Reckless Weekend Part 1: Leather Rose at Home-Base: New EP Night, Old-School Heat
The Lucky Tap, Amory, MS
Home-base, Back in My Hometown
After work I took a short road trip back to my hometown, Amory, Mississippi, to see my guys in Leather Rose play what we all call home-base, The Lucky Tap. Walking in felt like stepping through a familiar doorway in a familiar story — same friendly buzz, same “you made it” energy — except this time the night had a little extra shine on it because it was a celebration for their new EP release, “Live at the Lucky Tap,” a four-song acoustic recording the band did themselves.
I rolled in right after their first set and the place was already exactly what you want for a hometown show. There was a great crowd full of spirit, ready to rock, ready to sing, and ready to be part of it instead of just watching it. I also had some friends come in from out of town to see Leather Rose for the first time, and by the end of the night they left as new fans. That’s the best kind of “told you so.” Quiet, satisfied, and backed by guitar strings.
The First Set: Originals, Unreleased, and a Crowd That Was Already Moving
Even though I missed the opening set, the momentum was still in the room when I got there. You could feel it in the way people were posted up and paying attention, not just eating and drifting. The band had already done their job. They’d taken the room from “Friday night dinner” to “Friday night show.”
From what I gathered, the first set leaned hard into original material from both EPs, plus a couple unreleased tracks, and it had the crowd going. That’s important to me. Covers are fun, sure, but a band doesn’t build a real foundation by borrowing someone else’s house. Originals are the receipts.
The songs in that set included “Man’s Life,” “Mississippi Mud Mansions,” “Burnt Out,” and “Ground Zero.” “Ground Zero” carries a little extra meaning because it’s about their recent trip and show at Ground Zero Blues Club where they had the privilege to open for Ghost Town Blues Band. That’s one of those stepping-stone moments you can hear in a band’s confidence. They come home walking a little taller because they’ve been tested somewhere else, and it went well.
They also ran “Strikeout,” and “Here Am I,” one of the songs Silas has written about his faith. That song hits different in a bar setting — in the best way — because it’s honest without being preachy. It lands like testimony, not a lecture. There’s a big difference, and people can tell.
The Break: That Sweet Spot Where Everyone Talks Like They’re in the Band
After a short break, the crowd swelled and shifted, the conversations get louder, and everybody started acting like an unpaid manager.
People swapped opinions on songs. Folks talked merch. Someone always asks when the next show is. Somebody else is trying to get the band to play their favorite track again. It’s chaos, but it’s the good kind — the kind that only happens when people feel like they belong in the space.
That’s the point of home-base. It’s not just a venue. It’s a clubhouse. You don’t go there only to be entertained. You go there to be part of the night.
The Second Set: ‘What’s To Be,’ Then ‘Whitehouse Road’ Like a Stick of Dynamite
The band came back out for set two and kicked it off with another original, “What’s To Be.” That’s a strong move, starting the second set with your own material again, because it says, we’re not here to coast. We’re here to build.
Then, they launched into what I consider to be one of their best live moments: a very different upbeat, rocking version of Tyler Childers’ “Whitehouse Road.”
Maybe Tyler should hear it, because it completely blows his original version to pieces like dynamite in a beaver dam.
That’s not me being cute. That’s me being honest. Leather Rose took that song and made it feel like it belonged to the room we were standing in. Faster blood, sharper edges, more bite. It didn’t feel like a cover band flexing. It felt like a band translating a known language into their own accent. Doing it so well you forget what the original even sounded like for a minute.
That’s one of the hardest things to do onstage. A lot of bands can play a song. Not many can re-own it without turning it into a gimmick.
The Birthday Close: Mason Steps Out, and the Room Becomes One Choir
The second set closed in the most Lucky Tap, most hometown way possible, with a “Happy Birthday” for one of the patrons.
And the band always does this thing that gets me every time — Mason comes out from behind the skins and leads the crowd in singing birthday cheer to whoever’s day it is. That’s not just a cute moment. It’s culture. It’s community. It’s the reminder that even when the amps are hot and the crowd is rowdy, this is still a place where people know each other.
It also sends the crowd home smiling, which is a sneaky kind of genius. You can end a set with a banger and people will cheer. You end it by turning the whole room into one big voice and people will remember it tomorrow.
The mood stayed feisty and frisky as folks headed out. Fans said their goodbyes. Everybody lingered for a few minutes chatting. The band loaded out. Then we all did the most Mississippi thing possible: we went home with our ears still ringing and our hearts full.
Home-base Matters: The Lucky Tap, Wade, and a Room That Feels Welcoming
I’m going to say this plainly: The Lucky Tap is the easy spot to go for a bite to eat and drinks in Amory, MS. It’s comfortable and welcoming the second you step across their threshold.
And that stuff matters. A venue can have a stage, lights, speakers, and a menu, and still feel cold. The Lucky Tap doesn’t. It feels like somebody actually wants you there. Wade and his staff do a fantastic job servicing their patrons — always friendly, always smiling, always moving like they’ve done this a thousand times and still care on the thousand-and-first.
If you’re ever in the area, it’s the kind of place you can stop into without needing a reason beyond: I want a good meal, and I want to be around good people.
If you want to keep up with the venue, you can follow The Lucky Tap’s Facebook page
The Drive Home: The ‘Great Night’ Aftertaste, and the Work Brain Kicking In
Overall it was a great night for all.
But the funny thing about being close to a band — especially when you care about them and you want them to win — is you don’t just drive home thinking “that was fun.” Your brain starts doing the postgame film session.
As I drove home, I reflected on the sound. Anything I might have picked up that needs to be discussed with the guys about the performance — especially with the showcase show coming up in a couple weeks.
Because showcase shows are different. You don’t just play them. You attack them. You treat them like a first impression and a final exam at the same time. You don’t aim to “do well.”
You aim to steal the show.
That’s where Leather Rose is headed if they keep tightening the bolts and keep the originals front and center, keep the set pacing sharp, and keep those big crowd moments (like Mason stepping out for “Happy Birthday”) because that’s personality you can’t fake. And keep taking risks with arrangements like that “Whitehouse Road” flip, because that’s the kind of swing that turns heads.
Afterglow
I started the night driving back to my hometown for home-base, chasing that familiar feeling you only get when the room knows your name and the band knows your face. I ended it driving back home with the “great night” aftertaste — equal parts pride, adrenaline, and that little itch in the back of your mind that says, okay… what do we polish before the next big one?
That’s the balance I love about Leather Rose right now. They’re celebrating something real — an EP they recorded themselves, in the place that raised their sound — and at the same time they’re still hungry. Still building. Still thinking about how to hit harder next time.
To find out more about Leather Rose, follow them across social platforms like Leather Rose on Facebook and Leather Rose on Instagram, and go give them a listen on streaming spots like Leather Rose on Spotify
Awesome; just downloaded the EP.. northeast Mississippi is a wild place!