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HOT, HOT THURSDAY NIGHT; Jason And The Scorchers heat up Dancin' In The District

By: PETER COOPER STAFF WRITER
The Tennessean
June 22, 2000, Thursday

Hyperbole is impossible in this case.

For the past 10 years, I've driven hundreds of miles to see the greatest live rock 'n' roll band in the world, catching up with them in Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Atlanta; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.; and other locales. And, as Tom T. Hall wrote, the miles were good.

Here's the deal: Jason and The Scorchers do it better than anyone. I'll take lead singer Jason Ringenberg over Mick Jagger any day of the week for stage presence, songwriting skills and wild-eyed soulfulness, and none of those facets has been diminished by time, sobriety or fatherhood. Add in a propulsive rhythm section and a lead guitar onslaught that should be over-the-top but isn't, and these guys are louder than Pearl Jam, truer than Springsteen and noisier than any alternative rock band out there.

At their best, The Scorchers are Jerry Lee Lewis on his 1961 European tour; they're the Sex Pistols before Sid died; they're Elvis in 1955; the Beatles at The Cavern in Liverpool.

So why aren't they also the biggest rock band around? I haven't the foggiest. Maybe The Scorchers' fusing of country songcraft and punk bluster remains too far ahead of our time. Or maybe we simply live in a musically unjust world where Kenny G. is a famous jazz man, SHeDAISY is a hit-making country band and young guitarists grow up not knowing Chuck Berry licks.

But the outlook is sunnier for one early summer evening. Luckily, that evening is Thursday, when Jason and The Scorchers head a free bill at Riverfront Park's Dancin'in the District. The show starts at 6 p.m. with Bowling for Soup (that's a band, not a directive) and continues with Peter Searcy and Tara MacLean (both worth hearing) before giving way to what will surely be the most entertaining rock show of the summer.

And it's not even so long a drive.


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News Meet The Scorchers Learn Back to Articles > Look		HOT, HOT THURSDAY NIGHT; Jason And The Scorchers heat up Dancin' In The District By: PETER COOPER STAFF WRITER The Tennessean June 22, 2000, Thursday Copyright 2000 The The Tennessean Hyperbole is impossible in this case. For the past 10 years, I've driven hundreds of miles to see the greatest live rock 'n' roll band in the world, catching up with them in Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Atlanta; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.; and other locales. And, as Tom T. Hall wrote, the miles were good. Here's the deal: Jason and The Scorchers do it better than anyone. I'll take lead singer Jason Ringenberg over Mick Jagger any day of the week for stage presence, songwriting skills and wild-eyed soulfulness, and none of those facets has been diminished by time, sobriety or fatherhood. Add in a propulsive rhythm section and a lead guitar onslaught that should be over-the-top but isn't, and these guys are louder than Pearl Jam, truer than Springsteen and noisier than any alternative rock band out there. At their best, The Scorchers are Jerry Lee Lewis on his 1961 European tour; they're the Sex Pistols before Sid died; they're Elvis in 1955; the Beatles at The Cavern in Liverpool. So why aren't they also the biggest rock band around? I haven't the foggiest. Maybe The Scorchers' fusing of country songcraft and punk bluster remains too far ahead of our time. Or maybe we simply live in a musically unjust world where Kenny G. is a famous jazz man, SHeDAISY is a hit-making country band and young guitarists grow up not knowing Chuck Berry licks. But the outlook is sunnier for one early summer evening. Luckily, that evening is Thursday, when Jason and The Scorchers head a free bill at Riverfront Park's Dancin'in the District. The show starts at 6 p.m. with Bowling for Soup (that's a band, not a directive) and continues with Peter Searcy and Tara MacLean (both worth hearing) before giving way to what will surely be the most entertaining rock show of the summer. And it's not even so long a drive. © 2000-2001 The Tennessean— All Rights Reserved


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