You may not have heard of Joshua Cruce because he hasn’t been a Chattanoogan very long.
He’s mostly played open mics, and he doesn’t have any albums on Spotify or Apple Music for me to link you to. So you’ll just have to trust me here.
But Joshua Cruce is my favorite Chattanooga songwriter, and when he plays a pop-up concert on Thursday September 5th at Vagabond Barber Company, I hope you’ll make an effort to come check him out.
First and foremost, because he writes truly special songs about huge ideas like quantum mechanics, alternate dimensions, and the butterfly effect.
But there’s another reason I want you to come to his concert. And that’s because while Joshua Cruce is a Chattanooga songwriter today, there’s no guarantee he’ll be a Chattanooga songwriter tomorrow.
Cruce has led a nomadic life since leaving his home in Texas. An avid mountain climber and hiker, he traveled extensively out west, collecting stories and writing songs along the way.
Like so many before him, he found himself drawn to the mythology of Nashville. But also like so many before him, that infatuation was brief. While looking for regional open mics, he found out about the Tremont Tavern’s weekly meetup and headed south to Chattanooga.
Flash forward a few months, and he's still here. He’s played shows at the Cherry Street Tavern, the Ashville Dispensary, and the Woodshop.
It was at the Woodshop where I saw him sing a song about learning to accept the choices he’s made in life. It was so powerful that he earned a standing ovation from an older gentleman who – no joke – had a broken leg and struggled to get to his feet.
But this song may be my favorite of his. It’s called The Wrangler Cafe, and it tells a story I’ve never heard in a song before. It’s about a wide range of different people who impact each other's lives in profound ways they’ll never understand.
The song is passed verse-by-verse to each new character as they briefly intersect and alter each other’s fates. Cruce’s poetry and sense of empathy makes each character feel like someone you know. Or someone you could be. It’s a song that makes a world full of strangers feel deeply connected.
Joshua Cruce will perform Thursday September 5th at Vagabond Barber Company as a part of the Quiet City pop-up concert series. Randy Steele and Tigris Nevans will also perform. Music starts at 8, and there is a $10 cover charge. There is no bar, but guests are welcome to bring their own beverages.