James Neary And His Guitar

A typical James Neary live show features a blend of contemporary interpretations of popular songs and original material. His song list includes upbeat, groovy tunes as well as soft, delicate songs and heavy, emotional tracks. James has a small PA and effects for his guitar and voice to enhance the performance. In a professional context, he strives to act in a courteous, friendly, polite fashion and is always seeking to understand the needs of the client to deliver an event-appropriate production. James thrives in an opening time-slot as well as a headlining role. As an opener, he injects energy into the crowd and draws focus to the stage, setting high expectations for concertgoers. As a headlining act, James offers an emotionally-charged show with soaring falsetto, thought-provoking songs, and skillful guitar work. His aim is always to connect with, entertain, and captivate audiences.

Hello!

I recognize this is the space where I'm supposed to put a concise bio, but I'd rather break the fourth wall and not just thank you for checking out my page but also tell you my musical history in a more human way.

I've been singing since before I could talk - my mom still has old tapes of me singing along to Garth Brooks as a real little guy. As I went through school, I took part in various choir arrangements - swing choir, state choir, and Circle The State With Song to name a few. I eventually fell in love with the violin and played it for seven years through public school (and have held on to that love ever since).

I picked up a guitar when I was 16 years old because I thought it'd make girls like me more. As time has passed, my love for the instrument has grown beyond such vanities, and I eventually came to love the guitar like a soulmate, like an extension of my voice.

I crossed paths with a young songwriter, Ryan Trost, while I was in high school - after being exposed to his inspiring work, it was only a matter of time before I took up the mantle of songwriting myself. I've been honing my craft ever since, always in pursuit of creating songs that are emotionally honest, thought-provoking, and entertaining.

Okay, here's the part where I list/ramble on about the 'impressive' stuff I've accomplished in my career in the hopes that you, dear reader, will say "Wow, those are some cool things that dude did" and that you'll more likely consider hiring me:
-Won the first ever Acorn Theater Singer-Songwriter Contest in 2013 with my original song "Cutting Teeth"
-Released my first solo record "2013" in 2014 (a bit funny, eh?)
-Won Hoosier Star in 2016 with a fully-orchestrated performance of Queen's "Somebody To Love"
-Won a radio contest and joined superstar rock band Muse on-stage to perform their hit "Plug In Baby"
-Formed a band, James Neary and the Bevy Blue, and toured the Midwest while releasing three EPs and almost one album
-Opened for the likes of Cracker, Billy Strings, John Mayall, Neal Francis, The Main Squeeze, and others

Right now, as I type this in July of 2025, I'm in the midst of assembling new original material and picking up new cover tunes to reinvigorate and modernize my live show. I've been performing various iterations of my singer-songwriter song and dance routine for the better part of 15 years now and am looking forward to continuing to provide entertainment, catharsis, and connection to audiences everywhere.

Not to toot my own horn, but my mom thinks I'm pretty good, and she's got great taste in music.

Thanks for reading <3