Carmel, Indiana
Photos and Review by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos)
I’ve covered a lot of really good musicians the past few years, along with some great ones and a few phenomenal ones. Ayron Jones fits into the last category. The first time I saw him was in 2017 when he opened for Theory of a Deadman. I remember telling everyone afterwards, “You have got to check out this guy – he’s incredible!” Since then, he’s been signed to Big Machine Records, toured with numerous first-rate bands, and is starting to gain the popularity he deserves.
On Thursday, August 9, 2023 he opened for pop-rock act Daughtry, and I know there were a lot of people saying the exact same thing I said 6 years ago. The soft-spoken Seattle native performed an amazing acoustic set that earned him much respect and many new fans in the audience.
Ayton Jones is a rocker, so I wondered how comfortable he would be perched on a stool with just a mic and a guitar. He seemed fine, though and his set was full of rich original tunes with a couple of extremely well-done covers, and included the acoustic debut of his 2023 hit, “Blood in the Water.” (That one was so well done it gave me chills!) The audience responded with cheers and applause for his lightning-fast strumming on “Baptized in Muddy Waters,” and his improvisation during the Jimi Hendrix classic, “Hey Joe.” His cover of “Purple Rain” was soulful and extremely well done.
Jones was accompanied onstage by guitarist/bassist /vocalist Matthew Jacquette, and you could tell the two were having fun together. Although it was a more toned-down set than the typical Ayron Jones show, it was still spellbinding.
Ayron Jones will be on the road with Daughtry’s Bare Bones through the end of September, then will be hitting the festival circuit. For more information, check out his website below:
To learn more about The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, click here: