Returning to Phoenix for a lively show on March 6 will be rock and pop musician Ron Pope. For the first time in the city, Pope will be performing with his recently added band The Nighthawks at Crescent Ballroom.
Fans can expect to see a high-energy show including Pope’s old music along with new songs off the full band’s first self-titled album, “Ron Pope & The Nighthawks.”
“By definition, we’re entertainers,” Pope said. “While we’re having a great time, we want that to translate to the audience coming out and having a great time. We want you to go home sweaty and smiling and exhausted.”
Ron Pope & the Nighthawks have been on tour for three months, including numerous international dates, but significantly sized audiences have not ceased to persist, which may allow Phoenix fans to predict a large crowd.
“Every day that I wake up and people show up and come to the shows is such an incredible blessing,” Pope said. “I used to go out on tour and play for three people. One of them would be a bartender, one of them would be a busboy and one of them would be asleep. Every day out here is better than that.”
While Pope said he still has miles to go, he has certainly surpassed the norm in the music industry. He plays in new countries every year. His music has frequented popular TV shows including “The Voice” and “Vampire Diaries.” He has even guest starred on “Nashville” before.
Just as clearly displaying the musician’s success is the online presence of his breakout single, “A Drop in the Ocean.” One YouTube video featuring the hit exceeds 42 million views today, while at least five other uploads of the song have far surpassed the 1 million mark. Despite this feat, Pope said being a musician should be more about the far-reaching impact of a song than the fame of a video.
“If you want to be famous, start a YouTube channel or something,” Pope said. “If you feel the need to create art, understand that it’s going to be challenging, so be in it for the right reasons: to create art and to touch people.”
Pope’s desire to create art, rather than fame, has kept him an independent artist out of necessity, with his wife as manager and Pope running his own label: Brooklyn Basement Records. This makes his achievements even more awe-inspiring in that he defied the odds of becoming a non-commercial success.
While Pope said he is happy with his independence, as a musician being independent comes second to his duty to spread his music to impact a large audience. This would be reason for him to sign with an outside label if he finds one that shares a common mission with him.
“If I find the right opportunity, I think it would be selfish to not take my music and share it with more people,” Pope said. “As a child when I was this weird little kid writing poems and woodshedding guitar, doing all this weird stuff, I felt very alone. Listening to music, you’re connected and you feel much less alone. I think as an artist, if you believe your music can impact people in that way, you owe it to them to share it with as many people as possible, so that’s what I want to do.”
Pope’s philosophy parallels the basis of his music — the evocative story within it, rather than its outer style — which has allowed his songs to maintain his character through the addition of The Nighthawks.
The musician’s meaningful, narrative-driven music portrays the genuine need he feels to utilize music to touch others’ lives in significant ways, whether through an album or on the Crescent Ballroom stage.
“That’s the part of being an artist that I love the most: just being able to be a real part of people’s lives,” Pope said. “It’s incredibly meaningful to me, and I take it as an obligation, as my vocation, the most serious part of my professional life.”
Preceding Ron Pope and The Nighthawks at the 8 p.m. show will be Jonathan Tyler and Truett. VIP ticket holders will be allowed in earlier for a meet-and-greet.
Contact the columnist at Emily.Liu@asu.edu
