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Scorchers
News - March 2002
       
Here are some of my recollections about the
shows.
ATLANTA
Atlanta was crowded, pretty rowdy on stage and in the first few rows.
Jason kept abusing mike stands, breaking them repeatedly. He sent a
stand flying into the first row during "When the Angels Cry,"
surprising us but hurting no one. The band was energized, and probably
a little surprised, by how large and appreciative the crowd was. Jason
gave out three or four "Wildfires" CDs to the people who had
traveled the farthest to see the show, including a fellow from New Zealand.
Kenny played "Uncertain Girl" for the first time on stage
and acquitted himself well on it. Jason said he taught Kenny the song
during sound check that night. "Uncertain Girl" is one of
the songs on 1996's "Clear Impetuous Morning" that, for some
reason, was never played live on that tour or afterward. Warner's guitar
kicked out during "Drug Store," and Jason took the opportunity
to do a quick "Jesus Christ," a Big Star song that he does
only rarely.
The show had a celebratory feel, and the crowd at Smith's Olde Bar really
enjoyed it. Jason has gone on record several times over the years that
playing Atlanta is a very emotional experience for him. Atlanta’s
deep Southern tradition also challenges the whole band to respond every
time they are there. Jason and the band rose to the occasion with an
intense show.
MEMPHIS
Memphis was a more relaxed show, with a crowd of hardcore fans in front
and the rest casual concertgoers. Mike Janas, engineer at the Castle
music studio in Franklin, Tn., manned the soundboard. He would do so
on New Year’s Eve, as well, lending his experience and expertise
to the Scorchers’ sound. Their new (old) song this night was "Gospel
Plow," which they had not played live for 18 years. "Gospel
Plow" is another one from "Wildfires" that Kenny was
performing live for the first time. It was shorter and easier than "Uncertain
Girl" for him. "Kingdom" was reportedly Bill Reiser's
request, and "Golden Ball and Chain" was also somebody's request.
Jason told Warner to start "When the Angels Cry" after they
completed the great “Thunder and Fire”-era (1988) rocker "Too
Much Too Young." These two songs work so well back to back that
Jason kept them that way for the New Year's Eve show. Jason leant the
mike to visiting Scotsman Colin Jamieson to request "Going Nowhere,"
which he did in his rich brogue. Colin succinctly summed up the show
afterward by intoning to me, "fookin' awesome."
This show did lack a consistent, cohesive groove in the band. They hit
it during the encores, but there were rough spots during the night.
Since the Scorchers have played together so infrequently since 1999,
that is to be expected. The positive vibe with Kenny aboard more than
compensates, and it leaves one wondering what the band is capable of
doing if they play consistently for a few months.
NASHVILLE
The Nashville show started after midnight, so technically it was early
(12:30 AM) on January 1st. Warner, Kenny, and Perry saddled their instruments,
then Jason strode on stage to read a poem. The setup was very similar
to the beginning of the "Midnight Roads" shows in 1997, which
were also at the Exit/In:
"Into the arms of fame we dived, with hearts aflame and souls alive
From Tennessee to London town, we cranked it up and laid it down
And now we look at 20 years with equal shares of joy and tears
And thank our God that here tonight the fire and flame is still alight"
The band then charged into "Lost Highway," beginning a special
evening. The energy and intensity on stage and in the first few rows
of the audience was quite something. The show had the feel of a family
reunion, with fans and friends of the band from all over the US, and
some from other countries, joining in to celebrate their 20th birthday.
Much has been written and said about the Scorchers' "magic"
during shows such as this one. This force manifests itself, or could
be interpreted, in a number of ways. There is joy at the fact that the
band has survived, when so many deserving other bands and clubs have
not. The band displays an all-around confidence during evenings such
as New Year’s Eve. They are confident in themselves, the fans,
their songs, and in rock and roll, as clichéd as all that might
sound. This confidence enables them to take risks, while many other
bands play it safe wherever they can. As a result, the Scorchers continue
to grow as musicians, and to make their songs consistently interesting
for themselves and their fans.
This group of four shows also reinforced that the Kenny Ames era for
Jason and the Scorchers is an energetic and reverent one. A special
attribute of the 20th anniversary was that different fans of the band,
many of whom saw the bulk of their shows in the eighties, have embraced
Kenny while still remembering fondly what Jeff brought to the band.
I asked a couple of friends to give their impressions of the Scorchers,
and suggested the metaphor of a car. Ben Copeland of Missouri contributed
this on what Kenny brings to the table:
"Kenny is an amiable foil for the rock-n-roll blitzkrieg of Warner
and Jason. Kenny smiles conspiratorially at the two bad boys on the
lip of the stage, then throws himself into a 360* spin like your parents'
Fastback Mustang on the ice in your high school parking lot- you don't
know where the ride will end, and you don't want to. You just know
it's going to be great along the way."
Ray Allen of Florida came up with an amazing and beautiful set of images.
Thanks Ray!
"An old, old high school fantasy me and friends had was to take
a Ford Edsel, the spectacular automotive failure, and build
it into the baddest hot rod that no one could touch. Now, don't
get me wrong, the Edsel to me was always a beautiful car, and I honestly
do respect its styling. It just came at the tail end of an era
and became a laughing stock more as a result of bad timing than of bad
design.
The original Scorchers were like a hot-rodded '58 Edsel - a '58 Edsel
with a 429 side-oiler stuffed inside. They are dressed in the
outdated styling of huge grills and unbelievable chrome (Jason). There
is an improbable and monstrous 428 side-oiler impossibly stuffed
under its hood like a 900-pound gorilla looking to bust out (Warner).
The torque and horsepower go through a turbo hydra-matic 400 transmission
(Jeff) and the heat gets to the street with a big bottom end and wide,
meaty slicks (Perry). The updated band is a bit more refined with
a continuously variable automatic transmission (Kenny), but they're
still the most unlikely ground-pounder out there."
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