I'd wanted to see Junior Brown for years, and won tickets from Cousin Kate to go see him at Johnny D's on January 17th! We usually try to get a table when we go there, but they were all taken ... Junior has a devoted following. So we showed up right before show time and were able to grab a good piece of floor, leaning back against the wall across from the ticket table.
Lyle Brewer was the first opener and did some great Chet Atkins channeling (including one Atkins song) on solo guitar. Tony Savarino was up next with a full band (the Savtones, keys, bass, and drums), and thrilled us with some fantastic blues/rock guitar, wonderful leads.
Junior was up next with his wife on rhythm of course, and a solid rockabilly bass and drums backbone. He did a long set, naturally highlighted by Highway Patrol ("I'm just doing my job"), and closing with Hang Up and Drive.
As mentioned, Johnny D's was pretty full, but the strangest part of the crowd scene was that the dance floor was packed, but these people were not dancing. There were about 30 large middle-aged (and older) guys with flannel shirts just standing on the floor. The only movement from them was every once in a while one would bob his head to the beat. I figured the story was that they were technical music fans. Junior plays a homemade instrument, his "guit-steel," which is a telecaster-style on top and a lap steel on the bottom, and he's a wizard with it. These guys were there to watch that.
Had a great time but then left before the late night act, through a rocking Davis Square and back up College Avenue to where we had managed to snag a parking place on the street.
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