Hello Everybody,
I saw Johnny in concert Saturday night at Pearl Street, in Northampton, MA. One of the reasons I went to the show (other than the fact that I love him) was because of all the trashing of him that I have been reading everywhere. According to everything I had read lately, the concert was going to be a horror show. Well, it was NOT!
This was one of the few, if not the only, times that Johnny came out on time. I can remember back in the '70s, waiting for hours for him to come on stage. None of that last night. There was a jam-packed house (I would guess 1,000 people), and Johnny came out at about 10:40 PM. He was guided closely, but no one had to help him in any way. He walked very, very slowly to his microphone and seemed a bit unsteady. He looked weak but not sick in any way. He was given his guitar cord by one of his handlers, and he plugged it in by himself. There were two stools on either side of the stage, but Johnny stood throughout the whole show.
He opened with "Hideaway," and this was the only song where he missed several notes. He followed with "Sen-Sa-Shun/Got My Mojo Working," and the crowd was going crazy. I am not making this up! The audience sang along with Johnny on all the songs that night. Next came "She Likes to Boogie Real Low," then "Sick & Tired," and "Blackjack." Then Johnny said the thing that everybody looks forward to: "I'm going to play some slide guitar for ya." He proceeded to do a nice version of "The Sun Is Shining" and then introduced the band. I know that it was Mark Epstein on bass, but I could not make out the new drummer's name. He said "goodnight" and left the stage.
The crowd was screaming for an encore, and Johnny came back after about three minutes. He played "Johnny Guitar" and "Drop The Bomb," introduced the band again, said "goodnight," and it was over.
Here are some points I’d like to share with all of you:
1) From what I had read lately, I figured that Johnny couldn’t play at all, and I would be lucky to see him play some chords. I went in expecting the worst-case scenario. Except for "Hideaway," he played a pretty clean show. However, his playing was very calculated and methodical. He never improvised, staying within the song's arranged chords and leads. When he first came out and plugged in to warm up, he reeled off a flurry of practice notes, just like he always did in the past. This was great! He only came close to repeating this rapid-fire style a couple of times during the show. I believe Johnny can still play pretty fast, but in his condition, he doesn’t like to take chances. He just plays what’s comfortable for him (just my opinion).
2) At the end of "Sen-Sa-Shun/Got My Mojo Working," Johnny let out a big “YYYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” That was probably my most emotional moment of the whole show. It brought back all of those great memories I have of Johnny, and I have thousands! The crowd went nuts too!
3) When Johnny got to the lead part of "Sick & Tired," he played the lead and chords for "Johnny B. Goode." That was cool. It wasn’t the lightning-quick, million-notes-a-minute lead we’ve been so accustomed to, but it was cool!
4) Johnny can still play a good slide guitar. This was evident on "The Sun Is Shining." He played fluidly and pretty fast. The audience, and I, really loved it. The only tough part was when he was strapping on his Firebird. He picked up the guitar all right, but he really struggled to bring the strap up and over his head. I had my doubts that he was going to be able to do it unassisted. But, after about a 10-15 second struggle, he managed to get it up and over. Then he had a hard time plugging the cord into the guitar. Again, he managed to do it unassisted.
5) Johnny did a spin during "Johnny Guitar" (or it could have been during "Drop The Bomb"). It was slow, but he did it.
6) I have to give the crowd a 10+. They absolutely loved Johnny from start to finish and cheered wildly throughout. They sang along with Johnny on ALL the songs. I really felt great for him!
7) The show lasted 1 hour (10:40-11:40). Tickets were a bit steep at $28.00 a pop.
All in all, I was happy that I went. It may be the last time I ever see him in concert. I don’t know. He does not look sick at all, just very, very, very weak. He always looked frail, so I expected him to be thin. His vocals were a bit weak, but not terrible. Johnny seemed really happy throughout the show too! As Johnny left the stage for the final time, he waved and smiled to the audience, and I was happy that he seemed happy. If he is happy playing, then I guess I should be happy for him.
I’m just so used to hearing "Highway 61 Revisited" or "Help Me" from his heyday that I’ve been spoiled by his blistering attack of old. If you have any questions, please feel free to write. Take care, and I hope all is well with everyone.
Roger
