From the moment the blue and purple lights light the face of Bryson Maggard, it is evident he has a passion for performing. The intention with which he plays the keys and arranges the dynamic of his voice to the song are thoughtful enough to convince a person who hasn’t heard Folsom Prison Blues that the song was his own creation.

With the camera centered solely on him, Bryson opens the song with care—soft and hushed. Once the camera pans, however, five additional band members are revealed as layers of sound and instruments pile onto the song, adding an increased sense of tension, drama, and ultimately, blues. Bryson delivers a slow burn keyboard solo while the remaining band continues driving the rhythm and serene mood of the stage.

The cover kicks up a notch around the halfway point as the building dynamics of the band take on a new sense of urgency, a feeling which is amplified as Bryson enters up an octave and hits several impressive and strong high notes. Seth Thompson shortly steals the spotlight with a confident solo somewhat reminiscent of an excited child living out dreams on Guitar Hero.

As the song reaches its climax, guitar riffing, drums pounding, keys gliding, you get a shot of Bryson fulling beaming out at the band. Even as the music dies back down to a somber tone, the grin remains, once again revealing Bryson’s passion and joy for music. For a performance of a song about prison blues, it’s hard to leave the performance without sharing in Bryson’s glee and joy to do what he loves.