SHARING THE SHOWS
So it’s all text for this post since I forgot to snap a picture of the band (it was a long week).
So after a long bus ride home from DC, a nap, and a fatty meal of wings and a cheeseburger, I was ready to rock. This time, Maggie, Shannon, Gary, Dave, Dean, Beth, and Rusty accompanied me to the show. Solo shows are awesome, but it’s always nice being able to rock out with your close friends in tow (in my opinion, anyway). As we went in, Maggie commented on how empty it was. “More room to dance,” was my response. We concluded that since it was 4/20 (St. Patrick’s day for potheads), a lot of other bands were competing for an audience that night. And there were plenty: Donna the Buffalo in Virginia Beach, Tennessee Jed right next door at Tradition’s, Blind and Dirty somewhere in Williamsburg. Others might be home doing bong hits for Jesus and watching Cheech & Chong (there was a woman at the show with an Up in Smoke T-shirt). I used the superawesome erasable red pen Nicole gave me the night before to take my notes, and I may have to use it for all of my shows. The band opened with what I think was “Mountain Jam.” Maggie yelled for “Blue Sky,” and the band obliged. Gary, in his continuation of our Special Guest joke, proclaimed, “These guys are pretty special.” I responded, “They sure are” before yelling “Special Guest” to nobody’s attention. They went into “Southbound,” “Black Hearted Woman,” “Trouble No More,” “Southbound,” and “Midnight Rider.” I had drunk my Diet Snapple too quickly prior to the show and had some hiccups as she, Shannon, and I were walking over to the venue. “How are you hiccups?” Maggie asked. “They’re gone,” I responded. “Is there anything music CAN’T do?” They went into “Every Hungry Woman” and concluded the first set with “Whipping Post,” a tune relatable to anybody who’s ever worked in a crummy job or been in a shitty relationship without any escape plans. We talked about walking over to Traditions and seeing Tennessee Jed, but that venue closes early so Rusty informed us they were finished. Being quite exhausted from running around DC, sleeping in a hostel, and a long bus ride, I decided to walk back to my apartment for some quiet time (that’s the nice thing about living a two-minute walk from the venue; if I need a break, I can get it at home). I lay down for 15 minutes and then walked back just in time for the beginning of Set #2. They opened up the second set with “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” before going into “Stand Back” and “One Way Out.” Maggie commented that the new guitar player, Willie Wilson, looked like the Grateful Dead’s Pigpen in his cowboy hat. During “Dreams,” I witnessed an ominous staring contest between two concertgoers which looked like it was about to turn into a shoving match. “Soulshine” was next; after that, Brian Fones, the lead singer, said something about rumors the Boathouse was closing (untrue). He then counseled us to spread positivity, not negativity. “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” was next, which included a nice jam. “You Don’t Love Me” was next, and this is where my critique comes in. While I was in the bathroom, Fones announced that in honor of 4/20, the band would channel the Dead (Maggie informed me of this later). I’d dig it. Wilson went off on his own riffs for about 10 minutes; he’s certainly a talented player, but I was already getting exhausted, and most of the audience had left. Perhaps they intended this as a reward, but I would have preferred it earlier in the set. The Dead had a structure to their shows, which I read a while back in an article I can’t locate as I write. The first set would consist of shorter tunes. During Set 2, they’d start to build into the longer jams before going into “Drums/Space,” and toward the end, they’d go back into the shorter tunes to take the audience home. At any rate, that’s my opinion. I was about to leave after the jam, and as I headed toward the door, I heard the opening of “Ramblin’ Man.” Ehhh, what’s another song? I can sleep in tomorrow, I thought. So I did.
1 Comment
Shannon Keith Birkner
4/21/2019 02:13:38 pm
There was a guy that kept shooting angry stares at me last night to. He was behind you and to my left side. I thought it might go to blows and thought angry thoughts for a couple of minutes. I wonder if it was the same guy. Otherwise the show was awesome and it was great dancing with you guys all night
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