Friday, April 27, 2007

WSP Classic Center 4/25/07 Review





04/25/07 The Classic Center, Athens, GA


1: Thought Sausage, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, All Time Low, Bear's Gone Fishing > You Got Yours, This Part of Town* > Aunt Avis** > Protein Drink** > Sewing Machine**
2: Old Neighborhood > Disco > Love Tractor > Contentment Blues > Greta > Cream Puff War > Nobody's Fault But Mine > North > Chilly Water

E: Can't Find My Way Home > Postcard > Porch Song
* with John Keane on Pedal Steel
** with John Keane on Pedal Steel, Vic Chesnutt on guitar/vocals

[Thank You Falletten Me Be Mice Elf rap during Barstools]



The Classic Center is such a beautiful venue, if not the most understanding about folks partying. I saw many people booted from the show for smoking, and security told me the band put down a substantial deposit so people could bring beers back to the seats during the second two nights. Thank you WSP!!! For me, seeing WSP in Athens was akin to seeing the GD in San Francisco. Hometown Team baby!

The TS opener was nice to hear, and they jammed it out fairly extensively. The heat really began with the Machine > Barstools with the TYFMBME rap in the middle. Jimmy is obviously very comfortable with Machine at this point, and has each transition down perfectly. JB put the crowd into a blissful mood with the rap in Barstools, with the crowd cheering the familiar chorus. Goose pimples!

All Time Low was great, flowing into a superb Bear Gone Fishin > You Got Yours. Then John Keane came out and the boys launched into a killer This Part Of Town.

What is great about Jimmy with WSP right now is that he really is starting to understand the flow of the songs, which enables his melodic sense to take over during songs that require the dark and the light of his guitar’s tone. When Vic Chestnut came out (YAHOOO!!!!) and the boys jumped right into Aunt Avis > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine the crowd got their view of Jimmy’s special talents in this area. The 3 songs could not have been more beautifully done, and to see Vic up there with the boys was one of the highlights of all the concerts I have seen. The guitar lead to Protein Drink and leading into Sewing Machine may be some of the dirtiest, meanest, and downright awesome music I’ve ever heard out of this version of Panic. I think it needs to be in the rotation…permanently. Jimmy and the boys loved it, with Schools doing the hair flip move while standing behind Vic pounding his bass to end the set.

Set break consisted of going outside to the courtyard on the right side of the venue to fight the beer line and sneaking some smoke while in it.

Set 2

Old Neighborhood kicked on as we were walking back from outside to our seats. Nice solid version, directly into Disco!! Disco smoked as usual with Jimmy really feeling the groove of the song, and it lead into a great Love Tractor. The Tractor was sick, with the usual crowd involvement up a notch more than usual. Next up on this fine menu was some chicken with Contentment Blues. I’m not a huge fan of CB (gasp!), but it was a good version, and nothing the boys were doing was disappointing on this night.

Good Greta, if not a little short, and an excellent Cream Puff War. I never can remember that it’s CPW when I hear it with WSP for some odd reason. Then they kept on flowing right into Nobodys Fault but Mine, which I have not heard them play since before Mikey died. I love hearing them play this song because for some reason I always think of it as a GD song, even though it is not. They do such a sweet job with it, and JB really seemed to feel this one as he was singing.

North was an absolute MONSTER. Excellent version with Jimmy soaring to ultimate heights, making the PRS sing with such a stellar tone. They went right into a strong Chilly Water, with people obliging tossing water everywhere, and driving the crowd to a frenzy. The security guards did not appreciate this at all.

The encore of Can’t Find My Way Home > Postcard > Porch Song could not have been more perfect. I’ve been chasing Postcard for approximately 10 years, and I got it in their hometown, and it was perfect. Just like the rest of the show.

Great job boys!! Thank you for such a great experience!!!!!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Review of WSP 4/9/07 & 4/10/07 and weekly shot.



Here is this weeks Jimmy shot. Jimmy with WSP 12/31/06




http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=10311

Great article at the link above from jambase.com. Thanks Jambase!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

WSP Albany 4/1/07 Review





04/01/07 Palace Theater, Albany, NY

1: Last Dance, Goodpeople, Weight Of The World, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Don't Wanna Lose You, Who Do You Belong To?, Ribs And Whiskey, The Take Out > Porch Song

2: Surprise Valley > Blight > Walkin' (For Your Love), Time Zones, Do What You Like > Drums > 1 x 1, Driving Song > Fixin' To Die > Driving Song > Wondering

E: Little Kin, Makes Sense To Me

The Palace Theater in Albany was easily one of the nicest theaters I’ve ever seen a concert in. It looks like RCMH. One big Orchestra section and one huge balcony in beautiful condition. Excellent staff and a very nice place to see a show.

What a way to open the show. JB and the boys just tore right into the song with no pretense…no fooling around. The crowd reacted with a large gasp of surprise and proceeded to dance their collective assess off. I’m pretty sure nobody thought Last Dance would open the show.

Next up on the menu was one of the new tunes Goodpeople. It is a really fine tune that it seems like the band is just really starting to bring places….especially the middle jam where they turn Jimmy loose.

WOTW seems to have gone through a bit of a rejuvenation with Jimmy in the band. He nails the signature licks but also manages to add some his extra magic to it. Very solid version if not a little short.

The best past of the first set for me was the Machine>Barstools almost directly into Don’t Wanna Lose You followed closely by Who Do You Belong To? The enite segemt was filled with Jimmy and the rest of the boys smiling and playing off each other. Jojo seemed especially into the jams and was smiling broadly at the peak of Don’t Wanna Lose You, obviously enjoying the interplay between himself and the rest of the band. The crowd was going wild, screaming and yelling while Jimmy whipped them into a frenzy with an inspired solo to peak the song.

Ribs and Whiskey was excellent with JB doing some very nice work on the slide. The Take Out >Porch song was perfectly played, sounding like classic WSP with a new twist. Excellent way to end the first set!

The first four songs of the second set was played as one song. Surprise Valley was nailed hit out of the gate. Jimmy completely let loose on the solo, and at about 7 minutes into the song, with Jimmy ripping through the scales, I turned to my wife and asked if it was still Surprise Valley? I had lost track of what was going on 1 song into the second set. I knew we were in for some fun.

Blight was a gigantic, but pleasant surprise to hear coming with Schools menacing bass line driving the tune. It is one of my favorite songs and I had yet to hear Jimmy play it. Great version!! “Duct tape and plastic” was repeatedly sung by Schools. Jimmy nailed the solo’s in the middle of the song.

Next up was Walkin’ after a small feedback issue at the end of Blight. Beautiful version of Walkin’ which I never expected to hear directly after Blight.

An inspired Time Zones led into my first Do What You Like, which led to a short Drums with all band members on stage. Then the boys really got down to business with some of the finest WSP I’ve ever heard.

1x1, Driving Song>Fixin’ To Die>Driving Song>Wonderin’ was maybe the best song sandwich I have seen WSP play with Jimmy.

The 1X1 set the tone with Jojo banging on the keys and singing his heart out.

Driving Song was perfect, and then the big surprise of Fixin’ to Die, one of my favorite ARU songs. Then back into Driving Song, and right into a great Wonderin’

Jimmy shredded Little Kin’ and then the boys had some lyrical difficulty with MSTM encore, but with the show being as crazy as it was , it fit in and felt right.

Another great WSP show!