Wants to Be Famous

If I Could Be Her

Cryin’ Wolf

Criminal

Move Like U Stole It

Encore: Blue Eyes Blind.

4/08 Assembly-Sacramento,CA

4/09 Strummer’s- Fresno,CA

4/11 Coachella-Indio, CA

4/18 Coachella-Indio,CA

4/30 Mudd Island Amphitheatre-Memphis,TN *Supporting Eric Clapton*

5/02 Oak Mountain Ampitheatre- Birmingham,AL*Supporting Eric Clapton*

5/03 Chastain Park Ampitheatre- Atlanta,GA*Supporting Eric Clapton*

5/04 Big Guava Music Festival-Tampa,FL

6/12 – 15 Bonnaroo-Manchester,TN

6/27 Summerfest, Milwalkee,WI

7/11 Bunbury Festival-Cincinnati,OH

7/12 The Hudson Project Music & Arts Festival

8/01 Red Rock Amphitheatre- Morris,CO*Supporting Amos Lee*

8/17 Trails West Festival- St. Joseph, MO

FOR MORE INFO ON ZZ WARD :

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ZZWard

Twitter: @ZZWard

Website: zzward.com

Tumblr: zzward.tumblr.com

Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/ZZWardVEVO

*Special thanks to Heather Davis @ Hollywood Records for getting us passes & Victor Lentini @ Hollywood Records for his assistance in getting me right next to the stage.

*Photos ©Jessica Howell

You can purchase ZZ’s Debut full album, Til The Casket Drops here: