Tas Cru makes his 443 Social Club debut next Friday

The Central New York bluesman brings his new album, Might Give Out… But I Won't Give In, to the 75-seat Hawley Green listening room on Nov. 6.

Seventy-five seats, a blues player from just down the Thruway, and a Friday night in early November: it's hard to draw up a better small-room evening in Syracuse. Tas Cru plays The 443 Social Club & Lounge on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., and it's billed as his debut at the room. Tickets are through Eventbrite.

It's also the first time we've had Tas Cru on the books in Syracuse proper, which is a little funny given that he is a Central New York musician. He's spent years working the region and the wider blues circuit, and this is a chance to catch him close to home in exactly the kind of room his songs are written for.

He arrives with new music. Might Give Out… But I Won't Give In came out in July, another collection of all-original songs, with the title track and "Lucky At Love" as the ones put forward first.

Might give out, but won't give in.

That approach has been noticed well beyond the 315. His album *Simmered & Stewed* earned him a Blues Music Award nomination, the blues world's biggest honor, and two other records, *Broke Down Busted Up* and *Tas Cru Band LIVE*, picked up Blues Blast award nominations. For a working musician from upstate, that's a real résumé, and the new record is the latest chapter rather than a comeback.

The room matters as much as the act here. The 443 Social Club & Lounge sits at 443 Burnet Avenue in Hawley Green, and many locals will remember it by its old name, The Listening Room at 443. The name changed but the idea didn't: live, original music with a focus on Americana, roots, blues, folk and bluegrass, in a seated room of about 75. It's the kind of place where people actually listen, where you can hear the pick on the strings and the stories between songs, and where the artist can see every face in the room.

That size also means the practical advice is simple: don't wait. The venue opens only for shows and private events, so plan around the 7 p.m. start rather than dropping in early.

Blues in Syracuse has always been about the small rooms as much as the big nights. Next Friday, one of the region's own gets one of the best small rooms in town. Go hear what the new songs sound like when there's nothing between you and the stage.

Sources: Tas Cru at The 443 Social Club & Lounge (Eventbrite) (eventbrite.com); The 443 Social Club & Lounge on Eventbrite (eventbrite.com); The 443 Social Club & Lounge (443socialclub.com); Tas Cru – Might Give Out… But I Won't Give In (Bluestown Music) (bluestownmusic.nl); Tas Cru album review (Radio Guitar One) (radioguitarone.com); Tas Cru (Radio Guitar One) (radioguitarone.com); Tas Cru is Making a Scene (Making a Scene) (makingascene.org); Music Review: Tas Cru (Blogcritics) (blogcritics.org)