Jay Buchanan Strips It All Back for an Intimate, Soul-Baring Evening at The Lantern, Bristol
- Sam Holt
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
The Lantern, Bristol. Friday July 24th 2026
WORDS / IMAGES SAM HOLT
For many, Jay Buchananan is best known as the frontman of Californian rock band Rival Sons, but he has recently branched out, performing solo gigs that showcase a very different type of music, one that matches his work with Rival Sons extremely well. Last year, however, he withdrew into isolation in the depths of the Mojave Desert to create my favourite record of the year thus far, 'Weapons of Beauty'. Tonight he played Bristol's 'Lantern', a new venue for me within The Bristol Beacon.
Opening tonight are Fire in Her Eyes, multi-instrumentalist sisters Topaz and Natasha Livingstone who brought their original blend of folk, psychedelia, prog, jazz and soul infusion inspired sound to the Lantern. It was their first time playing Bristol, but along the way have played some great venues and enjoyed air play on many radio stations. They look resplendent in their chic boho look that matched their image perfectly. Not only I, but the whole crowd enjoyed beautiful harmonies, thoughtful lyrics and I thought were a great fit to complement Jay for his show showcasing his most recent work.
Just before 9 Jay took the stage, his presence was palpable; today would be different; it was his show, but unlike other gigs, this was his chance for "telling stories and winging it". It was a departure from his regular rock star persona, and it felt much more personal—an intimate night with Jay Buchanan that was illuminating in so many ways. The now-California resident told many stories, including how he came to embark on a solo chapter that he had been putting off for many years, and how he went underground in a bunker in the Mojave Desert. We also learned the meaning behind several of the tracks and why he writes his music the way he does.
We were reminded that he existed for his solo work long before Rival Sons, but later joined forces with the family he refers to as his brothers, and that he was looking forward to getting together with the guys to play a band set at Steel House Festival in the Mountains of South Wales.
Because it was such an informal 'acoustic setting', he had the opportunity to speak with the audience and take questions, which he dutifully addressed. Because it was an acoustic set, some of the arrangements were considerably different from the album, but they were presented in a raw manner, representing the ideas that were imagined.
As I suspected several tracks from Weapons of Beauty were played plus a couple of ‘new to me’ tracks. For these he sat down with a lap dulcimer, an instrument that came from a battered case, he was proud of informing us “that battered case has been around the world with me.
Following up from Weapons of Beauty, Jay recently released a single, a cover of Changes, and discussed how the band toured the world as support for Black Sabbath about ten years ago, as well as how much fun they had playing Ozzy's farewell gig just over a year ago, a poignant moment for sure. Another cover followed, this time, Rival Sons fan favourite Shooting Stars, had the Bristol crowd singing along and clapping in time, joking afterwards that it should be on all set lists.
To recap, this has been a nice leisurely evening of music, storytelling, and a fantastic blend of Soul, Country, and Americana music. There was no dazzling light display, but there was no need; the music spoke to the audience, and we reacted positively.
SETLIST
High and Lonesome
True Black
Sway
Tumbleweeds
Deep Swimming
The Great Divide
Internal Dialogue
Changes
Caroline
Shooting Stars
Weapons of Beauty
Feel Better
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