EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: George Strait
Story by Watjol - Photos by Stephen Cohen -

February 22nd @ Conseco

George Strait performed for an excited and full crowd at Indianapolis’ Conseco Field House. With such a dynamic stage presence and ability to wow his audience, it’s no wonder that country superstar George Strait has recently been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The concert, opened by 16-year-old Taylor Swift and legendary Ronnie Milsap, was performed in the round, making it an intimate setting for all three performers.Taylor Swift

Ronnie Milsap

George Strait opened with a bang, singing two old favorites — “Honk if You Honky Tonk” and “Check Yes or No.” His performance included good old classic country, with a bit of Texas swing and blues-like ballads, while incorporating both recent releases (“I Ain’t Her Cowboy Anymore”, “Give it Away”, “It Just Comes Natural”, “How ‘bout Them Cowgirls”, “Wrapped”, “A Better Rain”, “Somewhere Down in Texas”, “The Seashores of Old Mexico”) and old chart topping favorites (“Amarillo By Morning”, “The Fireman”, “I Hate Everything”, “Milk Cow Blues”, “She’ll Leave You with a Smile”). The vocals were supreme — crystal-clear and full of emotion. And if any performer could win an award for making his audience feel like an old friend, it’s George Strait. His security stays low-key, and his interactions with the crowd are plentiful, allowing his audience to feel a personalized touch to his performance.

The crowd’s reaction to George was dynamic. Each time he changed corners of the stage to face a different part of the audience, the fans stood and cheered, happily dancing in their seats and singing along. Not only is the ticket holder to a George Strait concert guaranteed a good time—they are also guaranteed a good bang for their buck. The 90+ minute concert was packed full of songs for both newcomers to country music, as well as long time country music fans. George Strait

– Watjol —

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EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: The Lemonheads
Story by Jeff Napier - Photos by Melonshe -

Feb. 16th @ The Vogue

Last Friday evening, I arrived in Broad Ripple to the biggest clusterfuck I’ve seen there in quite a few years. Did the BRVA enact a ban on slowplows and salt trucks? Needless to say, after numerous near-collisions and near-death encounters parking and walking to the Lemonheads show, I arrived just in time to catch the last part of Vietnam’s set. Which pretty much sucked donkey balls.I was already a bit leery of Evan Dando, having been let down a couple times by him in the past. So, after having walked a half mile in sub-zero temperatures with cars careening by inches from me, I was beginning to worry. I didn’t have to, ’cause Vess Ruhtenberg and Devon Ashley made sure we all had a good show. Sweet Baby Jesus, you could put a peanut stuck in a turd in front of these two boys and it would rock. Not that Dando is a peanut in a turd, just a bit unreliable. Now, however, The Lemonheads leader is as dynamic as he ever was. And the result was a clean, muscular show that spotlighted everything that was great about the Lemonheads.

Peppering his set list with equal amounts of new material and old chestnuts like “Hate Your Friends,” “Confetti,” and of course, “It’s a Shame About Ray” Evan jingled and jangled his way through his catalog with the ease and casualness of a rehearsal session. Pulling songs from a list seemingly at random, playing a few chords and waiting a split second for Vess and Devon to follow, it was a nice way to spend an evening with an old friend and his music.

For their part, Vess and Devon powered the material effortlessly. Devon showed us why he may just be one of the best drummers Indy has right now, and Vess . . . God, Vess is a beautiful creature when he pulls out all of his rock star moves. On newer songs, like “No Backbone” and “Steve’s Boy,” as well as on older tuners like the amazing “Ride With Me” and “If I could Talk I’d tell You,” the trio performed as though they’d been together for 20 years.

Sure, Evan’s a bit rudimentary in the guitar hero department, but he nevertheless managed to give the crowd what they wanted and showed off a surprisingly winsome presence. Here’s to hoping that whatever battles Dando has fought in the past are over and done with, and now he can turn his attention to making the kind of flawless rock masterpieces he has always been capable of.

– Jeff Napier —

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EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Slayer and Unearth
Photos by Joey Foley -

Feb. 5th @ Murat

Our apologies to Demiricous - the Colts parade and rally made it impossible for Joey to get there in time to capture you set. Rest assured that the hometown folks ripped it up in brutal fashion, though.SLAYER:

UNEARTH:

All photos © 2007 by Joey Foley

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