John Lee Hooker
Tymon
in beautiful Cincinnasti where the temperature is barely climbing out of the
teens and I thought I'd share my wunnerful experience at the John Lee Hooker
concert at the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. on sunday night, since I know
there are a few blues fans out there.
After having downed an unusually rushed pint of Guinness at the HoB bar,
I took my place directly behind the mixing boards for the shows. Tommy
Castro and Coco Montoya opened up the joint with rousing blues numbers and
got the house rocken. John Lee's Coast to Coast Blues Band took stage and
opened with two songs, then out came the legend, himself. His mike volume
was not working. People started shouting to turn up the voice. After the
first song they got the kinks worked out, somewhat, but Johnny Lee looked
old and tired. They played Baby Lee and then Boogie Chillen, which was
extended and seemed to go on and on.
Well, during his set, these three guys standing next to me were talking
the entire time and they had accents I wasn't sure about - not Australian,
exactly, but maybe from New Zealand. All they did was bitch and moan about
the cost of the ticket just to see this. I dunno what they expected to see,
but to tell you the truth, I would've paid twice as much to see John Lee
Hooker get on stage and recite a grocery list. Most in the crowd had the
same sentiments and that's what makes HoB on sunset so cool - a most
appropriate salute to a living legend in a house that has helped further the
cause of music. For all intents and purposes (intensive purposes? :>) I
was tore down, nonetheless.
tymon
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Looks like we're in for a bad spell of whether. -anon