UWA brings American Idol’s Jessica Meuse for 2nd Saturday concert
LIVINGSTON, Ala. — The University of West Alabama continues the spring season of 2nd Saturday with singer-songwriter Jessica Meuse performing on campus March 12. The Saturday night performance is set for 8 p.m. on the top floor of the Student Union Building.
Meuse made her national debut in season 13 of the hit television show, American Idol. She finished the season in the top three and toured the U.S. and Canada with the top 10 finalists in a 40-date summer concert tour.
The pride of Slapout, Ala., Meuse calls her style a “blend of southern rock with alternative rock and roll,” and she’s also been described as “rock, infused with country and metal.”
In the time since the Idol tour, Meuse has recorded and performed across the country. Like so many new artists, she says she’s trying to do the impossible.
“The hardest part of this is definitely hustling to get the work,” Meuse said in an interview with UWA. “Sometimes, work is slow and life starts to get a little rough. A lot of people don’t look at being a musician as a ‘real job,’ jo it makes it a little tougher to be taken seriously.”
Being taken seriously is something that changed for her with the American Idol experience, though.
“It gave me a platform,” she said. The show put a spotlight on the music that Meuse had been making for several years prior, performing live shows, producing YouTube videos, and recording self-penned tracks. She had a significant social media following when she auditioned, dubbed the Meuse Mafia. But her fan base grew exponentially as she progressed through round after round of performances.
“Being on the show gave me a head-start in my career and forced people to take me more seriously with my music,” Meuse said. Friends, family, and anyone who had heard her name knew she liked to perform, but her run on American Idol confirmed her commitment for anyone who may have second-guessed her before. “I told them I wasn’t kidding!”
On Jan. 1 of this year, Meuse released her second independent single, “Rio Grande,” which is available, and has plans to release an EP soon.
Today, Meuse is keeping a close eye on artists like Chris Stapleton, with hopes that her name might soon be on the bill beside theirs.
She says she catches episodes of this final season of American Idol when she can.
“I know a couple of people who auditioned and made it through to Hollywood,” she said. “It’s exciting to watch when you have friends on there. It’s bittersweet to know this is the final season, but the show has had an amazing run and helped so many people get the opportunity to grow in their music, some who took it all the way.”
Meuse is one of a relatively small group of performers who’ve had the opportunity to perform on one of the nation’s biggest stages for young artists, and an even smaller group to make it through the rigorous weeks of judging, rehearsing, and popular vote that leads to the semi-finals of American Idol.
“I feel blessed,” she said with a smile.
Meuse’s 2nd Saturday performance at UWA is open to UWA students as well as the Livingston community. No admission is charged.
For more information on UWA’s 2nd Saturday series, contact Jason Gardner in the Student Activities office at 205-652-3624.