Monday, September 25, 2006

WSP 9/22/06 Boston, Ma review




09/22/06 Agganis Arena, Boston, MA

1: Tall Boy* > Papa Johnny Road* > Space Wrangler**, Time Zones*, Surprise Valley*, Chest Fever*, This Part Of Town*, From The Cradle*, Pigeons*

2: Chilly Water > Jack > Chilly Water, Rebirtha*, Pilgrims**, Rock, You Should Be Glad*, Greta, Fishwater*

E: Expiration Day**, Walkin' (For Your Love)*

* with John Keane on guitar** with John Keane on pedal steel

Out of the four shows with Jimmy on lead guitar that I saw this tour (VT, MA, NH and Ct), Boston was probably the best. My seats were directly to the right of Jimmy, and very close to the stage, giving me a great view of Jimmy and the guys interacting the entire show.

The most obvious thing I noticed was that Jimmy seems to be really enjoying himself. The rest of the band seems to be loving his take on the music. They are giving him a ton of responsibility, and he is shouldering the load admirably.The band also seems to be interacting with each other more than I have ever seen. I'm not sure how much of it is because Jimmy is new to this music for the most part. It seemed to me that JB and Schools just were always watching and smiling at Jimmy and encouraging him on. Jimmy is always looking to each band member, making everyone smile with his enthusiasm and constant good cheer.

The first set was very smooth with a nice song selection. A real surprise to me was how hot the Papa Johnny Road got so early in the show. A very strong version of the song, with JB really belting out the "Beat you senseless" verse. Easily could have been a song in the second set it got going so hard.

The next highlight was Jimmy totally nailing the Surprise Valley intro and rest of the song. A smokin' version, and again, especially jamming for a song in the first set. It's so nice to hear Jimmy's tone and slippery smooth guitar licks in this song.

The TPOT was very nice. There was nothing especially crazy about it, but it's always nice to hear, and the guys did play the tune well with Jimmy sounding very natural. Always feels like Mikey is around during that song to me.

From The Cradle is one of my favorite tunes off of the new album, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite tunes, period! The band and crowd really got into the song with JB really pushing the rhythm and Jimmy going off. Killer version and an excellent showcase of what one of the newer tunes has the potential to sound like live with Jimmy.

The Pigeons was perfect for the set closer. The crowd was going crazy by this point, and the band was feeding off of the east coast energy. It was incredible.

Long set break, so when the guys came back, people were ready for fun!!!

The Chilly Water > Jack > Chilly Water was absolutely mind blowing. Somehow Jimmy seems to have already learned and begun to master Chilly Water within 5 shows. The Jack was beautiful with the lights being framed perfectly to accentuate JB singing the lyrics, and it melted back into Chilly Water, bringing a huge roar of approval from the crowd.

Rebirtha was played perfectly. A really rockin' version that Jimmy and Schools pushed into the upper reaches of the stratosphere! Agganis Arena was full of Panic fans who were getting an incredible show, especially since, it was only Jimmy's 5th one ever with these guys!! The band came out of Rebirtha and I fully expected them to go into a drums segment, and instead it went from a Jojo/Schools dominated Jam into this killer Jimmy solo, with Jimmy winding and bending the strings on his Fender, drawing out some incredible stuff for the first five minutes. Then Jojo and Jimmy traded licks back and forth from piano to guitar, mimicking each other into what sounded like it was going to be Imitation, and instead was PILGRAMS!!!

It was beautiful how WSP is able to transition from finger pickin' country rock right into the subtle nature of the song Pilgrims. It was the one tune since Mikey passed that I have felt the band could not quite nail. With Jimmy though, it's a whole new bag. The Pilgrims rode the rail between subtle and powerful with no problems. It was a beautiful, almost 20 minute version. One I'll treasure in my memories for years to come.

As I expected the drums to start, again....ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!and my friends, what a Rock(or "Rock-Belly" as my friend who has been seeing WSP since 1993 calls it, annoying me to no end) it was. Again, Jimmy manages to hit all the major licks, and then toss in other stuff that accentuates them. His tone on the Fender is dead-on perfect for this music, and he knows how to create the mystical sounds that get Rock from a slow steady beat, to a mad frenzy of music. Re-listening to this show gives me goosebumps during the intro it was so powerful!

You Should Be Glad was another excellent example of how these newer tunes are progressing. It's got such a cool, laid back beat, and Jimmy can groove with the best of them. JB is such a master of the lyrics with Schools, Todd, Sonny and Jojo laying down the beautiful rhythm. This was not a song I enjoyed when WSP played Boston on 4/12/05, but this version was much smoother with cleaner segues into each part of the tune.

Greta was perfect, with Jojo belting out the lyrics with some JB assistance and Schools backup. Nice harmonies and "It's Mother Natures Call To Arms" is such a cool lyric if I may say so. Again, Jimmy totally nailed to solo's in the middle, and again, perfect tone.

Fishwater was as good as I expected it would be since it was one tune I had heard Jimmy play with them, even if it was in 1999. The guys played it as powerfully as the rest of the show, and JB seemed especially seemed into it, stomping his feet and shaking his head.The crowd got pretty rowdy at the end of the song and never stopped clapping and yelling the entire break before the encore.

For the encore, JB said "This song was written by one of the sweetest freaks we know" and they flowed in Expiration Day. A HUGE treat for us Northern folk as it's not a tune we get up here much, if ever!! (I did hear one guy say during the break that he was calling it, so good job man!!!)Also, being a big Chestnut fan myself, I could not have been happier.

After they finished, JB said "Now here is a song our friend Mike wrote". I got chills all over my body, and my wife exploded with happiness, knowing that Walkin' was to come (it's her favorite song, ever). Beautiful version of Walkin' and the perfect way to end a blissful night.

Friday, September 22, 2006

JHAS Signup

Jimmy Herring Appreciation Society SIGNUP!!!!!!




If you are interested in becoming part of the Jimmy Herring Appreciation Society, Please email me jaystraw@gmail.com with "JHAS signup" in the subject line . Updates to current events, free music giveaways and other activites are planned for the future

Your address or name will neve be shared with anyone.