Joelton Mayfield Gets His Flowers for ‘Crowd Pleaser’

Looking at it one way, songsmith Joelton Mayfield’s debut full-length Crowd Pleaser only took about three weeks to make. But he spent the better part of a decade wrestling with the project, which finally began inching toward the light of day in 2021 and arrived in record stores and on streaming services in October. It’s safe to say Mayfield and the album have earned a proper celebration. That’s exactly what he got Saturday night when friends, family and fans strolled up the red carpet that was rolled out for them at East Nashville DIY staple Soft Junk for the release party, a triple bill featuring some of Mayfield’s close friends. 

The crowd moved from the parking lot to flit inside near the stage or linger around the massive garage door as singer-songwriter Emma Ogier approached the mic. She and her band opened with the unreleased “Hands Tied,” a slice of tranquil indie rock that was a complete counter to the ominous vibes provided by the red-tinted fog flowing around the packed space. Between most songs, she thanked the audience for turning up early and praised Mayfield, whom she credits as one of her idols. Ogier’s set featured several unreleased tunes, and she accompanied her strumming with her buttery-smooth Adrienne Lenker lilt, dipped in a Southern accent. She finished with “Believing,” one more as-yet-unreleased song, before melting into the audience.

Future Crib, on the other hand, played into the eerie red fog, taking their positions to the sound of air raid sirens, which faded into the bongos that formed the rhythmic backbone of their opening number. The feeling of their show quickly evolved into charming DIY performance art. The self-described “nonfiction rock band” performed in front of an eclectic selection of projected video clips, ranging from a spinning pottery wheel to a time-lapse of the life cycle of marijuana plants; they had an assistant who aimed his computer keyboard like a giant remote to switch clips between songs. Frontman Bryce DuBray was absent because the show coincided with his sister’s wedding, so the remaining trio — bassist Julia Anderson, synth maestro Johnny Hopson and drummer George Rezek — split his vocal duties among themselves on a run of songs that heavily featured their latest LP Impossible Songs. They concluded their portion of the evening with congratulations to Mayfield and their cover of cult icon Bill Fay’s “I Hear You Calling.”

Just before 10 p.m., Mayfield strolled casually to the mic, sporting a button-down shirt, jeans and Birkenstocks. He arranged his table of handheld sound makers, including a harmonica and kazoo, and got to work on the album-opening reverb-heavy ballad “Red Beam.” The final strum blended straight into the analog keys of “The Shore,” sounding momentarily as if the speakers were playing straight from the record. Mayfield and company continued nonstop, skipping a few songs down Crowd Pleaser’s running order to “Blame.” Only then did Mayfield finally take a break to voice his gratitude.

“Thank y’all so much for being here,” Mayfield said. “I feel like this is everyone I’ve ever met in my whole life.”

Mayfield effortlessly worked through his complex storytelling techniques, which are always backed by clever riffs. Almost like a hand-sewn quilt, the project stitches together various stories and lessons he has learned. He connected the intricate details of a young woman’s mysterious and solemn tale in “Pretty Linda,” and examined his disillusion with his former beliefs in the tender lyrics of “Jacob Dreamed a Staircase.”

A giveaway had been promised in the show promotion, and took place in due course. Winners eagerly accepted their gifts from Mayfield, which ranged from merch bundles to Crocs with Mayfield-themed Jibbitz charms.

During the witty, upbeat “Turpentine (You Know the One),” Mayfield pulled out his harmonica for some bluesy riffs, and his kazoo made an appearance later. Returning to the album’s running order, Mayfield ended his performance with “Mouth Breather,” the album’s final song that also contains its namesake within the lyrics. Instead of restricting the song to its original studio-recorded acoustic guitar version, Mayfield chose to showcase it in a different light. He transformed the track into a drawn-out pedal steel creation that hits Americana, rock and folk in all the right places. 

Before he took his last bow of the night, Mayfield reflected on the hurdles he encountered making the album and repeated his thanks for the support. 

“I didn’t know if this album was gonna come out,” he said. “I didn’t know if I was gonna make it through a very dark period. I’m really grateful to be on the other side of it.”

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• Stephen Trageser