Jaxx, Springfield June 1999

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Well, it wasn't all bad, but on Saturday night, Johnny and his entourage were seen performing at Jaxx, a nightclub in Springfield, VA. This was apparently his last gig before his long-anticipated European tour. The evening, however, was not without its glitches.

The opening act, Pride Enjoy, a local Stevie Ray Vaughan cover band, was 30 minutes into their set when a loud crackling noise erupted from the sound system. It took quite a while to isolate the problem. At one point, one of Slatus' crew members tried to help, but after several ear-piercing feedback loops, they exclaimed, "I'm out of here!" and left the stage. At that moment, I thought the evening was in jeopardy. Slatus, who was observing the situation, didn’t seem pleased.

The issue was eventually fixed, but by then it was too late for Pride Enjoy. The second band, Susan Angelliti, took the stage next. They mentioned that Teddy had brought them down from Massachusetts, and they were well-received by the crowd. The guitarist did an excellent job backing Susan with tasteful licks and supporting the vocals. Due to the earlier sound problems, their set was also cut short. Then, it was time for the main event.

Setlist:

• 1. Hideaway
• 2. Got My Mojo / Sen-Sa-Shun
• 3. She Likes to Boogie Real Low
• 4. Sick & Tired
• 5. Black Jack Game
• 6. Sun is Shining
• 7. Going Down
• 8. Johnny Guitar Encore: Drop the Bomb

Johnny played noticeably better than he did a few months earlier at Jaxx. There were fewer (obvious) guitar flubs, and he seemed to play more comfortably within his current style. A couple of times, during his set, he yelled "yeaaah!" back and forth with the crowd, who responded enthusiastically. The audience supported him with cheers, and many were disappointed to see him leave after the encore.

His current band, featuring Vito Luizzi and Mark Epstein, did a solid job backing Johnny, although there were moments when it seemed they weren’t all on the same page. Vito did a good job singing "Going Down," while Mark followed Johnny’s lead admirably.

Johnny pulled out the Firebird for The Sun is Shining but, unfortunately, put it back in the case after just one song. As a reviewer, I wish he’d play more slide guitar—two or three songs wouldn’t be asking too much, especially since it's more forgiving within his current playing style.

He’s still using the white Lazer guitar, but his playing felt repetitive, tentative, and lacking in emotion. Others might disagree, though. A non-guitar-playing friend who attended with me raved after the show that Johnny was really "on" and challenged me to name someone who played as few notes, as well as Johnny does. I wasn’t there to degrade or disrespect my hero, so I decided to let my friend revel in his moment. Another guitar-playing friend remarked that he understood what "people were saying."

So, it looks like you'll have to go see Johnny Guitar for yourself and form your own opinion. As long as he’s still playing in my town, I’ll be there to watch him.

Club Reviewer, Gary

Last night was an incredible show! Catch him while you can. I've been reading about how bad Johnny looks lately and was prepared for what I was going to see, but I don’t think most of the crowd was. However, after he started playing, most people got over it and began enjoying the legend in front of them. The last time I saw him was three years ago, and he was just as good, if not better, this time. The crowd was really responsive! Every time Johnny shouted "YEAH," a huge, roaring "YEAH" came right back at him.

He may not move very fast, but his fingers take care of all the business. At one point, during a solo, he even did a spin, which was fun to see. You don’t go to see Johnny to watch someone jump around like a maniac—you go to see the man wail, and that’s exactly what he did!

Here’s the show as far as I can remember it…my buddy Weiser might have clouded a few details. The setlist was likely close to his usual, with some differences.

He opened with Hideaway , which was much longer than the version on Live in NYC, from what I remember. He got down to business right away. There were a couple of flubs, but he was just warming up. Personally, I enjoy a few missed notes—that’s what live music is all about. This instrumental went on for quite a while, and Johnny has no fear of soloing! Every time I thought he was about to close, he’d hit the turnaround and take off again. The longer, the better.

Next up was Sen-Sa-Shun / Got My Mojo Workin' , much like on his latest live album. It really got the crowd going, and everyone sang along. By this point, Johnny was deep in his groove.

She Likes To Boogie Real Low followed, another great tune, again very similar to the live album. There were some excellent solos. I’m not sure if it was just me, but many of the songs from the live album seemed longer in the performance, which I’m extremely thankful for—although it might have been the buds (both kinds) talking.

Black Jack was incredible. Straight blues, the way it’s meant to be. Johnny brought the house down with his solos during this one—unbelievable. He kept building and raising the level until it climaxed with a deafening roar from the crowd. Any true Johnny Winter fan was in heaven at this point. This was probably my favorite song of the night, although he kept blowing me away all evening.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the next song, which really pissed me off because it was different from his last live CD, and I wasn’t expecting a new addition. It was a great rockin’-boogie-blues tune, though. There were more excellent solos, and the crowd loved it. From my spot, about five feet from Johnny, you couldn’t hear the vocals very well. If Jaxx had turned them up in the monitors, it would’ve been perfect. But when you're standing that close to greatness, you accept the trade-off. I tried to remember a line from the chorus this morning, but that’s lost to the night.

The Sun is Shining : The place went nuts when he switched to slide guitar. Goosebumps overtook everyone when he strapped that thing on. In my opinion, he’s the best slide player ever. It was amazing to watch him pull off those licks so effortlessly. Unfortunately, this was the only song he played slide on, but at least we got it—and it kicked ass. Unbelievable to hear and see.

Going Down (yes, the Jeff Beck tune) was next. This one tore the roof off. The drummer sang it and absolutely nailed it. Johnny no longer has Tom Compton with him, but this newer drummer brought a lot of energy to the night. The trio—Johnny, Mark Epstein, and the drummer—huddled together and ripped it up during this long, rocking number. Anyone hoping for a taste of Johnny’s kick-ass 70s rock got exactly what they came for.

Johnny Guitar , his new anthem, followed, and boy, did he deliver. The lyrics match the life he’s living: “They call me Johnny Guitar, I’m coming to play in your town,” and did he ever! This song felt longer than the album version, too. During the solo, Johnny slipped into Bony Moronie , and the whole crowd sang along to “I got a girl named Bony Moronie.” He didn’t sing the lyrics, but he definitely played it for a while. Another gem of the night.

They left the stage for a couple of minutes while the crowd screamed for more. Johnny walked off on his own—slow and careful, but no one was helping him. He took care of his own business. After a short break, they returned for the encore.

Drop the Bomb was a great instrumental groove. They seemed to take their time on this one, with some really great bass jamming thrown in. Just when you thought Johnny was finished, he’d turn the progression around and keep going. He did that all night—you gotta love him.

What a show! Don’t miss your chance to catch this legend. I’ve seen him many times over the last 13 years, and he’s as good now as he ever was. He may look frail, but his playing is anything but. He delivered all night and left everyone smiling. What more could you ask for?

Take care, Simon