Steve Earle brought his solo acoustic show to the Blue Note, in Columbia, Sunday night. I got there around 7, which was the time the doors opened, but nothing started til 8. And the general admission was all seating so I could have had more free time... But apparently they had some problems getting people seated, Ticketmaster sold the seats different than they thought. So it took a little while to get it sorted out, but I wasn't going anywhere. Basically I had to switch sides from where I thought I was, 6 rows back on the far right...
Finally, Steve's wife, Allison Moorer came out at 8. A really beautiful lady with a gorgeous voice. Why she's not blasted over country radio is beyond me... Just her and an acoustic. She had a harmonica with holder on the first song, but kept falling out of place, making her yell out, "Shit!" She preformed seven songs for around half an hour. I think she played Alabama Song, but I'm not really familiar with her. But she was really talented and entertaining.
Then around 9, Mr. Earle came out. I'm not really a big fan of his the only songs I really knew were Copperhead Road and Guitar Town. I think it was just the fact he was coming to Columbia, I thought I was going to have an easy night off work and it was a solo acoustic performance.
Set List
Where I Lead Me
Colorado Girl
Rex's Blues
Ft. Worth Blues
Pancho and Lefty
Brand New Companion
Tom Ames' Prayer
My Old Friend the Blues
Someday
Taneytown
Goodbye
Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
Marie
City of Immigrants
Days Aren't Long Enough
Dixieland
Jerusalem
The Mountain
Lungs
To Live Is To Fly
------------
Guitar Town
Copperhead Road
He was pretty cool with his stories. He was touring behind his album of Townes Van Zandt covers and telling of the stories of his friend/teacher/mentor. You can tell the impact he had on Steve Earle. When he introduced Pancho and Lefty, he said, "I had 28 songs I had to narrow down to 15, but I knew where to start." He then went to a parable, "On your first day in prison, they say you find the biggest motherfucker in the yard and knock him out..." He was also humorous throughout.
Earle got political a couple of times. Once before Jerusalem going on against Obama and the Iraq War, then before The Mountain against clean coal technology(which is a pretty nasty business no matter which way you cut it). But every with a somber tone to the concert, he was pretty upbeat with his attitude.
Highlights for me included City of Immigrants where Moorer came out and joined him midway through. She dueted with him on the next song as well. Dixieland was good he was playing a mandolin here. He also played a bouzouki, a banjo-like instrument on a number, which he warned at airports to just say is a banjo. I've heard My Old Friend the Blues before as well after I started hearing it and I had listened to The Mountain album recently so I enjoyed The Mountain as well. To Live is To Fly was rousing for the ultimate song in the main set. The encores were feet stamping joys as expected.
Not writing this immediately afterwards, makes me hazy on other thoughts on songs. But here's a review from a KC show . Kind of disappointed that it looked like he told the same stories he told in Columbia, making it a paint-by-numbers sort of thing. The review gets some of the feelings on the songs played.
But just the warmth and excitedness he had while performing made it seem unique. He actually cared and not just phoning it in with the hokeyness that some artists do.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Retro Review- Shooter Jennings 10/10/2006 at the Blue Note
Here's an old review I posted in an online forum, of a previous Shooter Jennings show about three years ago. Copied pretty much from a couple of posts with some editing.
It was great show overall. I went with my mom who ordered the
tickets and went because my dad had to something else. The blue note
had something going on earlier where there were tons of girls coming
out. We got in about 9:15 and Bang Bang Bang didn't start until about
9:50 or so. They played about 10 songs for forty to fifty minutes.
They didn't sound bad but I had no clue what the singer was singing
or even saying. They have a rock sound with the first few sounding
like gritty rockabilly. And like I said I couldn't understand
him very well, but it sounded like one of the their songs was
called 'Nashville' either written by or with Shooter.
After 20 or 30 minutes Shooter and the guys finally came out. And
they were great. After reading other reviews I was still somewhat
cynical or still tried to be open minded about their performance.
But they rocked out. Even the harder rocking songs I enjoyed and
don't really listen to them as much on the records.
Highlights for me were my favorite song Solid Country Gold.
Shooter doing the solo acoustic 4th of July before the rest of the
band joins in on the countryfied version with Leroy on the steel. One
of the funniest moments came during Manifesto #1 when he got to
the "kiss my ass goodbye" line, the crowd yelled out the line during
the pause and he kinda gave a WTH look or surprise and then sung the
line. Crowd was mostly filled with young college kids with the
combination of young drunken rednecks from the area. Both in some
cases...
I went around out back after the show to try and meet Shooter.
There is no 'backstage' at the Blue Note, just a curtain on the
stage and a door. I waited a few minutes before overhearing that
he'd already gone and only the drummer was left, and Shooter had
left very quickly. If I didn't have my mom with me I would have hung
out a little longer or found the bus and would have tried waiting a
little more. The only really down part of the evening I guess. I
also bought one of the Don't Cuss the Country shirt before we left.
Set List
Electric Rodeo
Gone to Carolina
Little White Lines
Solid Country Gold
Some Rowdy Women
The Song is Slipping Away
Manifesto #2
4th of July>He Stopped Loving Her Today
Steady at the Wheel
Alligator Chomp
Bad Magick
Freedom to Stay
Manifesto #1
Hair of the Dog
Busted in Baylor County
Daddy's Farm
encore
Ain't Living Long Like This
Southern Comfort
I couldn't tell what song was after Manifesto and before Baylor.
Shooter was on the keyboard. But judging from db.etree site from the
Eugene, OR show it would be It Ain't Easy. But YouTube has a video from the show and its of Hair of the Dog. So either he didn't play It Ain't Easy or The Freedom to Stay...
I haven't really talked to my mom about it to see how she liked the show. We talked in between
and agreed that Bang Bang Bang was loud and undecipherable but we
were both tired on the hour plus drive home. I know she seemed to enjoy
the more country songs and was kinda clapping around. She tends to
like Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, George Strait, so she probably
wasn't as fond of the rocking parts.
After reading it over again a few other things I forgot to mention.
Along with Manifesto #1, where the crowd sang along, there were quite a
few other times where the crowd was signing along and generally
rocking out.
And there were several tech problems, I know of one where the
keyboard before Bad Magick wasn't right. And a few times where the
tech guy had to come up front and do something. So maybe that was a
reason for the quick exit.
It was great show overall. I went with my mom who ordered the
tickets and went because my dad had to something else. The blue note
had something going on earlier where there were tons of girls coming
out. We got in about 9:15 and Bang Bang Bang didn't start until about
9:50 or so. They played about 10 songs for forty to fifty minutes.
They didn't sound bad but I had no clue what the singer was singing
or even saying. They have a rock sound with the first few sounding
like gritty rockabilly. And like I said I couldn't understand
him very well, but it sounded like one of the their songs was
called 'Nashville' either written by or with Shooter.
After 20 or 30 minutes Shooter and the guys finally came out. And
they were great. After reading other reviews I was still somewhat
cynical or still tried to be open minded about their performance.
But they rocked out. Even the harder rocking songs I enjoyed and
don't really listen to them as much on the records.
Highlights for me were my favorite song Solid Country Gold.
Shooter doing the solo acoustic 4th of July before the rest of the
band joins in on the countryfied version with Leroy on the steel. One
of the funniest moments came during Manifesto #1 when he got to
the "kiss my ass goodbye" line, the crowd yelled out the line during
the pause and he kinda gave a WTH look or surprise and then sung the
line. Crowd was mostly filled with young college kids with the
combination of young drunken rednecks from the area. Both in some
cases...
I went around out back after the show to try and meet Shooter.
There is no 'backstage' at the Blue Note, just a curtain on the
stage and a door. I waited a few minutes before overhearing that
he'd already gone and only the drummer was left, and Shooter had
left very quickly. If I didn't have my mom with me I would have hung
out a little longer or found the bus and would have tried waiting a
little more. The only really down part of the evening I guess. I
also bought one of the Don't Cuss the Country shirt before we left.
Set List
Electric Rodeo
Gone to Carolina
Little White Lines
Solid Country Gold
Some Rowdy Women
The Song is Slipping Away
Manifesto #2
4th of July>He Stopped Loving Her Today
Steady at the Wheel
Alligator Chomp
Bad Magick
Freedom to Stay
Manifesto #1
Hair of the Dog
Busted in Baylor County
Daddy's Farm
encore
Ain't Living Long Like This
Southern Comfort
I couldn't tell what song was after Manifesto and before Baylor.
Shooter was on the keyboard. But judging from db.etree site from the
Eugene, OR show it would be It Ain't Easy. But YouTube has a video from the show and its of Hair of the Dog. So either he didn't play It Ain't Easy or The Freedom to Stay...
I haven't really talked to my mom about it to see how she liked the show. We talked in between
and agreed that Bang Bang Bang was loud and undecipherable but we
were both tired on the hour plus drive home. I know she seemed to enjoy
the more country songs and was kinda clapping around. She tends to
like Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, George Strait, so she probably
wasn't as fond of the rocking parts.
After reading it over again a few other things I forgot to mention.
Along with Manifesto #1, where the crowd sang along, there were quite a
few other times where the crowd was signing along and generally
rocking out.
And there were several tech problems, I know of one where the
keyboard before Bad Magick wasn't right. And a few times where the
tech guy had to come up front and do something. So maybe that was a
reason for the quick exit.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
8/6 Shooter Jennings Concert Review
Thursday night I saw Shooter Jennings and his band Hierophant(formerly the 357's) at Harrah's VooDoo Lounge in St. Louis. Ended up taking my mom again. My brother couldn't get off of work and my dad was doing stuff. This was my third time seeing the group. First time was in '05 as an opening act for Toby Keith and saw him at the Blue Note in the Fall of '06.
The venue was pretty much just a bar, but kinda unique. The stage was about 8 feet up in the air and the bar was right underneath it. So when people went to get drinks they were closer to the action. I had general admission seats, so my mom thought we were going to have to stand the whole time, but they had chairs set out...
The lights went dim with the Dark Crystal starting to play on the various video screens and the backdrop. The opener was a sci-fi-like environmental warning song. Here's the full set list
Shooter in the last few years has been more of a country rocker or Southern rocker, but he's now going back to his roots with pure rock. The country elements are pretty sparse and the name change of the group is trying to go along with this. I figured I'd have been disappointed in this as I tend to like his country stuff over his harder rock, but the sound worked for me. He mixed in a bunch of new stuff with some of his older stuff and the beats and music were rocking.
Instrument wise, Shooter was either using a Flying V or an SG, only picking up the acoustic once at the end, as well as playing on his keyboard and synth.
I was right in front of Ted Russell Kamp, the bassist, who was smiling all the time and having a blast. Bryan Keeling the drummer, seemed more subdued than before. I didn't see him stand up once. The new guys, who I'm not sure of the name, on guitar and keyboard, were over on the other side, so I didn't pay as much attention to them...
The worst part was probably overall the drunks as always. No, I take that back, Ticketmaster was the worst. Add in all the convenience, facility, service, whatever fees, a $20 ticket cost almost $30 and for two it was the same as three tickets at face value.
I won't ever complain about an artist playing and trying new stuff on the road as it shows they aren't into the same old, same old and still trying out new things musically. But the hardest part was not knowing the words, add it in the with obnoxiousness of the fore mentioned drunks, and trying to follow along. I know the music is supposed to be rock and be loud, but for the newer songs it would have been better if they could have turned up Shooter's voice a little and drop the instruments in the mix some as well. My mom asked me, "Can you understand him better on records?" But when he came back for the encore with just him and an acoustic on Black Ribbons, I couldn't understand with all of the idiots making noise and screaming out "Whooo's!" and "SHOOTER!"
My favorite song of the night was probably The Wolf, I hadn't seen him do any songs off the album of the same name, as I didn't go see him last year at the Montgomery Co. Fair or the year before at the Blue Note. Of the new songs California via Tennessee was the one that sounded the best(that I could comprehend much on). Radio Goes Dead I liked the vibe on as well. The singalong on Manifesto #1 is always a hoot, especially when the audience blurts out "You can kiss my ass goodbye!" line at the very beginning during the pause. And I always like hearing 4th of July even in its full tilt rocking version.
The only one I didn't dig was Outlaw Shit a reworking of one of Waylon's songs done in a slower ballad here. To me the song is too much of an anthem and the pace is all wrong. I did love the coda at the end. If he'd play it full speed then change tempos then do the coda sort of like Layla I think it would work better...
Like I said, I still liked the show. The only other complaint of mine was that it was over too quick, it was only a little over an hour and a half in length. My mom seemed to enjoy it more too this time swaying around to the music, even with it being two or three times louder. Probably cause last time the concert didn't start til 11 PM or so.
To show what a small world it is, some of my 3rd or 4th long distance cousins, who live in the same zip code as us, were at the show too. Their girlfriend even got some of the picks and one of the set lists from the band.
I bought a shirt after it was over. It's of a sci-fi 1930's retro future look hero or something. I was going to wait and see if the guys were going to come down to the bar and mingle with the fans, but they were still packing up equipment and I could tell my mom was getting restless to leave, so we were on our way after that. Took a few pics, but they turned out pretty crappily. Cheaper phone and someone who doesn't have clue what he's doing mainly.HAHAHA!
I think the show at the Blue Note was slightly better, in the material played, but this was a better show for excitement and mood, with not knowing what was coming up.
The venue was pretty much just a bar, but kinda unique. The stage was about 8 feet up in the air and the bar was right underneath it. So when people went to get drinks they were closer to the action. I had general admission seats, so my mom thought we were going to have to stand the whole time, but they had chairs set out...
The lights went dim with the Dark Crystal starting to play on the various video screens and the backdrop. The opener was a sci-fi-like environmental warning song. Here's the full set list
- Wake Up!
- California via Tennessee
- Gone to Carolina
- Steady at the Wheel
- The Breaking Point
- God Bless Alabama
- Manifesto No.1
- Bad Magick
- When the Radio Goes Dead
- Don't Feed the Animals
- The Wolf
- All of this Could've Been Yours
- Outlaw Shit
- 4th of July
- Electric Rodeo
- Black Ribbons
- Daddy's Farm
Shooter in the last few years has been more of a country rocker or Southern rocker, but he's now going back to his roots with pure rock. The country elements are pretty sparse and the name change of the group is trying to go along with this. I figured I'd have been disappointed in this as I tend to like his country stuff over his harder rock, but the sound worked for me. He mixed in a bunch of new stuff with some of his older stuff and the beats and music were rocking.
Instrument wise, Shooter was either using a Flying V or an SG, only picking up the acoustic once at the end, as well as playing on his keyboard and synth.
I was right in front of Ted Russell Kamp, the bassist, who was smiling all the time and having a blast. Bryan Keeling the drummer, seemed more subdued than before. I didn't see him stand up once. The new guys, who I'm not sure of the name, on guitar and keyboard, were over on the other side, so I didn't pay as much attention to them...
The worst part was probably overall the drunks as always. No, I take that back, Ticketmaster was the worst. Add in all the convenience, facility, service, whatever fees, a $20 ticket cost almost $30 and for two it was the same as three tickets at face value.
I won't ever complain about an artist playing and trying new stuff on the road as it shows they aren't into the same old, same old and still trying out new things musically. But the hardest part was not knowing the words, add it in the with obnoxiousness of the fore mentioned drunks, and trying to follow along. I know the music is supposed to be rock and be loud, but for the newer songs it would have been better if they could have turned up Shooter's voice a little and drop the instruments in the mix some as well. My mom asked me, "Can you understand him better on records?" But when he came back for the encore with just him and an acoustic on Black Ribbons, I couldn't understand with all of the idiots making noise and screaming out "Whooo's!" and "SHOOTER!"
My favorite song of the night was probably The Wolf, I hadn't seen him do any songs off the album of the same name, as I didn't go see him last year at the Montgomery Co. Fair or the year before at the Blue Note. Of the new songs California via Tennessee was the one that sounded the best(that I could comprehend much on). Radio Goes Dead I liked the vibe on as well. The singalong on Manifesto #1 is always a hoot, especially when the audience blurts out "You can kiss my ass goodbye!" line at the very beginning during the pause. And I always like hearing 4th of July even in its full tilt rocking version.
The only one I didn't dig was Outlaw Shit a reworking of one of Waylon's songs done in a slower ballad here. To me the song is too much of an anthem and the pace is all wrong. I did love the coda at the end. If he'd play it full speed then change tempos then do the coda sort of like Layla I think it would work better...
Like I said, I still liked the show. The only other complaint of mine was that it was over too quick, it was only a little over an hour and a half in length. My mom seemed to enjoy it more too this time swaying around to the music, even with it being two or three times louder. Probably cause last time the concert didn't start til 11 PM or so.
To show what a small world it is, some of my 3rd or 4th long distance cousins, who live in the same zip code as us, were at the show too. Their girlfriend even got some of the picks and one of the set lists from the band.
I bought a shirt after it was over. It's of a sci-fi 1930's retro future look hero or something. I was going to wait and see if the guys were going to come down to the bar and mingle with the fans, but they were still packing up equipment and I could tell my mom was getting restless to leave, so we were on our way after that. Took a few pics, but they turned out pretty crappily. Cheaper phone and someone who doesn't have clue what he's doing mainly.HAHAHA!
I think the show at the Blue Note was slightly better, in the material played, but this was a better show for excitement and mood, with not knowing what was coming up.
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