L-R Harmonica player Billy Branch, keyboardist Michael Ramos, lead singer Kevin Cronin, guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Mike Wanchic (hidden) at the Jim Irsay Collection. All photos by Bob Lee for the LA Beat.
Jim Irsay, to answer a question that has come up to a lot of LA classic rock fans recently based on a curious ad for this event appearing on their Facebook page, is the billionaire owner of the Indianapolis Colts. He’s a collector, philanthropist and also a singer and guitar player, who likes to play shows around the country with his famous friends and show off his collection to other fans. The shows are always free to the public and feature a mix of famous rockers, each of whose favorite charity has probably gotten a nice check recently. Irsay himself was unable to attend this show at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, due to illness (as was promised guest Steven Stills) but with a band that included REM’s Mike Mills on bass, Kenny Aronoff on drums, guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd serving as bandleader and emcee, and special guests Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson, Kevin Cronin, Peter Wolf, and Billy Gibbons, the show managed to go on.
(Photo gallery and continued review after the jump).
If the intent is simply to give rock fans a nice night out, have the chance to see something cool, mission accomplished. At the exhibit in the Expo Hall, you can get up close to items like Kurt Cobain’s guitar from the Teen Spirit video, Ringo’s black oyster Beatles drum set including the front head used on the Ed Sullivan Show, and some American historical stuff like the wanted posters for John Wilkes Booth. Despite my love for rock gear, the thing that really brings a shock is the manuscript for “On The Road”, the paper scroll that came off Jack Kerouac’s typewriter. It’s hard to imagine a person actually owning this stuff, but at least the one that does is letting it be seen.
Buddy Guy is the first guest to come out, an immediate knockout. He’s in good form tonight, playing and singing with purpose, and comes most visibly to life when trading licks with Shepherd and harmonica player Billy Branch. It’s a reminder how much his playing, his vision of guitar power from 60 years ago, has informed just about everything else that will take place on the stage.
Mills steps to the front for REM’s “Don’t Go Back To Rockville” and their cover of “Superman”. He introduces the latter by saying “Here’s another one that has lately been retired from the stage… or has it?” Did we just hear the tease of an REM reunion?
Shepherd has had someone run out and get David Gilmour’s Black Strat off the exhibit wall, and he plays “Have a Cigar” and “Comfortably Numb” on them. I don’t know if Irsay would have allowed that. Maybe knowing he wasn’t there to stop it, Kenny just told someone “go grab that $4 million guitar and bring it here”, they have very helpful staff here at the Shrine. Meanwhile Aronoff, who to this point has shown admirable restraint, has apparently been directed by Shepherd to go ahead and pound the red-hot fills on the end of this one, and the final minute of it is really like, peak Aronoff.
Ann Wilson’s powerful voice fuels a moving version of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me” before the band rips into “Barracuda” with three guitar players stepping up to make the most of it. By now the crowd is singing along with gusto.
It’s only January 11 but it is going to be hard to top the sight of Mike Mills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin – REM Shep Wagon! – rocking out together on my list of Unexpected Pleasures this year. Because it truly was a pleasure. You could count me as an REO skeptic right up to last night, although before he went on, I remember thinking “Cronin with Aronoff backing him could be some Midwest rock bombast worth watching.” This turned out to be true, and Cronin completely won me over with his segment of “Keep On Lovin’ You”, “Take It On The Run”, “Riding The Storm Out” and “Roll With the Changes.” He has an infectious energy and a stage presence that is downright goofy on the level of Kenny Loggins, and he sells those songs to the cynics in the photo pit. That’s the midwestern rock ethic in full bloom. Respect.
Peter Wolf from the J. Geils Band was the one I was most excited to see, and he did not disappoint. He looks and sounds much like he did 50 years ago, James Brown-style dancing in a glittery suit, keeping the energy level at a rapid boil. And while it’s kind of trippy to see these players of such different styles mix it up with each other, nobody falters. Mike Mills can play a hyped up soul part on the bass when he feels like it, Kenny Wayne can do the chicken scratch, Aronoff can pump a tight groove. Wolf’s set is probably the highlight of the night, a rare sighting of somebody we should see more of.
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons closes the show with a guitar roundtable, with Shepherd, Branch and the house guitarists Tom Bukovac and Mike Wanchic stepping forward to give their take on the “Sharp Dressed Man” and “La Grange” solos. This actually gives a little extra oomph to the proceedings, hearing those songs with some different players actually being accompanied by Gibbons’ unmistakable rhythm.
I’m glad I had a chance to see this show, and that so many of my neighbors got to see a worthwhile free concert. I can appreciate Irsay’s desire to put on a show, make it as good as he can, get the best people to be part of it, and pack the place. Put some different styles next to each other, let those people play together, see what happens, and somehow everything works. To get an old punker to sing along to REO, you know, you gotta ride that storm out and roll with them changes. This is rock and roll, it’s all for your good. I’ll go to any party this guy throws.
