Blues man Johnny Winter has had a career spanning some four decades, starting out in the 1960s with a cult following. I saw him five years ago in a surprising way. I was listening to the local classic rock station in St. Paul (KQRS FM) when it was announced on the airwaves that he'd be doing a show at a small beer joint called The Cabooze bar in Minneapolis. So, I mentioned this to my mom, and we ended up buying tickets next door at an adjacent bar in Minneapolis to the Cabooze, going to the show later that evening.
Needless to say, the opening act was the most forgettable thing I've ever witnessed. A pseudo punk rock band called X-Ray Hip. These guys were the musical equivalent of a cement mixer grinding giant boulders crossed with fingernails on a chalkboard! Just awful. Just a lot of loud thrashing and bad jokes with no musicality whatsoever. Earth to booking agent. Watch out for the opening bands you sign to open up for more well known artists, please!
Well, needless to say, after diehard blues fans like myself were fed that pablum for 45 minutes, we were ready for some relief. Winter and his band immediately came to the rescue, a quartet, featuring Johnny Winter on guitars, Paul Nelson on guitars, Scott Spray on bass, and Vito Liuzzi on drums. They tore into a lot of Winter's material from his 2004 album "I'm A Bluesman" which was memorable, but not as well received as his covers of some old blues standards, particularly, the Freddie King instrumental classic "Hideaway" which brought down the house. No, I don't have full recollections of the set list for this gig. But, if something should come up, this article will be updated immediately.
I just really enjoyed hearing Winter's playing which was extremely vibrant, his slide guitar work absolutely piercing, making his '60s Gibson Firebird absolutely scream. His encore was a scorcher! The Bob Dylan tune, "Highway 61 Revisited" which has become a staple in his live show for many years. Definitely a fun concert to attend even though it was so spur of the moment, and, despite, having to sit through the cheapest opening act I've ever seen. But, Johnny Winter and his band, delivered, in spades.
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