Justin Townes Earle in rehab, postpones tour

[ih8music]

Apologies if this was mentioned here already...

 

First, there was a big dispute in Indy: http://www.nashville...-punching-woman

 

Now, he's checked into rehab and is postponing his Fall US/UK tour: http://www.justintow...s-enters-rehab/

 

 

Hope he gets his act together... Harlem River Blues is a fantastic album.

[PopTodd]

His father is gonna kick his ass. You don't make the same mistakes that your parents did and not expect an ass whooping.

Here's hoping that he gets his shit together.

[LouieB]

He was in rehab before. Justin is a mid 20s artist who comes with alot of baggage. I saw him last weekend and talked to him for awhile and he appeared to be playing the strung out NY hipster junkie. He looked horrible. Sadly he wasn't really playing. (He apparently got arrested in Indianapolis a couple nights earlier for tearing up a dressing room at a club.) You really gotta feel for the guy on one level, since he is genuinely talented guy who maybe takes his role a bit too serious, sort of like a method actor too far into his part. Not saying he doesn't have substance abuse issues, but with this new album (which is maybe not his best) set him on course for a breakout this season and Bloodshot certainly has put alot into promoting this album. He sold out Lincoln Hall (not the show I was at), which is pretty good all in all.

 

This is the second time Bloodshot has had a breakout artist ready to pop and had something happen (Scotland Yard Gospel Choir is still not back..). Anyway you have to feel badly for Justin. His new single, Harlem River Blues, feels a bit more genuine today. (Incidently, the song Rogers Park, is the stand-out on the album, written a few years back..(

 

LouieB

[Moss]

Not a huge surprise given the role models in his life, I assume it's a booze issue? Louie, I think your point about being sort of a method actor and trying to hard to live the life is probably spot on but It's got to be tough considering he finds himself in clubs every night surrounded by free drinks. I do like the new album quite a bit.

[embiggen]

like father like son

[Lammycat]

His father is gonna kick his ass. You don't make the same mistakes that your parents did and not expect an ass whooping.

Here's hoping that he gets his shit together.

Or maybe he'll be empathetic as he's been there, and loving as it's his son.

[Wendy]

Or maybe he'll be empathetic as he's been there, and loving as it's his son.

[Lammycat]

Not a huge surprise given the role models in his life...it's got to be tough considering he finds himself in clubs every night surrounded by free drinks. .

 

Good points. Plus, it's not unusual for an average Joe to check into rehab these days when things turn sideways, let alone a person with some notoriety/record deal....

[rareair]

i love his new album but was definitely worried with the report from the show at Indy.

[mjpuczko]

i was honestly worried when i read on his twitter feed a few weeks ago he was looking for a drink somewhere. i found it odd cause i thought he was sober.

[Atticus]

His father is gonna kick his ass. You don't make the same mistakes that your parents did and not expect an ass whooping.

Here's hoping that he gets his shit together.

 

I hope this is some kind of sarcasm or plain misunderstanding on my part

[LouieB]

Not a huge surprise given the role models in his life, I assume it's a booze issue? Louie, I think your point about being sort of a method actor and trying to hard to live the life is probably spot on but It's got to be tough considering he finds himself in clubs every night surrounded by free drinks. I do like the new album quite a bit.

I am not sure that alcohol was ever the main culprit with him, I think it was a bit more hardcore than that. My understanding was he already has been through rehab for the harder stuff and that he may have been continuing on a more softcore level. Seeing him and talking to him the other day was really disturbing and I didn't even know why. He is a fairly young guy and even the PR pics make him look much older and somewhat strung out. Again, I had hoped that was a bit of an act, but sadly it was not.

 

I had not read the account of what occured in Indy until today. I got the short form from the Bloodshot folks, but they made it seem like he had a reasonable (??!??!) reaction to a jackass promoter gipping him on some money. If he was angry with a fan and then freaked out, that sounds pretty serious and clearly unreasonable. If you are a performer you have to take a certain amount of flack from the audience; it goes with the territory.

 

The new album is quite good (if not as good as the previous, still high quality...) and considering his youth, the three albums and one EP he has produced is a remarkable run so far. Long may he run and lets hope he gets whatever help he needs.

 

LouieB

[HungryHippo]

I've been listening to his new album for the past 2 days and its got that Ryan Adams Heartbreaker feel to it at times. hope he gets himself straight and finds peace somewhere down the road.

[Orkie]

Idiotic. With your father's high profile addiction portfolio, you would think the kid practiced some sort of self awareness and took notes.

 

Jesus, there's just no excuse for this at all.

[Atticus]

With your father's high profile addiction portfolio, you would think the kid practiced some sort of self awareness and took notes.

 

Jesus, there's just no excuse for this at all.

 

Idiotic.

[Vacant Horizon]

Idiotic. With your father's high profile addiction portfolio, you would think the kid practiced some sort of self awareness and took notes.

 

Jesus, there's just no excuse for this at all.

 

the dude has a disease called addiction. all the note taking and self awareness is meaningless when actively using. he's not an idiot, he's sick. i have a feeling he will will be back soon. he seems to have had some solid sober time in the past. that bodes well for him.

[Orkie]

the dude has a disease called addiction. all the note taking and self awareness is meaningless when actively using. he's not an idiot, he's sick. i have a feeling he will will be back soon. he seems to have had some solid sober time in the past. that bodes well for him.

 

 

A disease is something you don't choose. This is called "lack of brain". You have to work hard at becoming an alcoholic, and make conscious choices repeatedly over a period of time. No one chooses a little bit of Alzheimers every day until it overtakes them.

[uncool2pillow]

Your lack of understanding of addiction is astounding and sad.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Certain people's brain chemistry makes them more prone to addiction. Genetics are a part of that predisposition, and while nothing guarantees someone is going to develop a substance abuse problem, this predisposition makes it more difficult for these people to stop once they start drinking and/or drugging. He'd be an idiot if he continued using and hurting himself and those around him. Instead, he's trying to get his life back on track.

 

Calling an addict stupid makes about as much sense as telling a depressed person to cheer up. It's much more complicated than that, and once a person recovers once, there's no guarantee he or she might not relapse. You might want to do your homework before you start passing judgment on people you obviously know next to nothing about.

 

I came in here to post that Harlem River Blues is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year. I was planning to go see him in Buffalo in a few weeks. It's not clear yet whether that show has been postponed like the others or canceled altogether, but I hope I get to see him play at some point.

[uncool2pillow]

Calling an addict stupid makes about as much sense as telling a depressed person to cheer up. It's much more complicated than that, and once a person recovers once, there's no guarantee he or she might not relapse. You might want to do your homework before you start passing judgment on people you obviously know next to nothing about.

This.

[LouieB]

Slightly off topic on this, I find it amazing that JTE has gathered this much of a profile in the last year or so. The fact that everyone seems to know both who he is and that he is hospitalized certainly shows he is either something of a rising star, he is closely identified with his father, or that everyone is just facinated by addiction itself. I can't tell which one or a bit of both. Previous discussions of him had a far smaller number of responses. Either way it looks like the new album is a hit, which is a break for both Justin and his label.

 

LouieB

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I've been aware of him for awhile and had been meaning to check out some of his work, but I've been finding so many new artists in the last year or so that I never got around to him. It was his track on that John Prine tribute album earlier this year that reminded me of him again. Was that album ever discussed around here? It's great stuff, and I'm not a John Prine fan at all.

[LouieB]

Don't think so. But when he gets out of rehab check him out. He is a fun performer.

 

We didn't talk about the Shel Silverstein tribute album either...not that JTE is on it....but John Prine is....how cosmic.

 

LouieB

[Vacant Horizon]

Certain people's brain chemistry makes them more prone to addiction. Genetics are a part of that predisposition, and while nothing guarantees someone is going to develop a substance abuse problem, this predisposition makes it more difficult for these people to stop once they start drinking and/or drugging. He'd be an idiot if he continued using and hurting himself and those around him. Instead, he's trying to get his life back on track.

 

Calling an addict stupid makes about as much sense as telling a depressed person to cheer up. It's much more complicated than that, and once a person recovers once, there's no guarantee he or she might not relapse. You might want to do your homework before you start passing judgment on people you obviously know next to nothing about.

 

I came in here to post that Harlem River Blues is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year. I was planning to go see him in Buffalo in a few weeks. It's not clear yet whether that show has been postponed like the others or canceled altogether, but I hope I get to see him play at some point.

 

yes, the most recent research is indicating that the survival part of the brain is a major player. frontal lobe i believe. kind of like if i saw someone try to hurt my child, all morality goes out the window and survival mode kicks in. for addicts, taking a drink/drug is literally like life or death when actively using.

 

i too am liking harlem river. good stuff.

 

Slightly off topic on this, I find it amazing that JTE has gathered this much of a profile in the last year or so. The fact that everyone seems to know both who he is and that he is hospitalized certainly shows he is either something of a rising star, he is closely identified with his father, or that everyone is just facinated by addiction itself. I can't tell which one or a bit of both. Previous discussions of him had a far smaller number of responses. Either way it looks like the new album is a hit, which is a break for both Justin and his label.

 

LouieB

 

well said. glad for the success for him and blood shot.

[Orkie]

Your lack of understanding of addiction is astounding and sad.

 

 

You want sad? Volunteer at a hospice and have a chat with the dying aids and cancer patients, and then those with Alzheimer’s. Soon you will see what a real freaking disease is, and not something that a wealthy performer who can still function in society forces on himself over a long period of time.

 

Your definition of what "disease" is changes real freaking fast.

 

No one forced these people to constantly digest drugs and alcohol in the numerous social situations likely spread out over years which caused their addictions. Even if their brain is likely predisposed to addiction, they still have the choice to not drink or do drugs. And in the case of Earle’s kid, he has no excuse. His father is one of the highest profile addict cases in rock music. His brain being geared towards addiction is irrelevant because he had all the information before hand (IE his father's much publicized story) with which to make intelligent decisions, and that's why this is incredibly stupid.

 

So spare me the guilt trip over a rich rock star's kid who had all the warning signs in the world when contrasted with a guy who doesn't even know his own name and who wets himself in the hospice.

 

Give me a freaking break.