The Fabulous Thunderbirds @ Pleasure Island
In celebration of our 7th anniversary, the lovely Donna and I took in The Fabulous Thunderbirds at the Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz festival. What can I say? They were fabulous as advertised. Despite the coldest night of the year -so far- we enthusiastically enjoyed the show.
According to their website, we saw a newly retooled band, minus their veteran keyboard player and drummer. A few impressions:
Kim Wilson: The Tone. The Licks. He is what every Little Walter wannabe wants to be. And better. Makes me want to run to the woodshed. And the greatest laugh on stage. I hate to gush, and I wouldn't want to pick between him and Memphis Charlie, but he's that good.
Nick Curran: Rough Texas Rockabilly. A two-tone pompadour and striped shirt cue you to his refined sense of style. He appeared to be the main rhythm guitar man. His tone was raw, on the edge of brash, semi-hollow body into a bright Fender amp. (note:I can't vouch for his actual gear, too far away) He seemed to be a couple of steps edgier than the Jimmy Vaughan model, and sometimes it felt like it was him and the band, rather than the more integrated Kim Wilson features. However, when he sang, particularly when he sang, something special happened: it felt like the ghost of Stevie Ray was prowling off stage. That charisma, the deep voice, the balls-out attitude, the adult masculine figure missing from modern music, Nick's got it. I can't say if it will be with the Thunderbirds or another act, but Mr. Curran has a future on bigger stages.
Kirk Fletcher: The Smiling Assassin. Like the other side of Mr. Curran's Stevie Ray coin, Mr. Fletcher had the Albert King licks and tone down. Sweet, focused tone, swooping bends, dynamics a la Albert and then throw in some fat 64ths. We're talking music-school clean arpeggios, almost too pretty, but WOW! During his feature he got down on the edge of the stage like Freddy King (what's with all the Kings?) and after he made his point, relentlessly pouring notes forth, he stood back up, threw his guitar behind his head and rocked through the climax of his solo, longer than he had any right to be. Never missed a note. Didn't dance around. Just stood there, looking down at the audience(ladies), smiling. Yeah, he's a badasssssssss.
Long story short: See The Fabulous Thunderbirds. I did.
According to their website, we saw a newly retooled band, minus their veteran keyboard player and drummer. A few impressions:
Kim Wilson: The Tone. The Licks. He is what every Little Walter wannabe wants to be. And better. Makes me want to run to the woodshed. And the greatest laugh on stage. I hate to gush, and I wouldn't want to pick between him and Memphis Charlie, but he's that good.
Nick Curran: Rough Texas Rockabilly. A two-tone pompadour and striped shirt cue you to his refined sense of style. He appeared to be the main rhythm guitar man. His tone was raw, on the edge of brash, semi-hollow body into a bright Fender amp. (note:I can't vouch for his actual gear, too far away) He seemed to be a couple of steps edgier than the Jimmy Vaughan model, and sometimes it felt like it was him and the band, rather than the more integrated Kim Wilson features. However, when he sang, particularly when he sang, something special happened: it felt like the ghost of Stevie Ray was prowling off stage. That charisma, the deep voice, the balls-out attitude, the adult masculine figure missing from modern music, Nick's got it. I can't say if it will be with the Thunderbirds or another act, but Mr. Curran has a future on bigger stages.
Kirk Fletcher: The Smiling Assassin. Like the other side of Mr. Curran's Stevie Ray coin, Mr. Fletcher had the Albert King licks and tone down. Sweet, focused tone, swooping bends, dynamics a la Albert and then throw in some fat 64ths. We're talking music-school clean arpeggios, almost too pretty, but WOW! During his feature he got down on the edge of the stage like Freddy King (what's with all the Kings?) and after he made his point, relentlessly pouring notes forth, he stood back up, threw his guitar behind his head and rocked through the climax of his solo, longer than he had any right to be. Never missed a note. Didn't dance around. Just stood there, looking down at the audience(ladies), smiling. Yeah, he's a badasssssssss.
Long story short: See The Fabulous Thunderbirds. I did.
posted by Doug Utton at Wednesday, October 18, 2006
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