Electronic Press Kit

J.C. Tokes is a guitar-playing, voice-forward performer of genuine Americana, reigning from the lush mountainous land of misfits and outlaws, where moonshine stills and ramshackle cabins abound, in Western North Carolina’s infamous "Kingdom" of Madison County.

Tokes tells life's tales with a blend of Appalachian rockabilly-blues, cosmic folk-country, and retro rock-n-roll. His eclectic set includes older B-sides and favorites along with original to-be-favorites. His music spans funny and sad, sweet and raunchy. Tap a toe or shake a leg!

Here’s an incomplete list of venues played by J.C. Tokes:
...in North Carolina:
WNC: Alley Cat Social Club, Angry Elk Brewing, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Balsam Falls Brewing, Barrelhouse Asheville, Ben’s Tune-Up, Brewski’s, Big Pillow Brewing, By-Water, Burger Bar, College Street Pub, Conundrum Speakeasy, Creekside Market & Grill, Daily Grind & Wine, Dry Falls Brewing, Firefly Taps & Grill, Fleetwood’s, Foggy Mountain Brewery, Fonta Flora Brewery, Frog Level Brewery, Good Stuff, Grateful Organic Diner (CBD Cafe), Grey Eagle Patio, Homeplace Beer Company, Jack of the Wood, Joint Next Door, Little Switzerland Cidery, Lured Market and Grill, Mal's, Mad Anthony’s, MadCo Brewhouse, Main Street Cafe, Marshall Container Company, Moe’s BBQ Woodfin, Mosaic Gourmet, New Mountain - Blue Ridge Taproom, No Name Bar, Odd’s Cafe, Ole Shakey’s, the One-Stop, One World Brewery, One World West, Oklawaha Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery Taproom and REEB Ranch, Pisgah Brewery, Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack, Salty Dog, Sanctuary Brewing, Silverado’s, 670 Oak, Sly Grog Lounge, Straightaway Cafe, Sweet Monkey Cafe, 31 Patton, Town Pump, Tressa’s, Triskelion, 12 Bones Brewing, UpCountry Brewing, Whistle Hop Brewery
Other NC: Charlotte: Ass Clown Brewing, Birdsong Brewing, Bull City Ciderworks, Childress Vineyards, Mac Speed Shop South & Lake Norman, Wild Wing Cafe. Triange: Bottle & Can, Caffee Driade, Durty Bull, Full Steam Brewery, Glass-Jug, Growler Grlz, Nickelpoint Brewing, Pharmacy & Bottle, Stumblin' Pig, Yonder Southern Cocktails, 401 Main. East/Coast: Barzarre, Catawba Brewing Wilmington, Crush & Grind, Mac Speed Shop (Fayetteville & Wilmington).
...elsewhere:
Arizona: the Quarry (Bisbee), Hops on Birch (Flagstaff), Rhythm Room - Official! (Phoenix), Raven Cafe (Prescott), La Cocina (Tucson) Arkansas: Creegan’s Irish Pub (Jonesboro), Midtown Billiards (Little Rock) California: Nate’s Garden Grill, (San Diego), Bocci’s Cellar (Santa Cruz), Jasper O’Farrell’s Pub (Sebastopol), Johnny V’s (San Jose), Redding Grows (Redding), Sweet Springs Saloon (Los Osos) Colorado: Bohemian Biergarten (Boulder), Bang Up to the Elephant (Denver), Ale House (Grand Junction) Florida: Bayou Bites (Dunedin), Blind Pig (DeLand), Bull & Whistle (Key West), Gator Hole Bar (Everglade City), Grateful Hammock (Silver Springs), Hooch & Hive (Tampa), Islamorada Brewing, Kiki's Sandbar (Little Torch Key), Legacy Ale Works (Jacksonville), New World Biergarten (Tampa), Porky's (Marathon), Sliders (Fernandina Beach), Swan Brewing (Lakeland), Tipsy Rooster (Key West) Georgia: Jekyll Brewing (Alpharetta), Shenanigan’s (Dahlonega), Terrapin Brewing (Athens) Illinois: Elbo Room (Chicago), Mutiny (Chicago), Walnut Street Winery (Rochester) Indiana: Hunter’s Brewing (Chesterton) Louisiana: Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room (Baton Rouge), Neutral Ground Coffeehouse (NOLA), SideBar NOLA, Sidney’s Saloon Mississippi: Johnson’s Station (Picayune), Julep Room (Ocean Springs) Nevada: Boulder Dam Brewing (Boulder City), Double Down Saloon (Las Vegas) Ohio: Listing Loon (Cincinnati) South Carolina: Upstate SC: Fr8yard, Growler House, Sonny’s Brickoven Pizza SC Coast: Awendaw Green, Chico Feo (Folly), Commonhouse Aleworks, The Dinghy (Isle of Palms), the Fat Hen (Charleston), HERD Provisions (Charleston), Kiki & Rye (Mt. Pleasant), Palmetto Brewing (Charleston) Tennessee: East TN: Bloom Cafe, Cascade Draft House, O’Mainnin’s Pub (Bristol), Old Oak Taproom (Greeneville), Acoustic Coffeehouse, Yee-Haw Brewing (Johnson City), Gypsy Circus Cidery (Kingsport), Gypsy Circus Barrelhouse, Jiggy Ray’s (Elizabethton), Preservation Pub (Knoxville) Central TN: Tennessee Brew Works (Nashville) Western TN: Buccaneer Lounge (Memphis) Virginia: Another Round RVA Texas: Adair’s Saloon (Dallas), Hole in the Wall (Austin), Moutons (Leander), Concrete Jungle, Sanchos (San Antonio). Utah: Prohibition (Murray). Virginia: Saude Creek Vineyards (Lanexa)
...other: Blue Plate Special Radio Show – WDVX (Knoxville, TN). Festivals: Appalachia Hemp Fest (Greeneville, TN), Deep Water Soul Festival (Hot Springs, NC), Taste of the Deep South (Baton Rouge, LA), LIVESTOCK festival (Black Mountain, NC), River+Roots festival (Bristol, TN), Whippoorwill Festival (Beattyville, KY), Asheville Winter Lights. Farmers Markets: NC: Asheville Downtown & River Arts District Farmers Markets, Burnsville Farmers Market, Mars Hill Farmers Market, Marshall’s Highland Station, Maverick’s Freedom Market, North Asheville Farmers Market; CA: San Diego Ocean Beach Farmer’s Market. Along with several house concerts, parties, open-mics, and street corners.

After some touring with a rockabilly band, J.C. started his own venture as a One-Man-Band playing original compositions with a kick drums, six-string guitar, and a microphone. In 2017, he released his 'live recording' solo album "Broke Down" featuring his original songs. At the same time, he jumped into the Bag-O-Tricks band, a collaboration with musicians Laura Thurston and "Banjo Mitch" McConnell, which continues in various forms to this day. The J.C. Tokes Family Band began in 2018. The album, recorded at "Marshall Shoals" features full-band recordings of original material, released in early 2024.

J.C. has shared the stage with the Sons of Ralph, Claude Coleman Jr of Ween, opened for Wayne "the Train" Hancock, and shared venue with Lukas Nelson at the Deep Water Soul Fest, and has appeared on the Blue Plate Special radio show out of Knoxville, TN, as well Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room in Baton Rouge, LA. J.C. spends much of the year on the road playing shows.