Paul Thorn will be bring his rich, honest Americana music to the Sunken Garden Amphitheatre at Nesselrod on the New in Radford on Sunday, July 19, at 5 p.m. Radford native David Simpkins will open the event.

The first thing you notice about Thorn, who has played in the area a couple times in recent months, is the voice—unique and distinctive, the voice of a man who has walked a long, hot span over dusty Mississippi country roads.

At turns soulful, raw, melancholy, brazen, funky, circumspect, serene, brooding, and mutinous, the voice expresses the range of human emotions, from forlorn grimness to incandescent optimism. And after repeated listens, you realize that his is not merely the voice of a poet but also of a merciful prophet, a summation not unjustified. Those who follow the career of Paul Thorn believe he is both.

His newest CD is A Long Way From Tupelo, a collection of songs which once again illustrates Thorn’s versatility and authentic connection to the music of the Mississippi heartland: blues, country, gospel, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll.

Thorn excels as a musical storyteller. Maybe, given his background, he just can’t help it. His songs are conduits for that gritty part of the South where beleaguered wisdom is as likely from the bottom of a bottle of Johnny Walker Red as it is from the pulpit of an old country church. And the latest Paul Thorn CD remains true to form.

(To find out more about Thorn, read the New River Voice article from May that previewed his show in Roanoke in which Editor Tim Jackson had the opportunity to interview Thorn for the piece.)

Opening the evening is Radford, Virginia-based performing songwriter David Simpkins, who has been actively entertaining audiences for more than 35 years. After a lot of years in mostly cover bands, since 2000, Simpkins has been focusing on writing and performing his own songs. He plays regular solo acoustic gigs, and has performed at numerous songwriters-in-the-round events, festivals, benefits, celebrations, songwriters’ nights, and open mics.

Tickets for the show are $25. Be prepared to present a valid ID if you plan on purchasing alcohol at the venue. Tickets will be available through the DLP Concerts’ online box office, by phone at 540.745.6643 or at Bull & Bones in Blacksburg, Rocket Music in Blacksburg, Fret Mill Music in Roanoke, Harvest Moon in Floyd, and Claret Café in Radford. For more information please visit www.dlpconcerts.com.