The man with the voice that calms you down when you need it
The charismatic Irishman returned to Brno after several years, accompanied by Petr Tichy on double bass and Vojtech Jindra on acoustic guitar. J Eoin comes from Limerick, Ireland but spent nearly thirty years living in London before moving back to Ireland last year. He released his latest album Sunshowers earlier this year, just guitar and vocal.
The audience in Brno had a chance to hear songs from this album as well as mixture of the older songs from his previous two albums. Unfortunately those interested in buying the albums didn't have a chance to do so this time but J Eoin gave them at least a business card to maintain the interest. The crowd was really attentive, listening to every word, not only in the songs but also in between. J Eoin's friendly nature and constant smile instantly win over those who see him live for the first time and those who already know him alike. He played mostly accompanied by the two Czech musicians who always join him when he comes to Czech Republic to play. There were couple of songs he played solo, from the aforementioned Sunshowers album. One of them being Corners in the rain, a powerful ballad written after the terrorist attacks that happened in Norway in July 2011. J Eoin often plays in Norway and has a close connection to this country. Another highlight of the night was Beir Mi O, sung in the Irish language, a love song about a man who lost his gift for music in his loneliness and longing for the woman he loves until she says he is her destiny.
During the night J Eoin clearly showed he could sing any style and feels comfortable in those shoes. Somebody cares is an example of that, sort of country song written as a tribute to Hank Williams. As J Eoin said, all three musicians on stage share the love for Hank Williams' music. Some of the songs that were played reflect J Eoin's time in London - Hungry Hill, Bermondsey Spring.He made the audience laugh when he thanked the organizers for having him and added " this is a great venue, they do great sausages and great beer."