The Bottom Line, NYC

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I must thank you and all the contributors to this great website, The Johnny Winter Story . I, along with two friends (John Mc & Mike S.), traveled from Manchester, England, to see Johnny Winter perform at New York's Bottom Line club. We were able to do this thanks to the information gained from this website. Thanks again. Please find the following information on the gigs for reference, information, or use on the webpage.

We booked for both nights at the above, the 13th & 14th.

Sunday, 13th April - Cancelled

We nearly died when we found out the gig had been cancelled. Some guy officially videoing the concert said it was due to "Johnny Winter having some problem with his wrist or arm." The club said we could either get a refund for the ticket or use it for the rescheduled gig on Wednesday, the 16th, as our tickets were valid for that night.

Fortunately, we had booked our return flight for Thursday, the 17th, so we were able to attend the rescheduled gig. We left the Bottom Line Club that night, concerned that Johnny might not be able to make the other nights.

Bass Guitar Mark Epstein

Drums Tom Compton

 

Fortunately, our fears of non-appearance were unfounded. I would tell you about the layout of the club, but it was well covered by a review elsewhere on this webpage. Anyway, it went like this:

9:00 pm: Hugh Pool, a solo performer on guitar, vocals, and blues harp, gave an enthusiastic and enjoyable hour of music.

10:00 pm: An announcement was made to clear the bar area to allow Johnny Winter to enter the building. (I thought this was all very "Michael Jackson"-esque hype!). He arrived, ready to go, with an Earlwine Laser in hand.

A short time later, he appeared on stage to a rapturous reception. He played a selection of his tunes, starting with "Hideaway" and including "Bogie Real Low," "Sick & Tired," "Got My Mojo Workin'," a couple of slide guitar tunes (sorry, I don't know all his material), and "Just Want a Little Bit." He ended with an encore of "Johnny Guitar," followed by an instrumental jam of James Brown's "Sex Machine."

I was concerned about the overall standard of his performance. Johnny did not seem well; his movements were very slow, and he appeared feeble. When he changed his guitar, putting the strap over his shoulder, it looked like he would never make it! His playing, compared to his own recorded (studio and live) standards, was very mediocre. Given the previous night's cancellation and his unique, uncompromising guitar sound, I doubted whether the live recording he was taping that night would be worthwhile.

Exactly the same as Monday with one exception: Johnny Winter played superbly, with authority, articulation, and style in abundance. Great night, fearsome performance.

We were very happy we had seen Johnny on that night. It would have been a disappointing outing if we had only seen the Monday gig. I feel sorry for the audience on Monday, who would not have seen Johnny at his best. Although, if enthusiasm and noise are anything to go by, they loved it anyway.

For any guitarists out there, Mike S. and I gathered the following:

Johnny Winter's Equipment Used:

- Erlewine Lazer Guitar tuned in D, i.e., standard tuning dropped one tone (EADGBE to DGCFAD)

- Gibson Firebird, open-tuned for slide. (I think I know this tuning, but I don’t want to mislead you. I didn’t recognize his slide tunes, so I had no reference to catch the exact tuning. You know how it is with slide!)

- 2 Music Man 4X10 combo amps (one possibly for standby?)

- Chorus effect

I just read the piece by Sharon Schneider, and I identified with most of what she said. On Wednesday night, I saw Johnny at the Bottom Line in NYC. I guess I should preface my remarks by saying that I’ve been a devoted listener since 1969, and I definitely have a spot in my heart for the man and his music. I'm as loyal to him as he is to the blues.

That being said, the show could hardly be considered vintage Johnny. As Sharon pointed out, he looked not just skinny (as he always did), but downright fragile. When he came off the tour bus parked outside, he was quickly helped into the club by Teddy Slatus and company. Yes, he followed the flashlights onto the stage, and yes, he had help switching from the Lazer to the Firebird and back again. What bothered me was the lack of movement once he reached the microphone. With his feet firmly planted, he did little more than sway back and forth in an almost catatonic state, seemingly unable to move, even if the music made him feel like doing so. (Note: At one point during the encore, he tried to do a spin and almost fell over.)

Once he started playing (I believe he opened with "Hideaway"), all would have been fine, but there seemed to be a few things missing. For starters, his voice seems to have lost a lot of its juice. Perhaps the sound system at the Bottom Line was partially responsible, but that unique, raspy sound from the past is all but gone. For those of us who really love his voice, it takes away one dimension from the overall performance. As for him missing a few notes, there’s no question that he did. His playing is not quite as controlled and sharp as it used to be. Sometimes you get the feeling that he is “thinking” the music one way, but his fingers can’t quite catch up with his head. Still, the missed note here and there did not detract substantially from the overall feel of what was going on. I did notice that on some of the breaks, his selection of riffs was somewhat repetitive. Play a break, sing a verse, play the exact same break again. There used to be a little more variety.

His slide work on the Firebird is still quite good and pure (although I hesitate to mention that the opening act, a guy named Hugh Pool, did some slide work on a National Steel guitar that was incredible). Throughout the show, Tom Compton on drums and Mark Epstein on bass were absolutely first-rate. They both seem to be wired into Johnny’s moves and show real feeling for what he was doing.

The crowd, as always, was very enthusiastic. Between numbers, people took to shouting out their old favorites: “Cheap Tequila!”; “Bony Moronie!”; “Master Mechanic!!!” I wanted to shout, “It’s My Own Fault... but play it just like you did on Progressive Blues Experiment!” I decided to keep my mouth shut.

In the end, I was glad I went. It was my little way of saying, “Thanks, Johnny, for 30 years of great music.” Even if he doesn’t do it the way he used to, well, who does? We've all seen the great ones in all fields slow down a bit, be they athletes, actors, or musicians. The man is still a legend to me, and I’ll come to see him even if he’s playing in a wheelchair. Long live the king!