My super-fine wife surprised me with a weekend trip to San Francisco for my birthday, wherein we saw the Reverend play at the world-famous Fillmore. I used to play in a couple rock-a-billy bands, and I have several RHH albums and love his stuff, but I’ve never actually seen him play. Man, he’s good. The bass player (Jimbo Wallace) was pretty amazing as well. They closed with a super-extended version of a personal fave, Big Red Rocket of Love.
The opening acts were great too: Detroit Cobras and The Forty-Fives. Can’t say I’d heard of them before, but they were both non-stop rocking.
If you get a chance, check the Rev on tour. What a show.
One of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. I’ve caught the Rev live twice, once at a mid-sized club, and once at the Warped Tour, an outdoor show. Both of these were around 1997-98. But damn, they put on an amazing live show! Glad you had fun!
Oh, I’ve only heard a song or two from the Detroit Cobras, but I liked what I heard. Almost a Motown-influenced vocal style, mixed with a garage band/punk sound?
I look forward to my first RHH concert. We’re moving to a place just a hop up the road from Rockwall, TX, where the merchandise comes from if you buy something from their website (and I assume that’s where the band from), and hopefully their latest tour will bring them to Dallas so we can go see 'em.
I once caused a stir by playing “Cowboy Love” on the radio at work.
Yep, they played that one. Actually, from the “It’s Martini Time” album, they only played two tracks, the title one and Big Red Rocket of Love. I would’ve preferred more from that album, but you can’t get everything.
The latest is called “Revival,” and they played 4 or 5 cuts from it. I’ll pick up a copy this week and report back.
Yeah, they were really cool. They had a guitarist/singer, a bass player (who was on fire), a drummer, a sax and a keyboard player. For my money, the keyboard player and sax player were expendable, but they were good.
The Reverend makes it into St. Louis frequently and I’ve promised myself that I’m going to the next show in town.
I’ve heard some of the songs on the radio here and this thread has inspired me to hit the music shop just down the street (Euclid Records) at lunch to pick up a cd or two. Anyone have a recommendation for a first-time RHH buyer?
I’d start with Liquor in the Front, which just rocks like all get-out.
*racinchikki, the band is from Dallas and plays around here fairly often. In fact, their tour dates page says they’re playing at Trees (over in Deep Ellum) on July 31. If you have not previously been saved by the Reverend, I highly recommend the experience.
Picked up ‘Liquor in the Front’ AND ‘It’s Martini Time’ at the shop (used, for 16 bucks total - sweet!). ‘Liquor’ is playing now - good stuff!
The wife won’t be happy - these two discs will join four Bottle Rockets albums in the major rotation on our six disc-changer, replacing something called ‘Pure Dance 02’ and a Dido cd (lord help me when she figures out how to operate that thing).
Man, I saw them years ago in Denton, TX at a bar called Rick’s. They really worked the small packed house and rocked the doors off. I would love to see them again, but I’ll be out of town on the 31st. Crap.
I love the Rev, seen him a few times in concers. Jimbo it pretty impressive too. One of my favorite gags is the Rev hopping onto Jimbo’s laid down bass during “I can’t surf” with the Rev playing away standing on the bass like a surfboard and Jimbo playing the bass as it’s lying on it’s side.
Honestly I love all his albums… his newer ones have branched a bit from the early stuff but there’s always a few gems on each one.
On one concert, during the breaks in Psychobilly Freakout (where he usually just pauses to say… iii-it’s a Psychobilly Freakout) he did a little running commentary about how he helps some poor young wayard female in his mobile “confession booth” in his trailer… great stuff, wish I had a recording of it.
And remember… whenever you feel sad and downtrodden… You have a friend in Jimbo!
He was great. I don’t know if it’s a regular bit, but he cracked off a string of jokes about being in love with Martha Stewart that had us all in stiches.
I was kinda surprised he didn’t do many of the standup bass tricks that are so cool in a rock-a-billy show (playing it like a guitar, climbing way up it while playing, spinning, dragging around stage, etc.), but he more than made up for that with raw talent.
I’ve seen RHH at least three times and have never been disappointed. I think this is one of those bands, like the Grateful Dead, that will tour until one of 'em drops dead. And then it just won’t be the same.
The first time I saw them, they opened for Soundgarden. They rocked the house and then Soundgarden came on. They sounded like a bunch of amateur hacks who had to work twice as hard to put out half the sound with a quarter of the talent. We left right after “Spoonman” which was the third song!
I thought I’d never see/hear another bass player to eclipse Jimbo, but I was wrong on two counts. First, I was listening to an old Chili Peppers song and realized… man, Flea is INSANE. He’s a machine. The other was in a local Tallahassee band called The Black Cats. Great rockabilly band, stand up bass, the whole shootin’ match. I thought they were pretty damn good until the second set, when I noticed the bass player had only one hand! The fretting hand (what is that, the left hand, with a stand up bass?) was not there. He was fretting with the bones of his wrist. :eek:
That is the most hardcore thing I’ve ever heard! Are they a new band? I get up to Gainesville once in a while and try to catch shows up there, and I love rockabilly, but I’ve never heard of them.
