Sunday, October 22, 2006
Rock Show Review
Went with Sheila to see Jonny Lang at the Paramount last night. It's not my favorite rock venue but it's OK in a semi-art deco sort of way. I actually booed the opening band, I couldn't help it. The last song, a solo by Reeve Carney was OK except for one unfortunate line (when I think about the people who just don't care, I think of you) I actually laughed out loud. Revolving Band. Devoutly to be missed.
Jonny Lang, (birth name Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr.) from Fargo, ND, 25, is sort of a rock phenomena because he started so young (14) but has such a mature sounding voice and delivery (the male version of Fiona Apple) and he's getting there on guitar. There were times his solos were self indulgent and had the structure of a wet tea towel, but there were other times when he delivered solid white boy blues solos that sounded pretty good. I wish he had listened to more Duane Allman's first hundred notes on Boz Scaggs' Loan Me a Dime and less to Skynard's Free Bird and the Outlaw's Green Grass and High Tides, but there's time yet.
Lang has four CDs out, of which I own three, so I am sort of a fan. He's married to a child actress not making the transition to adult actress, the former Haylie Johnson, who's right cute. Hey, Lie to Me, indeed. He gets a little radio play but not as much as he deserves and I think he's in the process of becoming a big act. And what a mixed crowd at the Paramount; average age 35, but only because there were just as many 45s as 25s. As usual of late at concerts, he didn't play my favorite song (Matchbox) but most of the ones he played (many about lost love, as a bluesman should write about, but a lot of social conscience ones lately) were pretty good. He only did one song written by someone else, but I'd rather listen to his cover of Stevie Wonder's Living for the City than to Stevie's version.
I wish he'd lose the scatting voice over his guitar playing--that was painful (and I really can't think of anyone but George Benson who can pull it off). Also, there is a sameness to his songs that's a little depressing, but he could do very mature artist things now and again which made me say 'wow' to myself. He'd build an emotional acceleration in a few songs. He'd take us through chord and tempo changes without losing the essential tread of musical satisfaction. Whatever that means.
I like this guy a lot and I hope to watch him mature as an artist and I hope it's a long time before, as happens to so many, his creative juices dry up and he goes totally pop or becomes a self-data miner or a parody of his former impressive self. Something tells me that the best is yet to come with this young man.
Jonny Lang, (birth name Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr.) from Fargo, ND, 25, is sort of a rock phenomena because he started so young (14) but has such a mature sounding voice and delivery (the male version of Fiona Apple) and he's getting there on guitar. There were times his solos were self indulgent and had the structure of a wet tea towel, but there were other times when he delivered solid white boy blues solos that sounded pretty good. I wish he had listened to more Duane Allman's first hundred notes on Boz Scaggs' Loan Me a Dime and less to Skynard's Free Bird and the Outlaw's Green Grass and High Tides, but there's time yet.
Lang has four CDs out, of which I own three, so I am sort of a fan. He's married to a child actress not making the transition to adult actress, the former Haylie Johnson, who's right cute. Hey, Lie to Me, indeed. He gets a little radio play but not as much as he deserves and I think he's in the process of becoming a big act. And what a mixed crowd at the Paramount; average age 35, but only because there were just as many 45s as 25s. As usual of late at concerts, he didn't play my favorite song (Matchbox) but most of the ones he played (many about lost love, as a bluesman should write about, but a lot of social conscience ones lately) were pretty good. He only did one song written by someone else, but I'd rather listen to his cover of Stevie Wonder's Living for the City than to Stevie's version.
I wish he'd lose the scatting voice over his guitar playing--that was painful (and I really can't think of anyone but George Benson who can pull it off). Also, there is a sameness to his songs that's a little depressing, but he could do very mature artist things now and again which made me say 'wow' to myself. He'd build an emotional acceleration in a few songs. He'd take us through chord and tempo changes without losing the essential tread of musical satisfaction. Whatever that means.
I like this guy a lot and I hope to watch him mature as an artist and I hope it's a long time before, as happens to so many, his creative juices dry up and he goes totally pop or becomes a self-data miner or a parody of his former impressive self. Something tells me that the best is yet to come with this young man.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 10:48 AM 
