Photos | Smith&Weeden + JP Harris and The Tough Choices @ Nick-A-Nees

Photos by Boston Concert Photography

Time ticks away pretty quickly in the Northeast at this time of year. Days are short and weeks fly by like minutes. One good thing about that — 10PM Friday night at Nick-A-Nees in Providence rolls before you know it.

This past Friday, two bands fit for filling spaces four-times the size — at least — joined together to pack the local watering hole wall-to-wall.

J.P. Harris and The Tough Choices finally brought their new album “Home Is Where the Hurt Is” to the chilly New England region and it was just what the crowd needed to beat back the winds outside. Behind J.P.’s lead, the band let loose with the kind of country music that makes people admit that they love country music. Come on… you can do it. Great riffs, clever lyrics and a band that can’t be thrown. So great to hear the album (and more) come to life.

Closing out the evening were local rock-n-roll heroes Smith&Weeden. There aren’t many people who can sit still while these guys belt out songs from their self-titled debut album. Or while they kick over a cover of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” With talent streaming out of every piece of this band, they’re really one you should try to catch before you’re paying an arm and a leg to do so.

And while you’re thinking of what a funny name Nick-A-Knees is, you might want to keep an eye on their schedule for free shows from the likes of Bobby Bare Jr.