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Question of the day
Monday, Apr 8, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller * I went to see Dwight Yoakam last night. I’d heard earlier that a friend of mine had seen him walking with a cane near his hotel and wondered how the show would go. From my seat in the bleachers I could see Yoakam hobbling back stage. It looked like the poor guy could barely walk. But then Yoakam hit that stage and played for over two hours, dancing away while belting out song after song, plus an encore. From an SJ-R preview…
I heard he ended up at that bar last night, but I had to go home. Duty calls. I did wake up feeling kinda bad this morning, but that image of Yoakam struggling to walk and then toughing it out onstage got me out of bed. The man is a true professional and an inspiration. Above all else, though, he’s one heck of an artist. Yoakam is playing at the Paramount Theater in Aurora on Wednesday. You should really try to go if you can. * The Question: Seen any good shows lately? Explain.
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- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:11 pm:
“Do what you love for a living & you’ll never work a day in your life”!
Words to live by.
Sounds like a great show!
- RonOglesby - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:18 pm:
Dwight Yoakam rocks.
- RNUG - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:40 pm:
We were in Missouri at the Big Muddy Folk Festival this past weekend. Went specifically to see Bing Futch perform but all the artists were top notch.
http://bigmuddy.org/2013/index.html
- John A Logan - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:44 pm:
saw him at the Duquoin Fair last year and got to talk with him for about 10 minutes. Helluva nice guy, amazing voice.
- Ken_in_Aurora - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:46 pm:
We caught Leonard Cohen at the Chicago Theater a few weeks ago. One of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending, they were tight and *on*.
- railrat - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:52 pm:
Mumford and Son last Sept at Tenn Blue Grass fest, I urge all to see them when possible
- DO - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:53 pm:
Little tidbit. Dwights drummer is from Morton, Illinois..,Mitch Marine.
- Cheswick - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:56 pm:
Rolling Stones, Rosemont Horizon, November 1981.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:09 pm:
“Measure for Measure” at the Goodman.
- MrJM - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:16 pm:
On Saturday evening, we took my visiting parents to see Andre Williams and the Goldstars at the Hideout. I’d seen Andre perform several times before and his shows have always been phenomenal. But late last year the 76 year-old suffered a major frontal lobe stroke and this was to be his first time back on stage.
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect.
After the Goldstars played their introductory tune, Andre was assisted to the stage. He was stooped, wearing a white robe and he leaned hard on his assistant and on his cane. He slowly, cautiously shuffled his way to the mic and in his raspiest voice sang “Dirt” a deceptively simple tune about mankind’s common mortality and our ultimate end. It was rough.
But after finishing that song, he threw off his robe and handed it and his cane to his “assistant”, stood tall in his resplendent devilishly-red suit and said, “I fooled you all, didn’t I?”
The Black Godfather then asserted that he was “a bad [expletive delete]” and commenced to supporting his assertion with compelling and irrebuttable evidence for the rest of the evening. From “Bacon Fat” to “Jet Black Daddy” to “Mustang Sally” [to tunes who’s titles would get me banned] he delivered the goods with the soul of a dirty old man and the energy of a punk half a quarter his age.
It was beautiful and sublime, vulgar and transcendent, humble and triumphant.
As Andre sang, “We’re just dirt.”
But not yet, Mr. Rhythm.
Not yet.
– MrJM
- Hatless - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:35 pm:
MrJM - Sounds like a great show. You must have some hip parents. Did he play Jail bait?
- BigDoggie - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:36 pm:
Awhile back I happened to turn on Letterman late in the show just in time to catch Dwight & band performing “A Heart Like Mine”. For me it was one of those rare experiences where you instantly know the first time you hear a song that you love it and you will play it in heavy rotation for awhile.
- Colossus - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 2:03 pm:
Saw a group called Totsy back in December - roots rock with a burlesque twist and fantastic instrumentation. I think it’s up your alley, Rich.
- MrJM - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 2:13 pm:
@Hatless
Indeed they are and indeed he did.
“Seventeen-and-a-half… is still jail bait!”
– MrJM
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 2:22 pm:
No, I haven’t, and I need to. Been too long.
I would be remiss in not mentioning the closer of last night’s Academy of Country Music Awards Show (how many of those do they have anyway?)
Caught it by accident-Stevie Wonder was on hand and closed it with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” featuring Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan. Stevie still has it after all these years, too.
- Jak Tichenor - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 2:22 pm:
Swamp Tigers…Southern Illinois Rockabilly band playing the Southern Illinois bar/winery circuit.
Andrew Staff plays an awesome lead guitar.
http://www.reverbnation.com/theswamptigers
Saw Yoakam at the Fox in St. Louis in ‘93. One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
- Endangered Moderate Species - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 3:03 pm:
Arthur,
Blake Shelton performed w/ Stevie Wonder and Luke Bryan on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”. They were having fun. Great finish to the awards.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 3:17 pm:
Ah, that Bakersfield sound! Rich, last show I saw was with you, and it was bluegrass in Taylorville (if you don’t count last Friday night at the Eagles Club)
- PsyOp - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 4:38 pm:
Toots & the Maytals last Thursday at the House of Blues in Chicago. The father of reggae is 70 and can still put on one heckuva show. Galactic last Saturday at the Park West. They got pop-y and boring for a while, but the boys are back! Too bad House Man isn’t well enough to tour with them anymore — his soulful voice is certainly missed. Widespread Panic this Friday at UIC Pavillion. Things were so-so between Houser and Herring, but Jimmy and boys are bringing it these days. Life is good.
- Old and in the Way - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 4:59 pm:
Chris Issak
Boz Scaggs
RODRIGUEZ……..outstanding! The legend is true!
He will be back in New Orleans in May and also in the Chicago area.
- Old and in the Way - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 5:04 pm:
Boz is in St. Charles this month I do believe…..new album is very good.
- Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 6:10 pm:
A true performer–sounds like he saves up all of his energy to put on an A-Rated Show for a couple of hours and is hobbling before and after, just to spend all of his talent on Stage. You have to admire an Artist who’ll put his fans 1ST like that. I, personally, would love to see that hot Mumford & Sons group shake up the House in Chicago later in August if I could, but something else, as too often the case in life, will likely end up taking precedence instead…!
- Norseman - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 6:13 pm:
Last time I was in the Paramount, I saw the movie Flipper.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 8:05 pm:
EMS, my bad. Shoulda been watching the big TV.
- Old Shepherd - Tuesday, Apr 9, 13 @ 9:42 am:
Last concert I saw was Dwight Yoakam at the DuQuoin State Fair. Great show. He will go down as one of the greats.