Jimmie V. + 2

I think the first time I saw Jimmie Vaughan in concert was an October 2001 outdoor deal with B.B. King, John Hiatt, Buddy Guy, etc. One thing I remember about that day was the overdone security at the gate, since it was so close to 9/11. I also remember that KGSR's Bryan Beck attempted a horrible joke about Afghanistan. Nine years later and that joke's still not funny. Didn't like Beck then, and I still can't stand him on the radio. Musically, my expectations for Jimmie Vaughan were not real high. I'd always considered his rhythm sound second to Stevie Ray's straight blues. Jimmie's set was the best performance that day at Auditorium Shores. It's been 20 years since Stevie died, and Jimmie has had the burden of managing his brother's legacy, while trying to carve out his own career, always in the shadow of a legend.

I knew the in-store for Jimmie would be crowded, but wow, what a turnout. The first picture is of John Kunz, the owner of Waterloo. He usually takes pictures of the bands as they play - such a fan. There was so little room between the crowd and the stage, that he had to crawl and scoot along the floor to get his pictures. Later during the show, I snapped this image of him standing on the counter in the back corner of the store, as he took more pictures.

Jimmie plays the role of bandleader, with swing elements like a horn section and stand up bass player.

What seems to work for Jimmie Vaughan, more than any player I've seen, is his ability to perform on the edges of relaxed intensity and focused cool. It does not translate to his recordings, but live, it is something special.

Lou Ann Barton joined the band on vocals for a few songs. She can be unpredictable (drunk), but has the goods. She can sing the blues with authenticity, and has lived them probably as much as a white woman can.

A recent double bill at the store included Here We Go Magic. After a long sound check, they finally started playing their weird, ethereal, hyper-echoed songs. If there was an arrangement of the instrumental parts, it was lost on me, because it sounded like they were making it up as they went. The only postives were that the lead "singer" and the keyboard player were pleasant to look at, and at under 20 minutes, it was thankfully the shortest show I can remember seeing.

Lawrence Arabia played the same day, which meant it was not a totally wasted trip to 6th and Lamar. Their style was hard to categorize because it seemed to shift from song to song. They (he) is from New Zealand, so British influences like The Kinks and George Harrison (and recent Wilco) were strong. Then on their last song, the bass line opened and dominated throughout, and it was lifted straight from Blondie's "One Way or Another." Just noticeably off harmonies gave the songs a more indie feel, but took nothing away from my liking their music.

Reportedly, there is a great BBQ trailer on the access road of I-35, at about 35th street. I've driven by, and can confirm there is a popular trailer selling something, but the long lines and the heat have kept me from trying it so far. They have a shade to cover part of the line, but the two times I've checked it out, the line stretches out beyond the shade, into the hot parking lot. Maybe another time. I'm of the mind that someone other than me should be suffering for quality BBQ.

Peace,

JS4