Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons are a band after mine own heart. Twangy, dirty, singing about drunkenness and loser-dom, and the various women who instigate both those conditions.
Since their 2007 debut Bury Your Problems, on through 2010’s White Lighter, the group has had a rotating line-up of talented musicians coming in and out, with the one constant being Fletcher himself. He writes from a very specific place – that of a guy who has seen few highs and many lows. A bad-luck character who has plenty of times been asked to leave a pool hall, and other times been forcefully escorted. Maybe he flirted with the wrong girl? Maybe 2/5 of a straight flush tumbled out of his sleeve.
When you listen to his whiskey soaked voice and the utter frankness of the lyrics, you get the sense that whoever Fletcher is painting a picture of is fairly decent and harmless at the core, but with every step in the right direction is destined to slip into a morass of his own doing. It’s no accident that the title itself refers to the urban myth that white lighters bring on bad luck.
While Fletcher’s got the content down pat, the band does an incredible job of conjuring up outlaw honky-tonkers like Jones, Haggard, and Jennings. Around the time of White Lighter, Joe was joined by guitarist Damien Puerini, drummer Dave Hemingway and Joe Principe on bass. They’ve become known for their boot-stomping live shows and have gone on to share the stage with the likes of Deer Tick, Shooter Jennings, and Robert Earl Keen.
Joe Fletcher and The Wrong Reasons play Rockwood Music Hall, Saturday, June 9 at 11 p.m. FREE.
Splitting his time between performing and producing, contributor Ken Beasley primarily plays with his own roots/rock band, Ken Beasley & Co., as well as the power punk outfit,Missy Sport, while also curating the Underground at the Abrons music series on the Lower East Side.
