The Bottle Rockets
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA
2/27/10
The Bottle Rockets are a band who I regret not getting into years ago. There's really no good reason why I never did; I just haven't. They've been touring at the 300-ish capacity venue level for years and years, they have strong ties to the Uncle Tupelo-Son Volt-Wilco family tree, and they have a heavy reputation as a great live band. I've been aware of them for some time, but until recently, if you'd asked me about them, I would just tell you that I'd heard they were good, and that Brian Henneman did a fantastic job playing the lead guitar part on Wilco's first album, A.M. Well, I picked up the vinyl copy of their latest release, Lean Forward, and that piqued my curiousity. The record is good, not great, but upon first listen, I had a feeling that they were a band who suffers from what I call The J. Geils Syndrome. What I mean by that is that they're a band who are so good live that it's impossible for even the best producer to capture the energy of their live show in the studio. (For further listening, check out the first two live J. Geils records, Full House, and Blow Your Face Out, and you'll see what I'm talking about.)
Well, I finally got to check these fellas out, and my suspicions were confirmed. The Bottle Rockets did nothing short of rock my face off. They epitomized what a 2-guitar band is supposed to be, with twin lead parts, harmonizing parts, and a good bit of weaving between Henneman and John Horton. They tore through a set of classic songs, all of which sound much better when played live, with a level of intensity that most bands simply are not capable of producing. To describe it in the best way I know how, I felt like I watched a band play an entire set where every was rocked out extra hard like it was an encore. Yes, that's it. The Bottle Rockets live performance is like a 60 minute encore. Drummer Mark Ortmann and bassist Keith Voegele deserves a lot of the credit for this, of course, because you can't pull this kind of feel off without a stellar rhythm section. These guys have the country/rock/boogie style down to a T, and this was one of the best shows I've seen in quite some time.
I'd like to continue to describe what I saw for you, but it's really hard to do for those who weren't there, and I'm afraid I would fall short. If the band can't reproduce their amazing live sound on record, how can I do it justice with mere words? You'd be wise to pick up some Bottle Rockets records, but you'd be even wiser to go and catch them live. These guys are real pros, and I can't wait to see them come back to town.
Showing posts with label Live Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Live Music. Show all posts
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Racounteured
Brendan Benson
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
12/11/09
I apologize for the lapse in writing, but I've been super busy of late. Well, that and Christmas shopping has left me too broke to buy anything worth reviewing, and the shows worth going to see have been few and far between for the last couple of weeks. Until going to see the film It Might Get Loud a couple of months ago, I had very little interest in anything Jack White had ever done. I swear this would have been totally different had I known that he was the drummer for the early-90's Cowpunk/Alt-Country outfit Goober and the Peas. I never made the connection, because he was credited under his given name, John Gillis. Regardless, I never paid a lot of attention to what the guy was doing, but he made quite an impression on me after I realized what he was really about. While I like certain things about the White Stripes, the fact that most, if not all, of it lacks a lovely invention called the bass guitar leaves a little something to be desired. I love what little I've heard of The Dead Weather, but that's only a couple of songs. Much like White Stripes, I'd largely ignored The Raconteurs. After giving it an honest chance, it's the most conventional of all of Jack White's projects. Coincidentally, it's the one I think I enjoy the most. Another thing that I didn't realize until digging a little deeper is that The Raconteurs is really more Brendan Benson's band than Jack White's.
When I saw that Brendan Benson would be playing a solo show at The Earl, I didn't know what to expect, but I also knew that I probably didn't want to miss it. I had never heard a single song from his solo catalog going in. That, coupled with the fact that I once again got pretty drunk (a recurring theme, I know), means that you're not getting too thorough of a review out of me. Let me put it to you this way, though: I may not have known any of the songs he played, but this show was absolutely brilliant. Benson is a great singer, a fine guitar player, and he was backed by stellar accompaniment, which included fellow Raconteur Mark Watrous, and Brad Pemberton and Jared Reynolds, sidemen of Ryan Adams and Ben Folds, respectively.
Watching and hearing Benson was like going back in time and watching one of the early-to-mid 70's power pop masters have a go of it. For me, it conjured up many of the great ones like Big Star, Cheap Trick and The Raspberries. The hooks were ubiquitous, and it seemed like with each song, you'd hear the first verse and whether you were familiar with it or not, you'd be singing along before it was over. And he did this non-stop for over an hour. When the set finished, he came out to do an encore with the opening act, Cory Chisel, joining him. They closed the set out by doing an outstanding version of Tom Petty's "American Girl", and a really good version of one of the more non-descript Petty hits that I can't recall (as I said, I was pretty loaded, and honestly I don't care much for Tom Petty), that brought the nearly packed house down. Yeah, this guy really knows what he's doing.
I was impressed enough by Benson to pick up a copy of his latest LP, My Old, Familiar Friend. I haven't given it a listen yet, but he appeared to have played most of the album, so I think I'm going to like it enough to work backwards and pick up some of his earlier records. I regret that I was only able to catch the last couple of Cory Chisel's songs, because based on those, he seems to be pretty good, too. I'd recommend checking either of these acts out in the future. And while I never thought I would find myself saying this, I think I'm going to have to see The Raconteurs next time they hit the road.
That's all for now, but expect a barrage of lame-ass 'Best of '09' posts between now and the end of the year. After all, I can't let Pitchfork and Paste have all the fun. See ya.
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
12/11/09
I apologize for the lapse in writing, but I've been super busy of late. Well, that and Christmas shopping has left me too broke to buy anything worth reviewing, and the shows worth going to see have been few and far between for the last couple of weeks. Until going to see the film It Might Get Loud a couple of months ago, I had very little interest in anything Jack White had ever done. I swear this would have been totally different had I known that he was the drummer for the early-90's Cowpunk/Alt-Country outfit Goober and the Peas. I never made the connection, because he was credited under his given name, John Gillis. Regardless, I never paid a lot of attention to what the guy was doing, but he made quite an impression on me after I realized what he was really about. While I like certain things about the White Stripes, the fact that most, if not all, of it lacks a lovely invention called the bass guitar leaves a little something to be desired. I love what little I've heard of The Dead Weather, but that's only a couple of songs. Much like White Stripes, I'd largely ignored The Raconteurs. After giving it an honest chance, it's the most conventional of all of Jack White's projects. Coincidentally, it's the one I think I enjoy the most. Another thing that I didn't realize until digging a little deeper is that The Raconteurs is really more Brendan Benson's band than Jack White's.
When I saw that Brendan Benson would be playing a solo show at The Earl, I didn't know what to expect, but I also knew that I probably didn't want to miss it. I had never heard a single song from his solo catalog going in. That, coupled with the fact that I once again got pretty drunk (a recurring theme, I know), means that you're not getting too thorough of a review out of me. Let me put it to you this way, though: I may not have known any of the songs he played, but this show was absolutely brilliant. Benson is a great singer, a fine guitar player, and he was backed by stellar accompaniment, which included fellow Raconteur Mark Watrous, and Brad Pemberton and Jared Reynolds, sidemen of Ryan Adams and Ben Folds, respectively.
Watching and hearing Benson was like going back in time and watching one of the early-to-mid 70's power pop masters have a go of it. For me, it conjured up many of the great ones like Big Star, Cheap Trick and The Raspberries. The hooks were ubiquitous, and it seemed like with each song, you'd hear the first verse and whether you were familiar with it or not, you'd be singing along before it was over. And he did this non-stop for over an hour. When the set finished, he came out to do an encore with the opening act, Cory Chisel, joining him. They closed the set out by doing an outstanding version of Tom Petty's "American Girl", and a really good version of one of the more non-descript Petty hits that I can't recall (as I said, I was pretty loaded, and honestly I don't care much for Tom Petty), that brought the nearly packed house down. Yeah, this guy really knows what he's doing.
I was impressed enough by Benson to pick up a copy of his latest LP, My Old, Familiar Friend. I haven't given it a listen yet, but he appeared to have played most of the album, so I think I'm going to like it enough to work backwards and pick up some of his earlier records. I regret that I was only able to catch the last couple of Cory Chisel's songs, because based on those, he seems to be pretty good, too. I'd recommend checking either of these acts out in the future. And while I never thought I would find myself saying this, I think I'm going to have to see The Raconteurs next time they hit the road.
That's all for now, but expect a barrage of lame-ass 'Best of '09' posts between now and the end of the year. After all, I can't let Pitchfork and Paste have all the fun. See ya.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
No Thugs in Our House
Nigels with Attitude
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
November 24, 2009
As a general rule, I think tribute bands are complete and total dogshit. No matter how well they can play the songs of the band they're mimicking, there's always something about the set, or the band, or one member in particular that chaps my ass to no end. I once went to see a Replacements tribute band from South Carolina play a show here in Atlanta. When they took the stage, the singer didn't have a guitar, or any other instrument, in his hand. If someone is going to pretend to be Paul Westerberg, and is planning on doing so without a guitar in his hand, that's something to which I will not be a party. I left as they started playing their opening number: a boring, one-guitar version of "I.O.U.". Among the myriad problems this band had, there wasn't one greater than the fact that it lacked imagination. Sure, you could make a pretty compelling argument that the whole point of a tribute band is that it's supposed to lack imagination; you are covering another artist's material, after all. But I think imagination is what sets the really good ones apart from the really bad ones. A good tribute band is able to use their own imagination to channel that of the artist they're honoring. Nigels with Attitude is probably the best tribute band I've ever seen, and it's probably because they were able to dream really big, just like XTC did for so many years.
The Nigels, led by Sheryl Crow sidemen Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, tore through a 19 song set that spanned XTC's entire career and they did so in style. They began the set with "This is Pop?" from XTC's debut White Music, finished with a raucous encore of "No Thugs in Our House", and did their take on many other classic XTC songs in between. The band, which also included most of the recently disbanded Y-O-U, was spot on, used a lot of different instruments in order to duplicate the big sound of many of the original songs and they received quite a boost behind the boards from EARL sound man Curt Wells, who was obviously a big enough XTC fan to know where they echoes and the delays and such were supposed to go.
The set seemed to include anywhere from one to three songs off of each of XTC's major releases, and that was enough to keep everyone in attendance happy (although, admittedly I would have preferred it if they would have played more songs off of my favorite, Drums and Wires). They even included a couple of tunes from the Dukes of Stratosphear releases, which I hope would silence even the toughest critics. I considered the highlights of the set to be "Life Begins at the Hop", "Generals and Majors", "Senses Working Overtime", "Mayor of Simpleton" and "Ball and Chain".
What I saw on stage that night was a group of guys who are all professional musicians, that did this gig for fun. There's no telling when or if there is going to be a next time for Nigels with Attitude, but if there is, I will be there. As I stated before, as much as I generally detest tribute bands, there are exceptions to every rule, and this was rather exceptional. And it certainly didn't lack imagination. All it lacked was a version of the song "Helicopter", and hopefully next time they'll have the imagination to work that into the repertoire.
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
November 24, 2009
As a general rule, I think tribute bands are complete and total dogshit. No matter how well they can play the songs of the band they're mimicking, there's always something about the set, or the band, or one member in particular that chaps my ass to no end. I once went to see a Replacements tribute band from South Carolina play a show here in Atlanta. When they took the stage, the singer didn't have a guitar, or any other instrument, in his hand. If someone is going to pretend to be Paul Westerberg, and is planning on doing so without a guitar in his hand, that's something to which I will not be a party. I left as they started playing their opening number: a boring, one-guitar version of "I.O.U.". Among the myriad problems this band had, there wasn't one greater than the fact that it lacked imagination. Sure, you could make a pretty compelling argument that the whole point of a tribute band is that it's supposed to lack imagination; you are covering another artist's material, after all. But I think imagination is what sets the really good ones apart from the really bad ones. A good tribute band is able to use their own imagination to channel that of the artist they're honoring. Nigels with Attitude is probably the best tribute band I've ever seen, and it's probably because they were able to dream really big, just like XTC did for so many years.
The Nigels, led by Sheryl Crow sidemen Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, tore through a 19 song set that spanned XTC's entire career and they did so in style. They began the set with "This is Pop?" from XTC's debut White Music, finished with a raucous encore of "No Thugs in Our House", and did their take on many other classic XTC songs in between. The band, which also included most of the recently disbanded Y-O-U, was spot on, used a lot of different instruments in order to duplicate the big sound of many of the original songs and they received quite a boost behind the boards from EARL sound man Curt Wells, who was obviously a big enough XTC fan to know where they echoes and the delays and such were supposed to go.
The set seemed to include anywhere from one to three songs off of each of XTC's major releases, and that was enough to keep everyone in attendance happy (although, admittedly I would have preferred it if they would have played more songs off of my favorite, Drums and Wires). They even included a couple of tunes from the Dukes of Stratosphear releases, which I hope would silence even the toughest critics. I considered the highlights of the set to be "Life Begins at the Hop", "Generals and Majors", "Senses Working Overtime", "Mayor of Simpleton" and "Ball and Chain".
What I saw on stage that night was a group of guys who are all professional musicians, that did this gig for fun. There's no telling when or if there is going to be a next time for Nigels with Attitude, but if there is, I will be there. As I stated before, as much as I generally detest tribute bands, there are exceptions to every rule, and this was rather exceptional. And it certainly didn't lack imagination. All it lacked was a version of the song "Helicopter", and hopefully next time they'll have the imagination to work that into the repertoire.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Hank Done it This Way
Son Volt
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
11/19/09
It takes a really special band to make me even consider driving all the way to Athens on a weeknight and endure the inevitable hell that the next day is certain to be. Son Volt, however, is definitely that special of a band. When all was said and done, I didn't get back to my house until 2:30 in the morning on Friday, and at that point I had a hard time falling asleep because of the large coffee I guzzled on the way back to prevent me from passing out behind the wheel. I had a miserable Friday at work, slugging through it like a zombie and avoiding human contact as much as I possibly could. But goddamn, it was worth it.
I got to Athens a little before 6 PM on Thursday, and that gave me time to check out some gear at Music Exchange before they closed. After that I killed a few drinks in the Flicker Bar (my favorite bar in Athens, for sure). Then, it was off to dinner with some friends, and a couple of friends of friends, who incidentally turned out to be Son Volt's rhythm section, Andrew Duplantis and Dave Bryson. I resisted the urge to go all fanboy on them, and I just kind of enjoyed the fact that I was sitting down to a meal with two members of one of my favorite bands. Suffice it to say that they were both extraordinarily nice and personable fellows, and it's always good to meet musicians that you look up to and have them not turn out to be total dickheads. After dinner it was time to head back to catch the opening act, and I couldn't help but feel like my night was already made. If the show was even remotely good, that just would have been gravy.
The one downside to going to shows in Athens is that they tend to start late. In this instance, the doors weren't until 9 PM, and opening act Peter Bruntnell didn't take the stage until 10 PM. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait. Bruntnell is a stellar singer/songwriter with great songs, a nice voice and he's quite skilled with the acoustic guitar. He's also an extraordinarily charming chap, and his stage banter was worth the price of admission by itself. He played about half of his set by himself, a few songs with Son Volt's lead guitarist, James Walbourne, accompanying him, and the last few songs with Walbourne, Duplantis and Bryson backing him. I picked up a copy of his most recent CD, Peter and the Murder of Crows. It's really good stuff, kind of like English Americana if I had to define, and I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Son Volt took the stage around 11:15 PM and it turned out to be a unique experience. I'm used to seeing them at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta; they play there every year to a sold-out or close to sold-out crowd of 1,500 or so. The 40 Watt seemed like way too small of a venue for this band to be playing, but nobody, including the band, seemed to mind. The band was actually much looser than I was used to, but given the fact this was a show at a small, intimate club, coupled with the late start and the several drinks I'd already knocked back made it work so perfectly. It was a venue appropriate show, to say the least. They rocked it out for over 90 minutes, tearing through a good portion of American Central Dust, and a diverse range of songs from all of the other Son Volt albums.
The band was on point once again. Bryson and Duplantis had already been rapidly moving their way up my list of favorite rhythm sections, and now they're pretty damn close to the top. I'd love it if this current lineup of the band doesn't change, but I would be downright upset if either one of these two split or got the axe. Mark Spencer was right on with the pedal steel and keys, just like always. If it were possible to steal the show away from Jay Farrar, James Walbourne would have done so. The first time I saw him with the band was only his second appearance with them on this tour. I was plenty impressed then. Now that he's actually had time to learn the songs, and get some more gigs with this incarnation of the band under his belt, I'm ready to anoint him as the absolute best country guitarist I've ever seen.
Walbourne's stellar playing aside, it's actually not possible to steal the show from Jay Farrar. Jay is the show. Jay is one of my ten favorite singers of all time, regardless of genre. And while he isn't out there doing leg kicks and playing his Gretsch with his teeth, that doesn't prevent him from being an extremely engaging front man. Actually, his calm and reserved presence suits his songs very well. This is one of many reasons why most people who go see Son Volt wind up going see them again the next time they come town.
When the set ended and it came time for the encore, they did not disappoint. After starting it with a song from American Central Dust, they played a brilliant version of "Windfall", and a cover of Doug Sahm's "I'm Not That Kat Anymore" that absolutely rocked my face off. As if that wasn't enough they came out and did a nearly six minute long rendition of Waylon Jenning's "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?", which someone captured with a video camera and posted on Youtube. It really starts to rock around the 4:00 mark.
And that was it. They could have kept playing, and I wouldn't have complained, but I'm kind of glad they quit right there. For the second time in a row that I saw them, they did not play "Drown". Although I wished they had played it, as it's a genre-defining song in my eyes, I did come to the conclusion that I would have been a bit more upset if they had played "Drown" and omitted "Windfall" from the set. All nit-picking aside, if Son Volt wants to play over 90 minutes, they can play whatever they damn well please, and I'll just shut up and enjoy it.
I need to point out one more observation that I've made over the last few months. If you would have told me in late '05 or early '06, when Wilco was in their YHF/A Ghost is Born period, had just added the amazing Nels Cline as their lead guitarist and released Kickin' Television that I would ever be more interested in what Jay Farrar is doing than what Jeff Tweedy is doing, I would have asked you if I could have some of what you were smoking. Alas, it's 2009, Wilco is making boring daddy-rock that puts me to sleep, and Jay is out there keeping it simple and leaving me wanting more. Times have changed, to say the least.
It looks like there is a brief West Coast engagement over the next couple of weeks, and then the band is done for the rest of the year. I sure hope a Son Volt album and lengthy tour is in the works for '10, because I'll do Athens and Atlanta again. I don't give a damn how sleep deprived I get. Give me my Son Volt fix now; I'll sleep when I'm dead.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
11/19/09
It takes a really special band to make me even consider driving all the way to Athens on a weeknight and endure the inevitable hell that the next day is certain to be. Son Volt, however, is definitely that special of a band. When all was said and done, I didn't get back to my house until 2:30 in the morning on Friday, and at that point I had a hard time falling asleep because of the large coffee I guzzled on the way back to prevent me from passing out behind the wheel. I had a miserable Friday at work, slugging through it like a zombie and avoiding human contact as much as I possibly could. But goddamn, it was worth it.
I got to Athens a little before 6 PM on Thursday, and that gave me time to check out some gear at Music Exchange before they closed. After that I killed a few drinks in the Flicker Bar (my favorite bar in Athens, for sure). Then, it was off to dinner with some friends, and a couple of friends of friends, who incidentally turned out to be Son Volt's rhythm section, Andrew Duplantis and Dave Bryson. I resisted the urge to go all fanboy on them, and I just kind of enjoyed the fact that I was sitting down to a meal with two members of one of my favorite bands. Suffice it to say that they were both extraordinarily nice and personable fellows, and it's always good to meet musicians that you look up to and have them not turn out to be total dickheads. After dinner it was time to head back to catch the opening act, and I couldn't help but feel like my night was already made. If the show was even remotely good, that just would have been gravy.
The one downside to going to shows in Athens is that they tend to start late. In this instance, the doors weren't until 9 PM, and opening act Peter Bruntnell didn't take the stage until 10 PM. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait. Bruntnell is a stellar singer/songwriter with great songs, a nice voice and he's quite skilled with the acoustic guitar. He's also an extraordinarily charming chap, and his stage banter was worth the price of admission by itself. He played about half of his set by himself, a few songs with Son Volt's lead guitarist, James Walbourne, accompanying him, and the last few songs with Walbourne, Duplantis and Bryson backing him. I picked up a copy of his most recent CD, Peter and the Murder of Crows. It's really good stuff, kind of like English Americana if I had to define, and I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Son Volt took the stage around 11:15 PM and it turned out to be a unique experience. I'm used to seeing them at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta; they play there every year to a sold-out or close to sold-out crowd of 1,500 or so. The 40 Watt seemed like way too small of a venue for this band to be playing, but nobody, including the band, seemed to mind. The band was actually much looser than I was used to, but given the fact this was a show at a small, intimate club, coupled with the late start and the several drinks I'd already knocked back made it work so perfectly. It was a venue appropriate show, to say the least. They rocked it out for over 90 minutes, tearing through a good portion of American Central Dust, and a diverse range of songs from all of the other Son Volt albums.
The band was on point once again. Bryson and Duplantis had already been rapidly moving their way up my list of favorite rhythm sections, and now they're pretty damn close to the top. I'd love it if this current lineup of the band doesn't change, but I would be downright upset if either one of these two split or got the axe. Mark Spencer was right on with the pedal steel and keys, just like always. If it were possible to steal the show away from Jay Farrar, James Walbourne would have done so. The first time I saw him with the band was only his second appearance with them on this tour. I was plenty impressed then. Now that he's actually had time to learn the songs, and get some more gigs with this incarnation of the band under his belt, I'm ready to anoint him as the absolute best country guitarist I've ever seen.
Walbourne's stellar playing aside, it's actually not possible to steal the show from Jay Farrar. Jay is the show. Jay is one of my ten favorite singers of all time, regardless of genre. And while he isn't out there doing leg kicks and playing his Gretsch with his teeth, that doesn't prevent him from being an extremely engaging front man. Actually, his calm and reserved presence suits his songs very well. This is one of many reasons why most people who go see Son Volt wind up going see them again the next time they come town.
When the set ended and it came time for the encore, they did not disappoint. After starting it with a song from American Central Dust, they played a brilliant version of "Windfall", and a cover of Doug Sahm's "I'm Not That Kat Anymore" that absolutely rocked my face off. As if that wasn't enough they came out and did a nearly six minute long rendition of Waylon Jenning's "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?", which someone captured with a video camera and posted on Youtube. It really starts to rock around the 4:00 mark.
And that was it. They could have kept playing, and I wouldn't have complained, but I'm kind of glad they quit right there. For the second time in a row that I saw them, they did not play "Drown". Although I wished they had played it, as it's a genre-defining song in my eyes, I did come to the conclusion that I would have been a bit more upset if they had played "Drown" and omitted "Windfall" from the set. All nit-picking aside, if Son Volt wants to play over 90 minutes, they can play whatever they damn well please, and I'll just shut up and enjoy it.
I need to point out one more observation that I've made over the last few months. If you would have told me in late '05 or early '06, when Wilco was in their YHF/A Ghost is Born period, had just added the amazing Nels Cline as their lead guitarist and released Kickin' Television that I would ever be more interested in what Jay Farrar is doing than what Jeff Tweedy is doing, I would have asked you if I could have some of what you were smoking. Alas, it's 2009, Wilco is making boring daddy-rock that puts me to sleep, and Jay is out there keeping it simple and leaving me wanting more. Times have changed, to say the least.
It looks like there is a brief West Coast engagement over the next couple of weeks, and then the band is done for the rest of the year. I sure hope a Son Volt album and lengthy tour is in the works for '10, because I'll do Athens and Atlanta again. I don't give a damn how sleep deprived I get. Give me my Son Volt fix now; I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Charlie Louvin Story
So here's the thing: I have a tendency to be inappropriate a lot of the time. I have a pretty sick sense of humor to begin with and I really love beer; hijinks are bound to ensue with that sort of combination. I've said and done some monumentally stupid things in my day. But on November 13, 2009 I achieved a personal best for being unintentionally inappropriate.
On Friday afternoon, I was driving home from work pondering whether or not to attend country legend Charlie Louvin's performance at the EARL. I was listening to 1690 AM, and Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark was filling in as the DJ. He made mention of the show, and then played the Louvin Brothers' classic "Cash on the Barrelhead". I decided at this point that I needed to go, and figured it might have been close to selling out. I stopped by the EARL to purchase a ticket and make sure I didn't miss out on the opportunity to see one of the old masters, even if he is 82 years of age.
I got my ticket and decided to have a couple of beers before heading home to regroup and come back out for the show. At one point, another patron (Frederick from Degenerate Press, incidentally) asked the bartender if he could pick up a ticket for the show. Upon being told that the cost of the ticket was $18, he playfully acted as though he wouldn't pay such a hefty sum for a show at the EARL. Wanting to join in on the fun, I loudly announced the following:
"Look at it this way, think about how much money that ticket stub will be worth if he drops dead on the stage tonight."
Immediately after I said this, the bartender, who is a good friend of mine, snapped at me in a very authoritative tone. This took me by complete surprise, because knowing her, she would have only addressed me in such a manner if I'd done something truly awful to deserve it. I quickly scoped my surroundings, and then it hit me: the elderly gentleman literally 18 or so inches to my left was Charlie Louvin.
After realizing what I had just done, I did what any reasonable person would do: I ran like hell out the front door, busted out my phone and pretended to answer a non-existent phone call. After I was able to calm down a bit, I went back inside and it appeared that Mr. Louvin either didn't hear me, didn't realize I was talking about him, or perhaps he just didn't care. Needless to say, I could not remember being that embarrassed in recent history. I sure am glad he didn't drop dead on stage that night, because he put on a great show.
Charlie Louvin
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
November 13, 2009
Stopping by the bar to get a ticket in advance was a good move on my part. However, putting down a couple of beers and a couple shots of Jameson between 6 and 7 PM turned out to be a tactical error. That kind of head start pretty much guaranteed I would wind up getting too drunk before the night ended. Fortunately, I was not too drunk to absorb Anna Kramer's set. I always enjoyed her, but I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was loads better than I ever remembered her being. It seems, although I could be wrong about this, that she has been playing out with less frequency in the last year or so. I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her shows because she was fantastic that night, as were the Lost Cause.
I was starting to get pretty loaded by the time The Dexter Romweber Duo took the stage. It mostly seemed unremarkable to me. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it left me with the feeling that I usually get when I watch or listen to a two-piece act: I wished they were at least a three piece. It wasn't as good as Romweber's Flat Duo Jets, who were a two piece I would love to have seen perform live, but it was OK.
I was essentially plastered by the time Charlie Louvin took the stage, but I was still able to enjoy some of his set. At 82, he still has an amazing voice and a very commanding stage presence. He was kind of like your grandfather, but only if your grandfather happened to be a pioneering country artist with a golden voice and six decades worth of material so impressive that everyone from George Jones to Elvis Costello to Jeff Tweedy wanted to work with him. My biggest regret of the night, other than accidentally making a joke about the artist being so old that he might drop dead on stage, was not purchasing one of the t-shirts that had the picture of one of the most ridiculously bad album covers of all time, The Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real.
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing if he had heard my joke, because anyone who would put out an album with that undeniably horrendous cover, and then be okay with printing t-shirts with that image on it has got to be someone who digs unintentional comedy and doesn't mind being the butt of the joke sometimes. Either that or he's just a savvy business man; I'm certain that shirt is probably a hot seller everywhere he plays.
It was a real treat being able to see and hear Charlie Louvin in person. I hope there gets to be a next time for it, and if there is I'll remember to stay reasonably sober. And one thing I can say with a great degree of certainty is that from now on, I'm going to do a visual scan of the whole room before I make a crude joke about octogenarians.
On Friday afternoon, I was driving home from work pondering whether or not to attend country legend Charlie Louvin's performance at the EARL. I was listening to 1690 AM, and Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark was filling in as the DJ. He made mention of the show, and then played the Louvin Brothers' classic "Cash on the Barrelhead". I decided at this point that I needed to go, and figured it might have been close to selling out. I stopped by the EARL to purchase a ticket and make sure I didn't miss out on the opportunity to see one of the old masters, even if he is 82 years of age.
I got my ticket and decided to have a couple of beers before heading home to regroup and come back out for the show. At one point, another patron (Frederick from Degenerate Press, incidentally) asked the bartender if he could pick up a ticket for the show. Upon being told that the cost of the ticket was $18, he playfully acted as though he wouldn't pay such a hefty sum for a show at the EARL. Wanting to join in on the fun, I loudly announced the following:
"Look at it this way, think about how much money that ticket stub will be worth if he drops dead on the stage tonight."
Immediately after I said this, the bartender, who is a good friend of mine, snapped at me in a very authoritative tone. This took me by complete surprise, because knowing her, she would have only addressed me in such a manner if I'd done something truly awful to deserve it. I quickly scoped my surroundings, and then it hit me: the elderly gentleman literally 18 or so inches to my left was Charlie Louvin.
After realizing what I had just done, I did what any reasonable person would do: I ran like hell out the front door, busted out my phone and pretended to answer a non-existent phone call. After I was able to calm down a bit, I went back inside and it appeared that Mr. Louvin either didn't hear me, didn't realize I was talking about him, or perhaps he just didn't care. Needless to say, I could not remember being that embarrassed in recent history. I sure am glad he didn't drop dead on stage that night, because he put on a great show.
Charlie Louvin
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
November 13, 2009
Stopping by the bar to get a ticket in advance was a good move on my part. However, putting down a couple of beers and a couple shots of Jameson between 6 and 7 PM turned out to be a tactical error. That kind of head start pretty much guaranteed I would wind up getting too drunk before the night ended. Fortunately, I was not too drunk to absorb Anna Kramer's set. I always enjoyed her, but I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was loads better than I ever remembered her being. It seems, although I could be wrong about this, that she has been playing out with less frequency in the last year or so. I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her shows because she was fantastic that night, as were the Lost Cause.
I was starting to get pretty loaded by the time The Dexter Romweber Duo took the stage. It mostly seemed unremarkable to me. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it left me with the feeling that I usually get when I watch or listen to a two-piece act: I wished they were at least a three piece. It wasn't as good as Romweber's Flat Duo Jets, who were a two piece I would love to have seen perform live, but it was OK.
I was essentially plastered by the time Charlie Louvin took the stage, but I was still able to enjoy some of his set. At 82, he still has an amazing voice and a very commanding stage presence. He was kind of like your grandfather, but only if your grandfather happened to be a pioneering country artist with a golden voice and six decades worth of material so impressive that everyone from George Jones to Elvis Costello to Jeff Tweedy wanted to work with him. My biggest regret of the night, other than accidentally making a joke about the artist being so old that he might drop dead on stage, was not purchasing one of the t-shirts that had the picture of one of the most ridiculously bad album covers of all time, The Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real.
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing if he had heard my joke, because anyone who would put out an album with that undeniably horrendous cover, and then be okay with printing t-shirts with that image on it has got to be someone who digs unintentional comedy and doesn't mind being the butt of the joke sometimes. Either that or he's just a savvy business man; I'm certain that shirt is probably a hot seller everywhere he plays.
It was a real treat being able to see and hear Charlie Louvin in person. I hope there gets to be a next time for it, and if there is I'll remember to stay reasonably sober. And one thing I can say with a great degree of certainty is that from now on, I'm going to do a visual scan of the whole room before I make a crude joke about octogenarians.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Face to Face with a Face
Ian McLagan
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA
November 9th, 2009
Considering how much I love music, and the high rate at which I attend live shows, I find it a bit surprising how infrequently I find myself in awe of an artist or band. Sure, most of the shows I go to are really good, and I am impressed by the performer, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in awe. To say that Monday night at Smith's Olde Bar was an exception to this would be an understatement. As far as I'm concerned, Ian McLagan is practically a god. His pioneering work with a Hammond organ in his days with the Small Faces pretty much elevates him to that status by itself. Throw in his days with The Faces and he's there for sure. Studio sessions and touring with the Stones? Yeah, he did that too. He's also done session work for Dylan and Springsteen, and he backs Billy Bragg whenever he's on the road. To put it simply, Ian McLagan is a badass.
I didn't know what to expect at Smith's on Monday. The evening was being billed as "An Intimate Evening with Ian McLagan", which led me to believe this would be a solo performance, and not with the Bump Band, his accompaniment since he officially launched his solo career in 1977. One of the first things noticed was that the GA area in Smiths was filled with tables and chairs, which I had never seen before. The second thing I noticed was that there weren't nearly enough people who turned out to watch a living legend. I was not alone in this observation. I overheard Rick Richards, Georgia Satellite and legend is his own right, tell one of his rocker pals "this is a piss poor turnout for one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time". Well done, Mr. Richards. I couldn't have put it any better myself.
It had been so long since I'd been to Smith's that I forgot how much I like the room. The sound is fantastic, and the setting is appropriate for nearly any type of act. The opener, Dave Sutherland from the U.K., did an excellent job. It was nothing too out of the ordinary; he's just a guy with a good voice, good guitar chops and good songs. Actually, the idea of an artist being good at all three is out of the ordinary these days, it just shouldn't be.
Mac took the stage a little after 9 and delivered a fantastic set. He started out playing solo with his electric piano, and later was joined by Bump band member Jon Notarthomas on bass and guitar for a handful of numbers. He predominantly drew from his vast solo catalog; he has released 8 albums since 1977. Each song featured his amazing piano playing and a very good singing voice that doesn't sound like it's 64 years old. He was extraordinarily witty and charming, and his banter with the audience was top notch. He told stories of his days with the Small Faces, and then the Faces, and took some lighthearted potshots about playing with Rod Stewart during his commercially successful (read: shitty) years. He did a two song dedication to fallen comrade Ronnie Lane that include a rendition of the Faces' classic "Debris" that nearly brought me to tears.
The most remarkable thing to me was that this legend (and I think we can call him our own national treasure now that he's been based out of Austin for over three decades) was playing to such a small audience and it didn't seem to bother him or anybody else there. He gave his best performance, and every single person there applauded loudly after each number was finished. And then after the set he manned the merch booth himself and invited everyone to come say hello. I was honored to be able to shake his hand, buy a CD re-issue of his first solo record, which he signed for me, and tell him it was a pleasure to see him play. I can't wait to see the man again, whether it's solo, with the Bump Band, a Faces reunion or whatever. I will be there.
What did you do on Monday night? I got to meet one of the Faces. That sure beats the shit out of Monday Night Football in my book.
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA
November 9th, 2009
Considering how much I love music, and the high rate at which I attend live shows, I find it a bit surprising how infrequently I find myself in awe of an artist or band. Sure, most of the shows I go to are really good, and I am impressed by the performer, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in awe. To say that Monday night at Smith's Olde Bar was an exception to this would be an understatement. As far as I'm concerned, Ian McLagan is practically a god. His pioneering work with a Hammond organ in his days with the Small Faces pretty much elevates him to that status by itself. Throw in his days with The Faces and he's there for sure. Studio sessions and touring with the Stones? Yeah, he did that too. He's also done session work for Dylan and Springsteen, and he backs Billy Bragg whenever he's on the road. To put it simply, Ian McLagan is a badass.
I didn't know what to expect at Smith's on Monday. The evening was being billed as "An Intimate Evening with Ian McLagan", which led me to believe this would be a solo performance, and not with the Bump Band, his accompaniment since he officially launched his solo career in 1977. One of the first things noticed was that the GA area in Smiths was filled with tables and chairs, which I had never seen before. The second thing I noticed was that there weren't nearly enough people who turned out to watch a living legend. I was not alone in this observation. I overheard Rick Richards, Georgia Satellite and legend is his own right, tell one of his rocker pals "this is a piss poor turnout for one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time". Well done, Mr. Richards. I couldn't have put it any better myself.
It had been so long since I'd been to Smith's that I forgot how much I like the room. The sound is fantastic, and the setting is appropriate for nearly any type of act. The opener, Dave Sutherland from the U.K., did an excellent job. It was nothing too out of the ordinary; he's just a guy with a good voice, good guitar chops and good songs. Actually, the idea of an artist being good at all three is out of the ordinary these days, it just shouldn't be.
Mac took the stage a little after 9 and delivered a fantastic set. He started out playing solo with his electric piano, and later was joined by Bump band member Jon Notarthomas on bass and guitar for a handful of numbers. He predominantly drew from his vast solo catalog; he has released 8 albums since 1977. Each song featured his amazing piano playing and a very good singing voice that doesn't sound like it's 64 years old. He was extraordinarily witty and charming, and his banter with the audience was top notch. He told stories of his days with the Small Faces, and then the Faces, and took some lighthearted potshots about playing with Rod Stewart during his commercially successful (read: shitty) years. He did a two song dedication to fallen comrade Ronnie Lane that include a rendition of the Faces' classic "Debris" that nearly brought me to tears.
The most remarkable thing to me was that this legend (and I think we can call him our own national treasure now that he's been based out of Austin for over three decades) was playing to such a small audience and it didn't seem to bother him or anybody else there. He gave his best performance, and every single person there applauded loudly after each number was finished. And then after the set he manned the merch booth himself and invited everyone to come say hello. I was honored to be able to shake his hand, buy a CD re-issue of his first solo record, which he signed for me, and tell him it was a pleasure to see him play. I can't wait to see the man again, whether it's solo, with the Bump Band, a Faces reunion or whatever. I will be there.
What did you do on Monday night? I got to meet one of the Faces. That sure beats the shit out of Monday Night Football in my book.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Social D - continued
I knew the show in Athens was going to be a tough one to top, but I was still looking forward to seeing the band again. I was also extraordinarily curious to see what a punk rock show would be like in Hilton Head. If Michael J. Fox is the only man with no Elvis in him, then Hilton Head Island, SC is the only city in the United States with no punk rock in it. But I knew Mike wouldn't let me down.
Shoreline Ballroom
Hilton Head Island, SC
10/25/09
Excepting two dates as Pearl Jam's opening act (more on this later), the Hilton Head gig was the last stop on Social Distortion's tour. The Shoreline Ballroom was a curious choice, but it turned out to be kind of interesting. There's nothing really remarkable about this place, but their beer was cheaper than at most of the stuffy bars in HHI, the room was big, and the sound was pretty decent. Because everything within the city limits of Hilton Head Island is damned impossible to find, and because this particular joint makes you drive a few miles away and take a shuttle to get there, I wound up missing all of MC Rut's set, and about half of the Stranger's.
Social D hit the stage right around 10, and they got down to business right away; they once again opened the set with "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster". I don't care that this was the same way they opened the 40 Watt show. As a matter of fact, if they open every show for the rest of their existence with these three numbers, I don't think you're going to hear too many people complaining. They played mostly the same songs that they did in Athens, shuffling around the order a bit, and they omitted "Highway 101" from this set. I spent a good bit of the 40 Watt show in the pit (most bars in Athens only charge $3 for Jameson shots, this is not good for my well being), so this time around I was content to stand near the back, sip beer and just enjoy the show. In doing so, I was able to make a lot of observations about the band.
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham has got the coolest job in the world. He's Mike Ness' personal lead guitar player. I've now seen him play 6 times with Social Distortion and once with Ness' solo band. I think it's reached the point where it would be weird to see Ness on stage without him. He's also a great guitar player. The only person that ever looked more at home playing Les Paul Junior was Johnny Thunders.
I've seen Social D with a few different bass players, and I think I like Brent Harding the best out of all of them. The first time I saw him play with the band was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA in early '08. They opened the show with a three song acoustic mini-set with Harding on the upright bass. I would love to see them do more of this. He was also in Ness' solo band when I saw them last year, and he plays the upright rather well. He does a solid job of holding down the bottom end, and he's an excellent backup singer. He's a very diverse player with a background that ranges from punk to bluegrass. I cannot describe what an asset this can be to the band, particularly when it comes to recording new material. I hope he sticks around for a while.
Adam "Atom" Willard (Angels & Airwaves) is behind the drum kit for the band now. He's just a straight up basher, and he's pretty damn good at it. He almost makes me forget about Charlie Quintana. Almost. The kid is good, though, and he didn't seem out of place up there.
All in all, the band delivered another solid set. And they proved they can put on a punk rock show wherever they damn well please. Fortunately, since I wasn't in the shit, so to speak, I was able to note the entire set list, in order.
"(I Just Wanna Give You) The Creeps"
"Another State of Mind"
"Mommy's Little Monster"
"Sick Boys"
"Don't Drag Me Down"
"Ring of Fire"
"Bad Luck"
"Reach for the Sky"
"Can't Take It with You"
"Ball and Chain"
"Bakersfield"
"Nickels and Dimes"
"Sometimes I Do"
encore
"Making Believe"
"99 to Life"
"Still Alive"
"Story of My Life"
Just take a minute and read that set list. It's really quite amazing what a repertoire Mr. Ness has been able to put together through the years. All three of the new songs are pretty good, by the way. "Still Alive" is a pretty straightforward Social D tune, and my least favorite of the three. "Bakersfield" is a great song which, unsurprisingly, draws heavily from the Bakersfield sound. I cannot wait to hear the studio version of this. Jonny 2 Bags can play the chicken pickin' style with the best of them. "Can't Take It with You" is the best new Social D song I've heard since Sex, Love and Rock n' Roll. It's got a heavy soul, you could even call it gospel, feel to it, and I would bet money it's going to achieve new classic status with fans when the next record comes out.
After the Hilton Head show, the band headed to Philadelphia to open two shows for Pearl Jam at the Spectrum. I'm not really a big PJ fan, but goddammit I wish I could have seen this:
That looks like the coolest thing to happen at the Spectrum since Rocky Balboa went the distance with Apollo Creed.
Mike Ness got to wrap up the best tour I've seen him do in a long time, and then he got to play two gigs in front of an enormous audience. I got to see one of my idols play twice within the span of 48 hours, and I get to cross 'watch punk rock concert on stuffy resort island' off my list of things to do before I die. Everybody won.
Shoreline Ballroom
Hilton Head Island, SC
10/25/09
Excepting two dates as Pearl Jam's opening act (more on this later), the Hilton Head gig was the last stop on Social Distortion's tour. The Shoreline Ballroom was a curious choice, but it turned out to be kind of interesting. There's nothing really remarkable about this place, but their beer was cheaper than at most of the stuffy bars in HHI, the room was big, and the sound was pretty decent. Because everything within the city limits of Hilton Head Island is damned impossible to find, and because this particular joint makes you drive a few miles away and take a shuttle to get there, I wound up missing all of MC Rut's set, and about half of the Stranger's.
Social D hit the stage right around 10, and they got down to business right away; they once again opened the set with "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster". I don't care that this was the same way they opened the 40 Watt show. As a matter of fact, if they open every show for the rest of their existence with these three numbers, I don't think you're going to hear too many people complaining. They played mostly the same songs that they did in Athens, shuffling around the order a bit, and they omitted "Highway 101" from this set. I spent a good bit of the 40 Watt show in the pit (most bars in Athens only charge $3 for Jameson shots, this is not good for my well being), so this time around I was content to stand near the back, sip beer and just enjoy the show. In doing so, I was able to make a lot of observations about the band.
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham has got the coolest job in the world. He's Mike Ness' personal lead guitar player. I've now seen him play 6 times with Social Distortion and once with Ness' solo band. I think it's reached the point where it would be weird to see Ness on stage without him. He's also a great guitar player. The only person that ever looked more at home playing Les Paul Junior was Johnny Thunders.
I've seen Social D with a few different bass players, and I think I like Brent Harding the best out of all of them. The first time I saw him play with the band was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA in early '08. They opened the show with a three song acoustic mini-set with Harding on the upright bass. I would love to see them do more of this. He was also in Ness' solo band when I saw them last year, and he plays the upright rather well. He does a solid job of holding down the bottom end, and he's an excellent backup singer. He's a very diverse player with a background that ranges from punk to bluegrass. I cannot describe what an asset this can be to the band, particularly when it comes to recording new material. I hope he sticks around for a while.
Adam "Atom" Willard (Angels & Airwaves) is behind the drum kit for the band now. He's just a straight up basher, and he's pretty damn good at it. He almost makes me forget about Charlie Quintana. Almost. The kid is good, though, and he didn't seem out of place up there.
All in all, the band delivered another solid set. And they proved they can put on a punk rock show wherever they damn well please. Fortunately, since I wasn't in the shit, so to speak, I was able to note the entire set list, in order.
"(I Just Wanna Give You) The Creeps"
"Another State of Mind"
"Mommy's Little Monster"
"Sick Boys"
"Don't Drag Me Down"
"Ring of Fire"
"Bad Luck"
"Reach for the Sky"
"Can't Take It with You"
"Ball and Chain"
"Bakersfield"
"Nickels and Dimes"
"Sometimes I Do"
encore
"Making Believe"
"99 to Life"
"Still Alive"
"Story of My Life"
Just take a minute and read that set list. It's really quite amazing what a repertoire Mr. Ness has been able to put together through the years. All three of the new songs are pretty good, by the way. "Still Alive" is a pretty straightforward Social D tune, and my least favorite of the three. "Bakersfield" is a great song which, unsurprisingly, draws heavily from the Bakersfield sound. I cannot wait to hear the studio version of this. Jonny 2 Bags can play the chicken pickin' style with the best of them. "Can't Take It with You" is the best new Social D song I've heard since Sex, Love and Rock n' Roll. It's got a heavy soul, you could even call it gospel, feel to it, and I would bet money it's going to achieve new classic status with fans when the next record comes out.
After the Hilton Head show, the band headed to Philadelphia to open two shows for Pearl Jam at the Spectrum. I'm not really a big PJ fan, but goddammit I wish I could have seen this:
That looks like the coolest thing to happen at the Spectrum since Rocky Balboa went the distance with Apollo Creed.
Mike Ness got to wrap up the best tour I've seen him do in a long time, and then he got to play two gigs in front of an enormous audience. I got to see one of my idols play twice within the span of 48 hours, and I get to cross 'watch punk rock concert on stuffy resort island' off my list of things to do before I die. Everybody won.
Friday, October 30, 2009
A Double Shot of Social D - part 1
It was around mid-July when I got the news that Social Distortion would be coming to the southeast. At this point, I realized two things:
A) Although Mike Ness did play a solo show at the Variety Playhouse last year, which I did attend, Social Distortion had not played in Atlanta since the fall of 2007.
B) I had not ventured across the Georgia state line since last Christmas.
Since they decided to skip Atlanta this time around (a rather bizarre development, being that they have sold out the Tabernacle at least the last four times they have played in Georgia), and upon realizing what a lame-ass I've been, I saw fit to make a road trip out of it and catch two shows.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
10/23/09
Apparently, Mike Ness would like to remind everyone that while Social Distortion may not have released what most people would call a true punk rock record since the 1983 classic Mommy's Little Monster, they are most definitely still a punk rock group. They established this by beginning their set at the 40 Watt Club with three songs off that album: "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and the titular track. It was like a left hook to the jaw right after the opening bell, and they refused to let up after that, tearing through 15 or 16 more songs in a set that lasted approximately 90 minutes. With the exception of three new songs, "Can't Take It With You", "Bakersfield" and "Still Alive", the rest of the set consisted almost entirely of crowd pleasing sing-alongs. I guess that must come fairly easy to those guys, as a good bit of the SxDx catalog would fall under that category. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell was heavily represented ("Bad Luck", "Sometimes I Do", "Making Believe", "99 to Life"), as was the eponymous release from 1990 ("Ball and Chain", "Sick Boys", "Ring of Fire", "Story of My Life"). Throw in a few newer classics from 2004's Sex, Love and Rock and Roll ("Reach for the Sky", "Highway 101", "Nickels and Dimes"), and the live staple "Don't Drag Me Down" and you have a raucous hour and a half long slugfest that didn't seem to leave a single person in the jam-packed 40 Watt Club feeling like he/she got cheated.
Being able to put together a 90 minute set of classic songs that everyone in attendance knows all of the words to is an impressive feat, indeed. What I find equally impressive is that Mike's got at least another 90 minutes worth of classic songs under his belt that the band didn't play. They didn't play any songs off of Prison Bound, nor did they play anything that predates Mommy's Little Monster ("1945", "Mass Hysteria"). They only played one song off of White Light, White Heat, White Trash (overall it's an uneven record, but "Dear Lover" and "I Was Wrong" are excellent live numbers), and while they did go heavy on the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and self-titled albums, they omitted some of my favorites from those two ("King of Fools", "When She Begins", "Born to Lose", "So Far Away", "Drug Train"). Yeah, that skinny junkie from the Another State of Mind film sure has come a long way in the last three decades.
It was also refreshing to check out Social D in a more intimate setting than is the norm. The 40 Watt is a stellar live music venue, and seeing the band play there was a refreshing change of pace from seeing them at the much larger Tabernacle. The Tabernacle shows are always fun, but they're also always claustrophobic and overloaded with the overly aggro Rockabilly kids. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of overly aggro Rockabilly kids at this show, just far less than there typically are at the Tab. I don't know why they decided to play a gig at the 40 Watt, but I sure am glad that I got to see it.
The two opening acts on the tour both took full advantage of their respective opportunities this night. Sacramento's Middle Class Rut (also known as MC Rut) are a guitar/drum 2 piece, but interestingly enough aren't out there trying to make lo-fi noise, which is a change of pace from what seemingly every other 2-piece is trying to pull off. They sound really good, as a matter of fact, and I would definitely pay to see them headline in a smaller club. The Strangers, from Los Angeles, went on second, and played the role of warmup band extremely well. Singer and rhythm guitarist David Stucken went out there and did his best Mike Ness. From the stance, to the swagger, to the Les Paul goldtop with P-90 pickups, he made no bones about who he's trying to sound like. I don't mean that in a disparaging way, either. This guy is pretty good at it. The Strangers are a pretty decent band and I would go see them again, as well.
In the end, of course, the show is all about Mike Ness. He has always been Social Distortion (he's been the only lasting member of the original band since the passing of Dennis Danell), and the band can only be as good as he allows them to be. And just like every other time I've seen him play, whether it be with Social Distortion or with his solo project, he delivered the goods. His singing, his guitar playing, his tough guy banter was on point. And maybe none of the things he does is all that hard; but then again if it's that easy, then why is nobody else able to do it anywhere near as well as he does? There is a reason why he's essentially outlasted all of his contemporaries, and the reason is because he's Mike Ness. He's still consistently selling out 1000-2000 capacity venues at $30-$40 a pop every time he tours; if a band like The Adolescents, T.S.O.L. or The Vandals is playing to more than a couple hundred people who laid out ten bucks a head, they're probably doing it on the Vans Warped Tour. Ness is a man who made one seminal hardcore punk album, Mommy's Little Monster, and then found a niche, call it cowpunk if you'd like, where he could really make his mark. And not only did he make his mark, he somehow he found a way to keep building on it. Social Distortion has been around for three decades now, and with a new album in the works for early 2010, they don't appear to be letting up anytime soon.
To paraphrase Jonathan Richman, Mike Ness was never called an asshole. Not like you. Not in New York. Ok, well he probably has been called an asshole quite a few times, but he's still a bad motherfucker and he can do whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned. I'll keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
A) Although Mike Ness did play a solo show at the Variety Playhouse last year, which I did attend, Social Distortion had not played in Atlanta since the fall of 2007.
B) I had not ventured across the Georgia state line since last Christmas.
Since they decided to skip Atlanta this time around (a rather bizarre development, being that they have sold out the Tabernacle at least the last four times they have played in Georgia), and upon realizing what a lame-ass I've been, I saw fit to make a road trip out of it and catch two shows.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
10/23/09
Apparently, Mike Ness would like to remind everyone that while Social Distortion may not have released what most people would call a true punk rock record since the 1983 classic Mommy's Little Monster, they are most definitely still a punk rock group. They established this by beginning their set at the 40 Watt Club with three songs off that album: "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and the titular track. It was like a left hook to the jaw right after the opening bell, and they refused to let up after that, tearing through 15 or 16 more songs in a set that lasted approximately 90 minutes. With the exception of three new songs, "Can't Take It With You", "Bakersfield" and "Still Alive", the rest of the set consisted almost entirely of crowd pleasing sing-alongs. I guess that must come fairly easy to those guys, as a good bit of the SxDx catalog would fall under that category. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell was heavily represented ("Bad Luck", "Sometimes I Do", "Making Believe", "99 to Life"), as was the eponymous release from 1990 ("Ball and Chain", "Sick Boys", "Ring of Fire", "Story of My Life"). Throw in a few newer classics from 2004's Sex, Love and Rock and Roll ("Reach for the Sky", "Highway 101", "Nickels and Dimes"), and the live staple "Don't Drag Me Down" and you have a raucous hour and a half long slugfest that didn't seem to leave a single person in the jam-packed 40 Watt Club feeling like he/she got cheated.
Being able to put together a 90 minute set of classic songs that everyone in attendance knows all of the words to is an impressive feat, indeed. What I find equally impressive is that Mike's got at least another 90 minutes worth of classic songs under his belt that the band didn't play. They didn't play any songs off of Prison Bound, nor did they play anything that predates Mommy's Little Monster ("1945", "Mass Hysteria"). They only played one song off of White Light, White Heat, White Trash (overall it's an uneven record, but "Dear Lover" and "I Was Wrong" are excellent live numbers), and while they did go heavy on the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and self-titled albums, they omitted some of my favorites from those two ("King of Fools", "When She Begins", "Born to Lose", "So Far Away", "Drug Train"). Yeah, that skinny junkie from the Another State of Mind film sure has come a long way in the last three decades.
It was also refreshing to check out Social D in a more intimate setting than is the norm. The 40 Watt is a stellar live music venue, and seeing the band play there was a refreshing change of pace from seeing them at the much larger Tabernacle. The Tabernacle shows are always fun, but they're also always claustrophobic and overloaded with the overly aggro Rockabilly kids. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of overly aggro Rockabilly kids at this show, just far less than there typically are at the Tab. I don't know why they decided to play a gig at the 40 Watt, but I sure am glad that I got to see it.
The two opening acts on the tour both took full advantage of their respective opportunities this night. Sacramento's Middle Class Rut (also known as MC Rut) are a guitar/drum 2 piece, but interestingly enough aren't out there trying to make lo-fi noise, which is a change of pace from what seemingly every other 2-piece is trying to pull off. They sound really good, as a matter of fact, and I would definitely pay to see them headline in a smaller club. The Strangers, from Los Angeles, went on second, and played the role of warmup band extremely well. Singer and rhythm guitarist David Stucken went out there and did his best Mike Ness. From the stance, to the swagger, to the Les Paul goldtop with P-90 pickups, he made no bones about who he's trying to sound like. I don't mean that in a disparaging way, either. This guy is pretty good at it. The Strangers are a pretty decent band and I would go see them again, as well.
In the end, of course, the show is all about Mike Ness. He has always been Social Distortion (he's been the only lasting member of the original band since the passing of Dennis Danell), and the band can only be as good as he allows them to be. And just like every other time I've seen him play, whether it be with Social Distortion or with his solo project, he delivered the goods. His singing, his guitar playing, his tough guy banter was on point. And maybe none of the things he does is all that hard; but then again if it's that easy, then why is nobody else able to do it anywhere near as well as he does? There is a reason why he's essentially outlasted all of his contemporaries, and the reason is because he's Mike Ness. He's still consistently selling out 1000-2000 capacity venues at $30-$40 a pop every time he tours; if a band like The Adolescents, T.S.O.L. or The Vandals is playing to more than a couple hundred people who laid out ten bucks a head, they're probably doing it on the Vans Warped Tour. Ness is a man who made one seminal hardcore punk album, Mommy's Little Monster, and then found a niche, call it cowpunk if you'd like, where he could really make his mark. And not only did he make his mark, he somehow he found a way to keep building on it. Social Distortion has been around for three decades now, and with a new album in the works for early 2010, they don't appear to be letting up anytime soon.
To paraphrase Jonathan Richman, Mike Ness was never called an asshole. Not like you. Not in New York. Ok, well he probably has been called an asshole quite a few times, but he's still a bad motherfucker and he can do whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned. I'll keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Live Music Review
Son VoltVariety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
September 11, 2009
We're All Living Proof That Nothing Lasts
I bet that Jay Farrar is a very good bowler. That probably sounds like a strange thing for somebody to say about a rock star, but he has the look of a guy who has rolls, on average, better than 180. Perhaps he's too slim, but he definitely has the face and haircut of a guy who wouldn't look out of place on a Friday at an alley in Roseville, Michigan; knocking over pins and kicking back Miller High Lifes all night. I think maybe it's this everyman quality that makes him such a great singer. It makes it possible for someone who probably isn't desperate (not anymore, anyways) to sing songs about desperation and pull it off flawlessly. Son Volt at the Variety has been a yearly occurrence for the last four years. It's always a Friday night, it always sold out, or close to sold out, and it's always worth the price of admission. It's always a good show. But on 9/11/09, Son Volt was fucking brilliant.
I've seen Son Volt three times in the last four years. It's always been good, but never like this. They tore through 25 or so songs in about an hour and forty minutes. The set list was a great mix of old and new, and they played most of the songs on American Central Dust. All of the new songs featured live arrangements that worked beautifully, particularly "Cocaine and Ashes" and "Dynamite". When it needed to be rough, it was rough. When it needed to be quiet, it was quiet. They played a version of "Windfall" that made me want to start bawling. When all was said and done and I realized that they didn't play "Drown" I was in such awe of what I'd just seen that I didn't give a shit.
I never saw Son Volt 1.0 with Mike Heidorn and the Boquist brothers, but I've seen pretty much every one of their band configurations since. The current one is by far the best. Bassist Andrew Duplantis, and drummer Dave Bryson (he keeps a really neat tour blog, which can be found here) are one of the most formidable rhythm sections I've ever heard, and it really brings a lot to the sound because many artists of this genre keep the bottom end too vanilla. That's kind of lame, and that ain't an issue with these guys. Keyboardist and pedal steel player Mark Spencer is always spot on, and Jay is Jay.
I often tell people jokingly that everything I know about life I learned from Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It usually elicits a laugh, but the thing is I'm only half kidding when I say that. Sure, he was a fuck-up. But he was a pretty wise fuck-up who offers his protege sage advice throughout the entire film; things that still ring true today. One of the most accurate things that Damone tells Ratner is that a woman decides how far she will let a guy get with her within the first seconds. Most women will tell you this is true, and the ones that deny it are lying. The way I feel about live music is analogous to this axiom. Sometimes it takes a band a few songs to really hit its stride, but generally I can tell pretty quickly how the set is going to go. As far as Friday night went, I knew it was going to be special as soon as Son Volt's new lead guitar and lap steel player, James Walbourne, struck his first note.
James Walbourne, who I had never heard of before last Friday, is one of the best guitar players I've ever seen. That's kind of a loaded statement, but for this band, the guy seems to be a perfect fit. When he rocked out, he struck the strings on his guitars (a really neat looking Gibson Firebird which now has a busted headstock, and what appeared to be a Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster Relic) harder than Joe Louis ever beat on anyone from the bum-of-the-month club, and whenever it was time for some chicken pickin', I could have sworn he was channeling Don Rich. Walbourne's feel for this kind of music is nothing short of incredible. And the fucker's a limey. The Kinks may have invented the term by calling one of their records this, but James Walbourne has truly earned the right to be called a Muswell Hillbilly. And by the way, if this isn't already his nickname, it fucking needs to be.
The sound of this show was also phenomenal. Jay's projects have always had great tone, in my opinion. That's probably another reason why I enjoyed Walbourne's playing so much. The tone reminded me of Anodyne-era Farrar, but with a greater degree technical competency. Jay was his usual self, and as always at a SV show, I was thrilled/confused when he finally brought out his Epiphone Les Paul Special (the cheapest guitar that Epiphone makes). He played the first six or so songs with a gorgeous acoustic-electric, and then went straight to the Gretsch, so I thought the Epi didn't make it on the road this time. My fears were relieved, fortunately.
I was so happy that this show exceeded my expectations. If Jay Farrar never released another record, I would still go see him play every year. But he's on the heels of the best album that he's made in years, and he sure looked like he was having a great time on the Variety's stage. This wasn't Jay and a bunch of musicians. This was a real band. Now instead of the usual feeling I have after a Son Volt show, which is 'this was really good, I hope they tour again next year', I'm already trying to make plans to see them at the 40 Watt in November, and I'm anxiously awaiting the release of One Fast Move or I'm Gone, the Kerouac-themed project he recorded with Ben Gibbard. Maybe Jay Farrar isn't a good bowler after all, but he was only a couple pins short of a perfect game the other night at the Variety Playhouse.
P.S. - The opener was Sera Calhoune from Seattle. She has a fabulous voice, considerably better than average guitar chops, good songs, and a great pedal steel player accompanying her. I can't seem to find a web presence of any kind, but keep an eye out for her.
I've seen Son Volt three times in the last four years. It's always been good, but never like this. They tore through 25 or so songs in about an hour and forty minutes. The set list was a great mix of old and new, and they played most of the songs on American Central Dust. All of the new songs featured live arrangements that worked beautifully, particularly "Cocaine and Ashes" and "Dynamite". When it needed to be rough, it was rough. When it needed to be quiet, it was quiet. They played a version of "Windfall" that made me want to start bawling. When all was said and done and I realized that they didn't play "Drown" I was in such awe of what I'd just seen that I didn't give a shit.
I never saw Son Volt 1.0 with Mike Heidorn and the Boquist brothers, but I've seen pretty much every one of their band configurations since. The current one is by far the best. Bassist Andrew Duplantis, and drummer Dave Bryson (he keeps a really neat tour blog, which can be found here) are one of the most formidable rhythm sections I've ever heard, and it really brings a lot to the sound because many artists of this genre keep the bottom end too vanilla. That's kind of lame, and that ain't an issue with these guys. Keyboardist and pedal steel player Mark Spencer is always spot on, and Jay is Jay.
I often tell people jokingly that everything I know about life I learned from Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It usually elicits a laugh, but the thing is I'm only half kidding when I say that. Sure, he was a fuck-up. But he was a pretty wise fuck-up who offers his protege sage advice throughout the entire film; things that still ring true today. One of the most accurate things that Damone tells Ratner is that a woman decides how far she will let a guy get with her within the first seconds. Most women will tell you this is true, and the ones that deny it are lying. The way I feel about live music is analogous to this axiom. Sometimes it takes a band a few songs to really hit its stride, but generally I can tell pretty quickly how the set is going to go. As far as Friday night went, I knew it was going to be special as soon as Son Volt's new lead guitar and lap steel player, James Walbourne, struck his first note.
James Walbourne, who I had never heard of before last Friday, is one of the best guitar players I've ever seen. That's kind of a loaded statement, but for this band, the guy seems to be a perfect fit. When he rocked out, he struck the strings on his guitars (a really neat looking Gibson Firebird which now has a busted headstock, and what appeared to be a Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster Relic) harder than Joe Louis ever beat on anyone from the bum-of-the-month club, and whenever it was time for some chicken pickin', I could have sworn he was channeling Don Rich. Walbourne's feel for this kind of music is nothing short of incredible. And the fucker's a limey. The Kinks may have invented the term by calling one of their records this, but James Walbourne has truly earned the right to be called a Muswell Hillbilly. And by the way, if this isn't already his nickname, it fucking needs to be.
The sound of this show was also phenomenal. Jay's projects have always had great tone, in my opinion. That's probably another reason why I enjoyed Walbourne's playing so much. The tone reminded me of Anodyne-era Farrar, but with a greater degree technical competency. Jay was his usual self, and as always at a SV show, I was thrilled/confused when he finally brought out his Epiphone Les Paul Special (the cheapest guitar that Epiphone makes). He played the first six or so songs with a gorgeous acoustic-electric, and then went straight to the Gretsch, so I thought the Epi didn't make it on the road this time. My fears were relieved, fortunately.
I was so happy that this show exceeded my expectations. If Jay Farrar never released another record, I would still go see him play every year. But he's on the heels of the best album that he's made in years, and he sure looked like he was having a great time on the Variety's stage. This wasn't Jay and a bunch of musicians. This was a real band. Now instead of the usual feeling I have after a Son Volt show, which is 'this was really good, I hope they tour again next year', I'm already trying to make plans to see them at the 40 Watt in November, and I'm anxiously awaiting the release of One Fast Move or I'm Gone, the Kerouac-themed project he recorded with Ben Gibbard. Maybe Jay Farrar isn't a good bowler after all, but he was only a couple pins short of a perfect game the other night at the Variety Playhouse.
P.S. - The opener was Sera Calhoune from Seattle. She has a fabulous voice, considerably better than average guitar chops, good songs, and a great pedal steel player accompanying her. I can't seem to find a web presence of any kind, but keep an eye out for her.
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