Tony Joe White 10/26/13

@tonyg wrote:

Tony Joe White is the author of 2 smash hits, Polk Salad Annie, which was on continous radio play one summer when I was around 10 or 12 or something, and Rainy Night In Georgia, which I think was made famous by someone else. Anyway, I got a hot tip that a certain blonde musician was going to sit in so I bought tickets. I later discovered, to my horror, that there would be a World Series game that night and the ad said the show goes on at 8 pm. Great. So I left during the 8th inning, Red Sox losing and looking like they would not come back, and headed for The Mint in LA. Previously it was unthinkable that I would ever miss even one minute of Red Sox post-season action. Got there exactly at 8 to find out that there were 2 bands on before Tony Joe and he would play at 10:30. Super. So I stood there for 2 and a half hours in a jam packed bar and stared at my cell phone to discover the Red Sox did come back but then lost in the most bizarre game ending play in the history of the World Series. Super.

By the time Tony Joe White hit the stage I was about 80 sheets to the wind. He sat on a chair at the front of the stage, crowd pressed right up into his face. He wore a black hat low over his head and sunglasses. He played electric guitar, accompanied only by a drummer. He looked like we were in for some serious swamp music and he delivered same. His daughter joined him for one tune, and Lucinda came on near the end and sang one song with him, I forget what song it was. Yes he did do Polk Salad Annie.

Luckily I was not driving that night and somehow made it home a mere 4 hours before I had to get up and golf wwhich is another story altogether.

Lucinda is on Tony Joe’s record of a few years back; several females (e.g., Shelby Lynne) sit in on one song each. I believe the word “Fire” is in the song where Lucinda is featured; I will check tonight and report back. Apparently TJW is “huge” in Australia, to quote Anne McCue–who does his song “As the Crow Flies” on her Koala Motel album. She was on a bill with him once at Nashville Americana, and it made her day (maybe year).

Was this at McCabe’s, Tony? Hotel Café?

On his 2004 record entitled, appropriately, The Heroines, TJW features Jessi Colter, Emmylou, Shelby L, and others. The Lucinda duet is called “Closing In on the Fire,” which is maybe the one they did the other night?

Go Cardinals.

@tonyg wrote:

Cardinals?

It was at The Mint. That might have been the song they did. 8)

Yes, the Redbirds are west Tennessee’s team, by geographical default. Growing up in east TN 400 miles away, I was trained to be a Braves fan. Go NL!!!

@tonyg wrote:

👿

I concede the Series, under protest.

So you find yourself in a major American city, but you don’t get hands on its alternative weekly paper until 7:45 p.m. There you find that Hayes Carll is playing one venue, tony Joe White another, that very evening. Dilemma ensues, but opening acts are listed for both (though not showtimes), so you feel good about public transit getting you to one or the other. What would YOU do, reader?

Despite his harmonica and some other gear not making it in the checked luggage, Mr. white and his drummer made it in style. No merch, even though the new record just came out. Some really fine stuff, new and old–and of course “Polk Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia.” I didn’t hang out, but “Something Wicked” and “West Memphis” were much on my mind to thank him for.

P.S. [and only slightly related to topic]: Name the former Lu band member who is know officially a Jayhawk.

btw, hello TonyG and Stoger!
this is coffee4hroad from a previous website.