Jackson Dean is a rising force in the country rock scene, known for his gritty vocals, soulful lyrics, and raw, outlaw energy. Hailing from Odenton, Maryland, Dean began making waves in Nashville with his unapologetically authentic sound and powerful live performances. His breakout single ‘Don’t Come Lookin’ introduced listeners to his blend of Southern rock swagger and country storytelling, earning spots on major festival lineups and national tours. Signed to Big Machine Records, Dean released his debut album ‘Greenbroke' in 2022, solidifying his reputation as one of country music’s most compelling new voices.
Dean followed up ‘Greenbroke' with the excellent ‘On the Back of My Dreams' album last year, finding a home for the cult classic ‘Heavens to Betsy' which is currently climbing the top 30 radio charts in America. You can read our review of that album here.
At just 24 years old, Dean carries an old soul with a rebellious streak, often drawing comparisons to artists like Chris Stapleton and Eric Church. His live shows are a visceral experience—gravel-throated vocals cutting through distorted guitar riffs, backed by a band that delivers a high-octane, no-frills performance. Whether he’s tearing through barn-burning anthems or slowing things down for a heartfelt ballad, Jackson Dean brings a conviction to the stage that proves he’s not just playing country rock—he’s living it.
Rolling into the heart of England on a random Tuesday night, Dean promised us beforehand that we'd see a show full of bite with some swampy Southern psychedelia around the edges and, boy, he was not wrong. His band took the stage in a swirl of flashing lights, pounding drums and smoke before Dean arrived and they launched into his new song ‘Still Ragin,' which was featured in the last season of ‘Yellowstone.' This set the tone for the rest to come.
Ending ‘Still Ragin' with the first of what would be a number of dirty, cheeky laughs, Dean launched into songs like ‘Duct Tape Heart' and ‘Trailer Park.' Both saw the stage drenched in groovy blues and greens as the 70s stoner-meets-southern-prog rock vibe took hold. ‘Anyone else in here sweating?' Dean asked after a ferocious version of ‘Fearless' which also saw a little theatrics at play as Dean was propped up by his bassist at one point, seemingly gathering all he had left inside of him in order to finish the vocals on this monster song!
This was an expertly plotted and thought out set list and show, intricately designed to bring the kind of ebb and flow that you want from a live set – something that lives and breathes of its own accord rather than just being a collection of songs – and Dean nailed that. From the eerie, beguiling hypnotic sway of a song like ‘Train' through to the urgent, Petty meets Springsteen esque bombast of ‘1971,' the show meandered through a series of emotions and moods with Dean always at the centre, grinning and conducting the proceedings with a wisdom and skill beyond his still relatively tender years. Let's also give a shout out to his band – on a song like ‘Train' the talents of the rest of the players really shone through. Dean's keyboard player swapped that instrument for a haunting penny whistle in order to echo the sounds of the titular vehicle in the title whilst his very talented guitarist played the mandolin. In ‘Real Real' the bassist swapped that instrument out for a banjo, bringing a different live vibe to that song too – multi-instrumentalists capable of either reflecting the songs as they were recorded in the studio or taking them on slightly different journeys in the live setting.
The emotional centre of Jackson Dean's live set came with the double whammy pairing of current top 30 hit ‘Heavens to Betsy' and debut album behemoth ‘Wings.' Before the aforementioned ‘… Betsy' Dean explained the origins of the song and the impact that it has had on his career and then he let ‘Wings' simply do its thing – a superb, elongated guitar solo outro brought a real breathless moment to proceedings from which the crowd didn't really have any time to recover before the band launched into the ferocious '49 Tons,' a cover of the Fred Eaglesmith song that has become a standard in Dean's live set in the last couple of years now.
Dean's guitarist, Brandon Aksteter, has been with him since 2017 and is a real jewel in his armoury. As fans of John Osborne we can see real similarities in his style and tone and Aksteter got a real chance to prove his chops in the latter part of the show – playing the hell out of the ending to ‘Wings', leading '49 Tons' and then bringing a fierce, searing ending to ‘Free,' one of the highlights of the whole set which saw Dean back on the microphone, stalking the stage and slaying with his gruff, gritty, impassioned vocals. Together Dean and Aksteter are a terrific combo in the same way that rock history has always provided all the best frontmen with a guitarist to propel them along with.
Ending the main set with the pairing of ‘Sweet Appalachia' and ‘Don't Come Lookin' was also a great move. You have the swampy, mountain music sway of the former followed by the gut punch heft of Dean's debut number one single before Aksteter rocks out once again and then the band were gone, leaving the crowd punch-drunk and desperate for more.
That ‘more' came in the form of an encore double hit of ‘Heaven' and ‘Another Century.' The former, an almost Depeche Mode-esque Goth Rock song on record was transformed in something much eerier live – driven by a pounding drum beat and distorted vocal effects, ‘Heaven' found the band bathed in blue lights and Dean having a wail of a time delivering it in its swampier, more southern-meets-prog rock format before he ended the show, alone, up on stage bathed in atmospheric white lights to deliver the poignant and impactful ‘Another Century.' The band joined for the raucous ‘break out' final third of the song, hats were thrown, heads were moshed and fists were pumped for that ending couple of minutes and then Dean and his talented band of players were gone, back into the darkness and the crowd was left to make their way home, ears ringing, smiles on faces and hearts well and truly rocked.
He's 24 years old but Jackson Dean rocks, grooves and funks like a 70s legend. Part Skynyrd, part Stones, part Laurel Canyon – this Appalachian rocker with the dirtiest laugh in Country music is a force of nature who hasn't come close to achieving his full potential yet. From ferocious rockers, through to hazy, swampy southern funk, Dean is a confident, engaging frontman with a set of pipes that most singers would kill for. Choosing not to play more straight-down-the-line rockers like ‘Daddy Raised' and ‘Red Light' in favour of more esoteric songs like ‘Jane' was a definite risk but one that paid off in terms of the cohesion of the set and the journey that the crowd was taken on. The whole experience was like watching a living organism, its heart pounding and beating, shifting and swaying – alive to the power and possibility of what Jackson Dean might do next: a show definitely to be viewed as a whole experience, greater than the sum of its constituent parts.
Set list: 1. Still Ragin' 2. Duct Tape Heart 3. Trailer Park 4. Fearless 5. 1971 6. Real Real 7. Train 8. Jane 9. Heavens to Betsy 10. Wings 11. 49 Tons 12. Free 13. Sweet Appalachia 14. Don't Come Lookin' 15. Heaven 16. Another Century Date: April 22nd Venue: Birmingham O2 Institute
