Knoxville520.com

If you haven’t heard yet, Jodie is moving to the Big Apple, something she has been dreaming about for years! She did a farewell show at the World Grotto a week or so ago. It was already packed with familiar faces when I got there, and plenty of new ones as well. Jodie has such a great mix of fans; swing dancers and those that could be our parents, to the intellectuals and the folkies. There are families and couples, hippies and musicians from any genre. Everyone may look different or come from different places but they all agree that Jodie can sing. I remember the first time I ever heard her, I was at Barley’s picking up food, and I heard her doing sound check crystal clear. But, Jodie was at Blue Cats, across the street, and she was facing the other direction! It is amazing the power and depth in the voice that comes out of Jodie. She will be missed here in the south-east and Knoxville especially. However, I know there are tons like me who are also cheering her and Laith on, to go for it. To take their dreams one step further. They’ve been touring there a few times a year for at least a couple years now? ‘Little by little’ they say in Tijuana in reference to building a house or most anything. And Jodie has truly hung in there, and continued to do ‘little by little’. All the while building on what she has already laid done.

The show was awesome, she did some old classics, can they even be considered classics yet? Some new ones, some solo, some with Nate and Dre from the band, and some with Greg. She did some covers, and performed them all with the consistent grace and appreciation that have become hall marks of her shows. If you go hear Jodie live, you are sure to be made to feel welcome, and sure to be soothed with her voice. I was doing merch. for her and all the CD’s I sold were to one guy. Everyone else there already had them. He’d never heard her before, so he bought both of her CD’s on the spot. That’s another amazing thing about Jodie; her ratio of listeners to sales is incredible! If they played a gig in a new town and only 50 people were there, you could count on them selling at least 20 CD’s usually more. I’ve worked for and with a ton of bands and that’s rare!

The only ‘off’ thing about the show, was that Laith wasn’t there. Well physically, he was there in spirit though. I miss him, I know many people do. But, I can’t WAIT, as in I’ll gladly go to New York, to see him perform again, and I’m already looking forward to it! Road trip anyone? Something about being friends with people that have a passion, a passion that they sacrifice and work for, that gets the fire in me burning that much more fiercely. I am beyond happy for Jodie and this big move. Even if the dream isn’t yours, even if you don’t know Jodie, you gotta admit it’s encouraging when someone makes their dream come true. You can say, ‘If she did it, maybe I can _______’ fill in the blank with whatever your dream is. Not that this is the pinnacle of the dream, by no means. They aren’t done, they aren’t stopping, there is much more to do. Man I love seeing faith in action!

Editor's note: 520 wishes Jodie, as well as her future NYC roommate, 520 staffer Joe Beuerlein, the best of luck! Give 'em hell, Rydell!