With the country still in the midst of lockdown and no sign of any live music in the foreseeable future if at all this year I thought I would take the opportunity to look back in the archives, sounds posh I know but it’s just an spreadsheet, and revisit gigs I attended on this day.
A busy day this over the years
2005 – Brendan Benson, Electric Ballroom
I would guess that this would have been the three amigos, me, John and Graham for this one. Brendan over here promoting ‘Alternative to Love’ it’s the tracks from the masterpiece that is ‘Lapalco’ that I have turned up see and looking at similar setlists from that tour I wasn’t disappointed with the show split between the two albums. I lived and breathed that album which was a power pop classic. I would be lying if I could tell you I remember much about the show but I would surely remember if it was rubbish.
2011 – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – The Garage
I have seen Isbell many times in different venues, solo, with the 400 unit and of course with Drive by Truckers and he has never failed to deliver. He was just starting to really find his form as a songwriter on this the ‘Here We Rest’ tour, coming just a year or two before his classic ‘Southeastern’ solo record. Pretty sure it would have been the three amigos again for this show although that’s not to say the Burgess Brothers and ‘Birds Eye’ Andy weren’t there under their own steam. I like the Garage, it’s a proper rock venue and so suits the heavier Isbell and 400 unit sound at that time although it’s the softer songs such as ‘Codeine’ and ‘Alabama Pines’ that stand out. Another great show from the man and here’s hoping we can still see him later on this year when he is due to be over.
2014 – Lucero - the Scala
And this is where it all started in terms of reviews as shown in this initial shonky one here. It wasn’t that I had fallen out of love with live music but like a gig junkie I was looking for a bigger high. And it came on this night. It was Sunday night, usually rubbish for gigs, I was a bit tired and me and Graham made our way to the Scala expecting a quietish evening of Americana. What we got was a full on country rock show that blew me away. The crowd were wild, knew all the lyrics and we just got swept up in the maelstrom of noise. Technically I am sure the show was less than perfect but in terms of energy and performance it would be hard to be topped that year.
So thank you Lucero for restoring my passion for live music, helping me to try and articulate some of that in this blog some six years and 274 reviews later. Whew it’s been a blast.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon. Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all