| Concert Review: Dale Watson | |
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Reviewed by Kathy Coleman
Looking For Real Country? You Came to the Right Place. Because THIS is Real Country!
Dale Watson has been playing and recording country music for over a decade. If you haven't heard of him, that's likely because he's "too country" for country radio. But in that case, you're missing something absolutely fantastic. Love country music? I'm talking Merle and Cash and Waylon and Willie. If so, then look no further than Dale Watson. If he's coming to your town, make plans to go doesn't matter if you have to work early the next day, if you have
other plans, no matter what, drop EVERYTHING and make your way to the venue he's at and stake yourself a place by the bar with a good view of the stage. You will thank me for it.
Dale Watson is probably the most talented man currently recording country music. I
don't say that to belittle any one of the great new real country artists out there on the contrary,
I simply put Dale at the very top of that extremely amazing pile. He positively glows with raw
talent. His small frame is packed with song writing skill and it carries an amazing, staggeringly
powerful voice that can fill a big room and bowl over everyone listening. He was able to whip a
very tiny audience to a frenzy I can only imagine what he can do in a crowded room. And he
does it all with nothing more than his fantastic voice, his hot guitar licks, and a stupendous
three-piece band (bass, drums, and steel string the latter manned by the comfortable, at-ease
Ricky Davis, who makes playing that backbone instrument of any great country band look as
easy as chewing gum).
Dale was booked at the last minute into the Cajun House in Scottsdale. Normally
considered a metal/rock club, the Cajun House is situated a few blocks north of the fashionable
downtown Scottsdale strip, where art galleries and trendy nightclubs abound. The Cajun House
is a well-designed club, with a high ceiling, good lightning, and terrific sound. It's made to look
like a New Orleans street, with pool tables in the "buildings" on one side of the street and a
well-stocked bar on the other. About the only thing the Cajun House lacks is a grill appetizers
would be an excellent addition to the place. However, it is a great place for listening to music,
with both the dance floor and the seating space to accommodate a good-sized crowd who likes to
move OR sit still and listen.
Unfortunately, what they also lacked was any kind of publicity whatsoever. I only
learned of Dale's appearance from a friend who got it off www.dalewatson.com before I could
do so myself. Clicking the link from Dale's site led me to the Phoenix City Guides, where I
found that the Cajun House as a venue had received mixed reviews, and Dale himself had three
reviews posted (one of them was mine). It informed me that showtime was 8 p.m. and tickets
were available at Ticketmaster, but not at the box office until the night of the show. I decided
I'd just pay at the door, since calling Ticketmaster proved fruitless.
I arrived at the Cajun House at 7:45 to find the doors weren't even open. It would have
been better for the website to note "Doors OPEN at 8 p.m." Especially since this was an
exceptionally hot May and it was nearly 110 in Scottsdale that evening. It made 15 minutes
seem much longer than it was. However, the doors did open at 8, and I ordered a drink and sat
close to the stage just off the dance floor.
Slowly, some more people trickled in. Not many. The opening act was Trophy
Husbands, a local band which was absolutely fantastic. They played some really excellent
original work as well as good covers (check them out, too: Rustic Records ), and set the stage well for what was to come. They made jokes about the empty joint, played and sang some
great, catchy, real country numbers, and then cleared the way for Dale.
During the break, Ricky Davis came out to talk to the cowboys who were sitting near me whom I'd struck up a conversation with. Apparently, the band discovered the same thing I had just two days before, that Jim Lauderdale was playing with Junior Brown just a couple miles away, and that probably accounted for the sparse crowd (Jim's gig being at the far better-publicized "Bash on Ash," a major summer college-town event). I had dickered with that choice
for about a half-second, then chose Dale (as I knew all along I would). Once again, nothing
against Jim and Junior, but this is Dale Watson. My chances of seeing him again could be nil.
I wasn't going to let that opportunity slip me by.
At 10 o'clock Dale hit the stage and swung immediately into a rousing rendition of
"Truckstop in La Grange." He went directly into "Give Me Your Troubles (And I'll Give You
Mine)" before he stopped to say howdy and welcome us, thanking us for helping put a few
bodies in the seats. It was a choice I did NOT regret.
Dale went on to give us a nonstop series of songs, covers and originals, "Little Ol' Wine Drinker Me," "Heart of Stone," "Fox on the Run," and "Don't Be Angry," before he paused again to chat. As well as a talented singer, he's a comfortable entertainer, with a real connection to his audience; since there were few enough of us there, he could practically address individual comments to each of us. He joked about the wasted space, doing the echoing baseball
announcer, "Now batting -ing -ing for -or -or . . ." and brought more than a few laughs from the small crowd. He did say he hadn't played to a crowd that small in a long time, and thanked us again, very sincerely, for coming to see him. He was in tremendously good spirits as he burst into "Texas Boogie," followed by "It Happened in Monterey." (Which is a guess at the song title it was a new one, and a good one.)
Only Dale Watson would have the guts to change the immortal ending of Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue." He informed us it was far too sentimental an ending, and he gave it a fierce little country twist, bring laughs again.
Dale announced he had a new album coming out on June 25 (Live in London), and said that no one would probably play the next single from it, a song he proceeded to play (and he's probably right, although I'd love to see the expressions on some "country" radio exec faces!): "Country My Ass." Hopefully the message will get somewhere, even if the single doesn't.
He took requests from the audience, who wanted to hear a little Merle (although Merle had been in town just a few weeks before!), performing "Branded Man" and "Mama Tried."
Someone asked for "Blessed or Damned," which he was happy to oblige with, commenting as he did that he'd written it after playing an empty place like this one. He gave us "If I Was A Truckin' Man," "Drink Up And Be Somebody," then saluted Waylon with "I've Always Been Crazy," and a mournful commentary that he just found out Waylon was buried here in town and he hadn't had a chance to go visit the grave.
The show continued with "I Won't Miss You Anymore," "Whiskey, Oh God," "A Hangover Ago," "Rattlesnake Train" (which got him the necessary tequila), "I See Your Face In Every Face I See" (after which he drank said tequila, and apparently Arizona Gold brands kicked him somewhere Texas Gold don't, 'cause he had to shout at the bartender to find out what exactly that was he'd been served!), and he closed the amazing show with the ironic, deeply appropriate
"Nashville Rash."
He was friendly; he was personable; he sang fabulously. He left the stage and did no encores, but did come out to shake hands and mingle with us. He proved to be the sweetest, kindest, and most amiable person I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I talked to him and asked him my questions; then he signed my CD and posed for a couple pictures.
On a personal note, Dale really showed me that he's about the nicest person around by coming to my rescue when I had some car problems. I certainly didn't expect that from the star of the show, and I am eternally grateful to him for it! If I hadn't already been crazy about him, I sure would be after this night! I want to do even more spreadin' the word if I can. The man should be selling out major venues, not playin' to empty chairs.
Also, if you have a DVD player on your computer, go ahead and buy the DVD "For Fans Only," which is available on Dale's website. Although the DVD is formatted only for European DVD players, it WILL play on your computer! It's not quite as good as being there, but it'll help support Dale and it's a good way to whet your appetite for the real thing.
Because Dale is the Real Thing. He should be up there with the legends, along with those great artists he so admires and always remembers with his brilliant music. Take the time to listen.
Set List:
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