I was not in the best mood going in. A bit tired. The Unseen Hand seemed to be clamping down on my head. Still, I did not want to miss this show, I said to my friend as we went in the door, "Maybe we will be inspired?"
We were. Son Volt, one of the great American bands performed an overpowering, awe-inspiring set. They opened with a handful of Doug Sahm (The Sir Douglas Quintet) songs. A bit of a tribute to the great lost "Tex-Mex" rock & roller. And the first song of their encore was "American Girl," from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Nice bookend. Two amazing, prolific singers, song-writers, r&r gypsies. The music lives on, even if the men who made the music are not.
What happened in between?
Son Volt played their first album "Trace," (1995). Every track, in order. Gob-smackingly fantastic. It was a bit of a shock, unexpected, we had no idea they were going to perform that complete record live. Of course, it's a classic. A masterpiece record. Every song indelible. Every note sears into your DNA. It was agreeably loud in the little room. The music wafted over us, no, drilled into us, the sound-waves rattled our heads, our bones, the cans of CDB soda in our hands.
Yes indeed. It was inspiring. We left the place riding on a cloud of good feeling. We were both exuberantly transfigured. R&R. It really can sooth the savage beast inside. No smoke machine, no laser-lights, no frantic jumping around on stage. Just an incredibly great band giving their all, playing r&r songs like they are the most important way to live and to be. The good, & essential news that will change your life. A knockout show.
