Jimmie Vaughan - Review

I haven't reviewed an artist in quite a while, so here we go.  Ah, but don't forget the standard disclaimer!  Not safe for children, not safe for work, do not use with wet or damp hands... and if you're a thin skinned precious little snowflake - the first paragraph will cause a mental meltdown.

I've seen Stephen Ray Vaughan in person, and I'm here to tell you the man could play.  He sat in a chair with the band in back of him, bent over his ax, and threw out blues riffs that most musicians can't even imagine, let alone play.  This was some years back, and I was so impressed that when I heard his older brother was playing in Columbus, Ohio, well... it's off to the concert.

Everyone Was Over 21

So two nights ago I went to The King of Clubs with Big Mike and Lash to see Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-A-Whirl Band in concert.  Stevie Ray's older brother!  What an opportunity!  What a great time!

What a bust.

The opening act was a solo blues guitarist whose name I couldn't get.  He was an ancient, high mileage black man, he was a good musician, and he opened with Smokestack Lightning, a difficult Howlin' Wolf number that most musicians won't touch.  He did a great job with it.  He followed with more traditional blues, some rock-blues numbers, and actually played When The Saints Come Marching In.  All he had was an acoustic guitar with an electric pick up - no one else on the stage but him - and he was good.  He played about 45 minutes, then packed up to an extended round of applause.  The man was scarcely off the stage before the M.C. announced the best blues player in the whole world would be here soon, and begged the crowd for a round of applause.

This is red flag number one.  If the main act needs a build up of any kind, it means times are tough and audience appreciation is a bit scarce lately.  Then we get a commercial about crap for sale on the table.  What goes unsaid is that Amazon is cheaper and will arrive tomorrow.

So it's on with the show.

The headliner has an extensive band.  Three pieces in the horn section; trumpet, baritone sax, and of all things, a bass sax.  The drummer had a standard kit - standard in the 1960s, abbreviated by 2023 standards.  A rhythm guitar and string bass finished out the band.

Getting right to the point, Jimmie Vaughan has four Grammy Awards on his shelf, but if he ever had any chops, he doesn't have 'em now.  The performance was scrambling to reach mediocrity - and it failed.  The band is tight, but the band members are doing their job and little more.  The trumpet player tried for a solo on the third song, and his chops were fading.  He hit a lot of flat notes and generally had a poor tone.  The sax players played, although the bass sax sounded a little better than the rest of the band.

I left early.  By the fourth song I'd had enough to last me two lifetimes.  I was tired and I didn't feel up to sitting through any more Jimmie Vaughan.

The Vaughan Bus

On the way out I got a look at the bus.  The band is doing ten gigs in September, 2023, all across the country and up into Canada.  Vaughan is 71 years old and looks it.  My thought is that at 71, he's being driven all over the country in a second rate tour bus and playing one night stands.  That's a hard way to make a living.  

I'll revue the venue later, but as for Jimmie Vaughan - what a waste.