Fast-Fret Fireworks From Johnny Winter

- A review of Johnny Winter's concert at the Hollywood Palladium in May 1973

This review of Johnny Winter's concert at the Hollywood Palladium in May 1973 highlights his exceptional guitar skills and stage presence. Winter's intense and rapid playing style rekindled the excitement of rock's golden age, showcasing a perfect blend of technical skill and raw energy. While his vocals may be unremarkable, his guitar flawlessly conveyed the core essence of rock and roll. The performance also included a mix of blues-inspired songs and rock 'n' roll spinoffs, keeping the energy high throughout the set. Winter's band and his own stage presence contributed to the spectacle, making it a truly memorable concert. The opening act, Foghat, a rising British blues band, also delivered an engaging performance. Overall, the concert was a testament to Johnny Winter's enduring talent and the power of rock 'n' roll.

Line drawing of Johnny Winter in a reflective pose with long straight hair, a broad-brimmed hat casting shadow over his downturned face, and tattoos along his arm. He is holding a resonator guitar close to his chest, his expression solemn and focused, the illustration rendered in fine detail with shading that emphasizes texture, shadow, and the etched character of his features.

This artwork portrays Johnny Winter in a deeply introspective moment. His head is bowed forward beneath a wide-brimmed hat, its brim casting a dramatic shadow over his face, leaving only the strong lines of his jaw and nose visible. His long, straight hair flows past his shoulders, contrasting with the dark shadow of the hat.

Winter’s tattooed arms are prominently displayed. One arm features a large star and celestial motifs, while the other is adorned with intricate patterns and flowing designs. The tattoos emphasize his identity as a musician with a rebellious edge and personal symbolism etched onto his skin.

Cradled in his hands is a resonator guitar, its polished body decorated with the distinctive f-shaped sound holes and metal grille patterns. The guitar’s presence dominates the foreground, its strings and frets carefully drawn, representing the instrument as both his voice and companion.

The overall style is finely detailed, with careful cross-hatching and stippling used to create shading and texture. The drawing captures not only Winter’s physical likeness but also a mood of quiet concentration, as if he is lost in thought or preparing to channel his energy into music.

Note: This image may not from the year of the concert described on this page; it originates from my personal photo archive.

Fast-Fret Fireworks From Johnny Winter
Monday, 28 May 1973: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles : Johnny Winter , Fog Hat

A review of the Hollywood Palladium concert

AT THE PALLADIUM

Fast-Fret Fireworks From Johnny Winter

The "rock audience's passion for the electric guitar as the star of the show has pretty much dwindled, but all the excitement and magic that surrounded Becks, Clapton, Hendrix et al in those glory days was conlured by Johnny Winter at this Monday night Palladium concert.The fierceness and power of his playing and the inescapable charisma of 'his presence (a quality that even some unconvincing movements couldn't efface) were the twin compbnents of the incredibly fast-moving, uncomplicated display of rock 'n' roll fireworks, a show in which visual and musical flash coexisted beautifully with intense and skilled musicianship.

Johnny Winter seemed to be sucking the music from the guitar with his fingers, generally at a pace so torrid that you were almost seeing smoke and inevitably imagining something like an athlete running a 9-second 100-yard dash on a tightrope.While Johnny Winter's singing is negligible, that guitar of his flawlessly communicates the basic energy of rock 'n' roll and unflinch- ingly creates an invigoratlng, piledriving emotional thrust. That's at least as important and valuable as 'being an innovator.The blues is always at the heart of his music, but he has sense enough not to dwell on hackneyed patterns, instead t e a ri n g through closely allied spinoffs ("Rock and Roll Hootchie Coo") and distant relatives ("Jumpin' Jack Flas ").

At every point in the set the surge was upward, his band was superb, the sparkle of the costumlng added to the s p e c t a c l e rather than diverting one's attention, and Winter's regal, pale appearance eventually became close to noble. Johnny Winter is definitely alive and extremely well, a condition for which-we-should be very grateful;Second-billed Foghat is a rising British blues band, a genre that has some built-in limitations. But it's already one of the best players of the game, and its set was never less than at least interesting.

-RICHARD CROMELIN

Source & Full Article: 73-05-30 Hollywood Palladium concert.pdf