Late last week brought some CW stars out to King King in Hollywood to show their support for good friend, singer/songerwriter Jason Manns, who was holding his sophomore studio album release party there.
Supernatural's Jensen Ackles, One Tree Hill's Danneel Harris, and Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum turned up to the bar and lounge to cheer on Manns, as well as his opening acts, which included Jesse Cole and Life of Riley. Manns has had his music featured in CW shows like Supernatural in the past and hopes to be placed on more programs soon.
Manns said the evening was the first time he was able to play with a full band, whose layers complemented his warm sound perfectly. But for Manns, playing live in general is always fun. “The crowd is number one,” he told Examiner. “To have all of that energy focused on the music right then and there is very addicting!"
The crowd at King King was lively, but in general Los Angeles can be a tough place for independent artists because there are just so many of them in a town where so many big acts pass through so frequently, as well: "I feel like people have the best of intentions out here, but when James Taylor and U2 and Muse and Snoop Dog all play in the same week, sometimes it's tough to get people out to a J. Manns show!"
The crowd at King King was definitely feeling Manns' music, though, especially when he did an encore of "The Weight," a song he and pal Ackles covered on stage at a Supernatural convention just a few weeks ago. Ackles, though invited to go up on stage, too, declined this time, allowing his buddy his full time in the spotlight. Instead, he spent the evening cheering on his friend with his arm around fiance Harris (the two have plans to wed next month).
Manns admitted that his inspirations on this second studio release are definitely different from those of his first. “I really tried to…challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone,” Manns shared. “There's still love songs on this one, but that's not the focal point quite as much. I think this album shows a bit of musical maturity-- at least I hope so!-- from the first. Some of the songs are a bit more complicated, and I dabbled a bit in some other musical genres [as well].”
“Soul” is available now online (at CD Baby and iTunes). Look for his music to turn up again on The CW soon!
Comments