In a brand new series, Jim Beam Welcome Sessions will explore the special relationship between artists and the venues that first welcomed them. Inspired by Jim Beam’s famous welcoming spirit, each episode will feature iconic artists as they return to the independent venues that gave them their warmest welcome to lay down one-of-a-kind performances on film.
In a multi-year partnership that reimagines the live music experience, Jim Beam will champion independent music venues worldwide. Four exclusive performance and documentary videos will be premiered via the Jim Beam YouTube channel.
As fans look to reconnect with live music, the world’s number one bourbon is connecting artists with the music venues that gave them their first big break. Each Welcome Session brings to life the spaces that have played host to seminal performances in years gone by—creating moments where the power of music helps people feel like they truly belong.
Jack Garratt, Fontaines DC, Jose Gonzalez, and soon-to-be-announced additional acts will feature in the series, taking viewers behind the scenes in the pubs, clubs, and live venues that welcomed them from the start.
Kicking it all off is a Welcome Session from English singer-songwriter Jack Garratt, who returned in February 2020 with Love, Death & Dancing—his first taste of new music in over six years. For Garratt, live music and performance is something transcendental.
“It’s in a venue’s nature to be welcoming to everyone inside it, from performer to audience to security,” said Garratt. “I’m not religious, but it’s the closest thing to a congregation I’ve been a part of. Everyone in one room, sharing a single experience.”
It couldn’t be more fitting. Garratt’s Welcome Session gives audiences front-row seats to his triumphant return accompanied by one of his trademark shimmering performances. A fine welcome indeed.
It’s no secret that music venues went through an immense struggle in the wake of the pandemic. Some of our favourite independent venues had to close their doors for good. With that in mind, Jim Beam Welcome Sessions offer viewers a chance to celebrate the indie venues that helped build our music industry from the ground up. The venues that welcomed audiences and artists through their doors for years, creating the unmistakably singular shared experience of live music and community that we all know and love. Ultimately, the series arrives as a potent reminder of why these venues are so important to our scene.
“Although the light at the end of the tunnel is coming ever closer, the real-world shared experiences we so crave remain few and far between,” said Malini Patel, Managing Director at Jim Beam.
Patel is correct. This sense of place and sense of community with others is something Jim Beam have been firm believers in throughout their 226-year history. After all this time, coming together over a glass of bourbon is still integral to the extended Jim Beam family today.
“The Jim Beam Welcome Sessions are about creating connections between amazing global acts, the iconic independent venues and the audiences who love their music,” continued Patel. “By launching the global partnership, we hope to create a unique shared experience that fans can relate with, over and over again. An experience that inspires, uplifts and instils a sense of community to being part of something special.”
Like Jim Beam, which has been welcoming drinkers for eight generations, the iconic venues featured in each Welcome Session are musical hubs where artists and fans alike can come together. Though their doors may have been closed over the past year, their revival is imminent and Jim Beam is along for the ride. Crucially, 2021 marks the start of a multi-year commitment from the Kentucky bourbon legend to meaningfully support the music industry at a time when it is needed most.
Raise a glass of Jim Beam Kentucky bourbon. We’ll cheers to that.
