Woody Woodworth and Jon Tyler Wiley in the Round at Offbeat Roadhouse
By WTJU
Date: 02/16/2024
Time: 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Woody Woodworth and Jon Tyler Wiley will pull into Offbeat Roadhouse Friday night, February 16, for a special songwriter in the round concert which will also be broadcast on WTJU. These two band leaders rarely do solo shows, so this is a night you don’t want to miss!
This is a free event, open to all. You can also listen to Offbeat Roadhouse on the radio (91.1 FM) or on-line, and even video stream it at WTJU’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. But concerts always sound better with you as part of the studio audience.
Offbeat Roadhouse is supported locally by Ting – lightning-fast fiber internet for your home and business. Learn more at tinginternet.com/wtju. Use promo code WTJU at checkout for a free month and $100 gift certificate.
Woody Woodworth leads the country band, Woody Woodworth & The Piners, based out of Richmond, Virginia. Established in 2016, the Piners are named for the bygone expression to Pine – a deep longing for something or someone. Influenced by Virginia’s deep musical history and Appalachian culture, Woody Woodworth & The Piners fuse storytelling with country, bluegrass, and rock and roll to create a sound that can be described as Appalachian alt-country with a steady shot of southern rock.
Woodworth’s down-home stage presence and honest vocals are backed by a no holds bar honky-tonk twang, lonesome harmonica, sawing fiddle, and driving rhythm section that draws you in and leaves you longing for a time not forgotten.
Woodworth, a Virginia native, was born and raised in working-class family where music was an integral part of daily life. At an early age, he was introduced to the sounds of Dolly Parton, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash through his beloved grandparent’s obsession with the Grand Ole Opry and country music.
Woodworth became intrigued by regional tales woven into the music, and started writing his own songs at the age of twelve. His mother, a self-proclaimed “hippie,” educated him on sounds from the late 60’s and early 70’s and introduced him to the best of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd among many others.
As a songwriter, Woodworth embodies the heart of Appalachia with his haunting melodies and tales of love, loss, and the American spirit. Woodworth writes songs of the blue-collar working class that are easy on the ears and heavy on the heart.
In 2018 Woodworth released his debut album Virginia. Americana-UK reviewed the album citing Woodworth as “…a seriously accomplished writer,”and that “…there’s something about his music that’s utterly convincing. He has that ache in his voice that imbues his every word with portent and meaning,” defining it as “…excellent folksy Americana set that marks the emergence of a serious talent.”— Jeremy Searle, Americana-UK.
Woody Woodworth & The Piners released two singles in 2020, Cherokee Maggie and Long Way Down, and a full-length live album titled Live at Richmond Music Hall. In 2023, the band is set to release two studio LPs: Outlaws & Saints, and Rebels & Dreamers.
Jon Tyler Wiley is a seasoned touring/ session musician who has performed with a diverse range of acts such as Sister Hazel, Stephen Kellogg, and Ron Holloway. As a performing teaching instructor with the MusiCorps program, he has performed on stages such as The Grand Ole Opry, The Kennedy Center and PBS’s a Capital Fourth with artists like Paul Schaffer, Aloe Blacc, John Stamos, and Trace Atkins. He has performed all over the world as a member of the Americana band Melodime.
After Wiley wrote and recorded his debut solo album, performing all of the instruments himself, he assembled a band of his close friends to bring the music to life. The Virginia Choir is made up of a seasoned musicians who have performed with acts as diverse as Keller Williams, Larry Keel, and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. The diverse band, featuring Sean Mahon (keyboards), husband-and-wife rhythm section Brian ‘Piper’ Barbre (drums) and Joanna Smith (bass), and Lonnie Southall (guitar, mandolin, vocals), is becoming known for their masterful musicianship, energetic stage performances and captivating crowd interaction. Their first single, “Laura Lee”,” was released on March 19th of 2021. Their single, ‘Strong,’ became available on April 9th of that year, with Skope Magazine calling it “Delightful”, and a “poignant yet upbeat…feel-good single.” The band released four singles throughout 2021. Wiley’s full length solo album, “The Longing,”was released to critical acclaim on February 25th of 2022, and different covers, live versions and B-sides were released through out the remainder of the year.
