James Harris at Jeremiah’s Tavern in Mystic
James Harris at Jeremiah’s Tavern for the month of September in downtown Mystic, bringing two hours of acoustic rock, jazz, blues, and audience requests to the Tavern from 6 to 8 p.m.
The September residency includes performances on September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, giving one of Mystic’s longtime working musicians a regular Wednesday home just steps from the Mystic River.
For Harris, playing a weekly run in Mystic is familiar territory. The Stonington guitarist and vocalist has spent more than two decades performing around the area, becoming a regular presence at restaurants, pubs, vineyards and even aboard some of Mystic’s historic and excursion vessels.
More Than 20 Years of Music Around Mystic
James Harris has been playing guitar and singing professionally for more than 20 years.
His repertoire is broad by design. Acoustic classic and modern rock form a large part of his performances, but Harris also moves through jazz, blues and other styles depending on the setting and the audience.
That versatility has made him particularly well suited to Mystic’s restaurant and tavern music scene, where a musician may be providing atmosphere over dinner one moment and fielding requests from a room that has turned its attention toward the music the next.
Harris has become a familiar performer at several Mystic venues over the years. His local schedule has included appearances at the Daniel Packer Inne, Mystic Seaport Museum and aboard the schooner ARGIA.
In fact, Harris has been performing aboard ARGIA for more than a decade, playing acoustic classic and modern rock while the schooner sails the Mystic River and Fishers Island Sound.
Mystic Seaport Museum has similarly described him as a guitarist, vocalist and entertainer specializing in classic and modern rock.
A Musician Who Doesn’t Stay in One Lane
The Jeremiah’s flyer describes Harris simply enough: “Live Acoustic Rock, Jazz, Blues, etc. Requests.”
The “etc.” may be doing a lot of work.
Harris has built his local career around being able to move between styles rather than presenting a narrowly defined set of original music. That makes the request portion of his Jeremiah’s performances particularly appropriate.
His acoustic guitar remains the common thread, but the material can move between generations and genres over the course of an evening.
That approach has helped Harris maintain an unusually busy schedule around Mystic. More than a decade ago, local publication This Is Mystic was already describing him as a guitarist and vocalist with more than 20 years of experience who regularly performed around town.
He remains a fixture on Mystic music calendars in 2026.
Five Wednesday Nights at Jeremiah’s Tavern
The September series takes place downstairs in the Tavern at Jeremiah’s Restaurant & Tavern.
Jeremiah’s operates as two distinct experiences at its 7 Water Street location in downtown Mystic. The upstairs restaurant leans toward an elevated New England dining experience, while the Tavern is the more casual side of the operation, with drinks, comfort food and recurring entertainment.
Wednesday also happens to be Pasta Night and half-price wine night at the Tavern, giving the weekly Harris performances a dinner component for anyone looking to make an evening of it.
The music runs early, from 6 to 8 p.m., rather than occupying a late-night bar slot.
For September, that means five consecutive Wednesdays of Harris behind the microphone.
September Performance Schedule
Wednesday, September 2 — 6–8 p.m.
James Harris performs live acoustic rock, jazz, blues and requests at Jeremiah’s Tavern.
Wednesday, September 9 — 6–8 p.m.
The Wednesday residency continues with Harris returning for another two-hour acoustic set.
Wednesday, September 16 — 6–8 p.m.
Harris reaches the midpoint of the September series with another evening of live music and audience requests.
Wednesday, September 23 — 6–8 p.m.
The fourth September performance brings Harris back to the Tavern for an early-evening set.
Wednesday, September 30 — 6–8 p.m.
Harris closes out the month with the fifth and final Wednesday performance of the September residency.
A Familiar Sound in a New Mystic Setting
There is something fitting about giving Harris an entire month of Wednesdays.
His career has been closely tied to the kind of live music Mystic does particularly well: a guitarist in the corner of a tavern, music on the deck of a boat, an outdoor set beside the river or a familiar voice returning to the same local rooms year after year.
For visitors, the Jeremiah’s series offers an easy introduction to a musician who has spent years playing around Mystic.
For locals, there’s a good chance the introduction happened a long time ago.
Event Details
Event: James Harris Live at Jeremiah’s Tavern
Dates: Wednesdays, September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2026
Time: 6–8 p.m.
Performer: James Harris
Music: Acoustic rock, jazz, blues and requests
Venue: Jeremiah’s Restaurant & Tavern
Address: 7 Water Street, Mystic, CT 06355
Location: The Tavern
Wednesday Special: Pasta Night and half-price wine
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.