Birthday Boy
By
Happy birthday/April Fool’s to LGM co-founder R.M.F.
Speaking of the embedded band, djw and the author happened to be at a conference in Portland for a DBT gig at the Crystal Ballroom last week, the first one I’ve seen since Shonna Tucker’s departure. Despite two slightly suppar albums which probably should have been one really good longer one (with material that, as is often the case, improved live), I’ve never seen them better. Appropriately for the political and economic context they ripped off a “Sinkhole” fiercer than any I’ve seen them do before, and the momentum rarely dissipated. Designated bassist Matt Patton was fine. One way the Truckers’ (to oversimplify) Skynyrd/Stones hybrid doesn’t resemble the latter is that the rhythm section tends to be subordinate, but where the basslines drive the song Patton did the job, nicely replicating the ominous base Tucker laid under the Go-Go Boots highlight “Used to Be A Cop.” And John Neff is a most welcome addition, his lyrical solos/slide/steel playing Mick Taylor to Cooley’s Richards, so to speak. And after an already two-hour show, the killer “Marry Me”/”Let There Be Rock” /”Shut Up and Get on the Plane”/”Angels and Fuselage” encore left me wishing they were doing a multi-night stand. See ’em if you can if you’re into that sort of thing.