February concerts: Two of my favorites

Some familiar faces in new places for the shows I saw this month

Before the Blackberry Smoke show at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis. Note the guy behind me in the Millikin sweatshirt — he and his wife are from Clinton but come to Indy to visit his brother and see Blackberry Smoke when they’re in town.

I know what you’re going to say: Blackberry Smoke and The Steepwater Band … again?!

Yep, get used to it!

In all seriousness, I go to the shows of the bands I like that are close enough to drive to from Decatur, don’t interfere with family or work, and I can afford. Those two bands just happen to play often near me and have reasonable ticket prices, and I’ll gladly reward that with my presence.

Also, variety is on its way … kind of. After a quiet March with a couple tribute bands, April will include the Black Crowes (in Chicago), my first time seeing JJ Grey & Mofro (at the Castle in Bloomington) … and another Blackberry Smoke show — this time in St. Louis with Duane Betts and his band opening. And, anytime I can catch Steepwater live, I’ll be there.

I couldn’t possibly see everyone I “should” see, or even everyone I want to see. But of the bands on my radar, these just happen be two of the best live bands going.

Here’s a look at both shows, which were two nights apart.

Blackberry Smoke, Murat Theater, Indianapolis

Blackberry Smoke performing at the Murat Theater with their new backdrop for the Be Right Here tour.

What made this show exciting and the reason I bought a ticket for it was it was just six days after the release of Blackberry Smoke’s latest album, Be Right Here.

The album is great. Whatever producer Dave Cobb is doing to get the authentic sound of the band on record, it’s working. There are no bad songs on the album, and while Blackberry Smoke will spend the rest of their career chasing the excellence of 2012’s The Whippoorwill, Be Right Here rates on par or better than any of the four albums the band has made in the last decade.

Before the beginning of the show at the Murat, which is in the Old National Centre. Built in 1910, the Murat featured Broadway plays in its early days and even a 1932 speech by Winston Churchill.

It was my first time at the Murat, which is a very old but cool theater. Blackberry Smoke did six songs off the new album, with “Azalea” and “Little Bit Crazy” my favorites. Other highlights were some reworked parts of “Everybody Knows She’s Mine,” and, of course, the interludes in the middle of “Sleeping Dogs” (“Long-Haired Country Boy” by Charlie Daniels) and “Ain’t Much Left of Me” (“Let’s Work Together” by Canned Heat).

Like at the acoustic show I saw in January, Blackberry Smoke singer Charlie Starr was in a playful mood. He doesn’t say a lot, but he’s a comfortable front man with a great sense of humor. He announced, by request from someone on the band’s official fan club’s Facebook page (how awesome is that!?), they were going to perform a song from one of their early albums called “Say a Prayer for the Little Man.” He started the song, then spotted someone getting up and walking out.

“This is a really good one. You don’t want to go to the bathroom right now,” said Starr, who then sang more of the verse and then asked: “Do you want us to wait for you?”

Later, as he announced the members of the band, he got to percussionist Preston Holcomb, who has a second, smaller set to the main kit. Holcomb’s setup was far to the right of the stage and toward the back.

“… And lurking in the murky mists of the Murat Theater, Preston Holcomb,” Starr said, laughing.

Preston Holcomb, left, is behind bassist Richard Turner “lurking in the murky mists of the Murat Theater.” To the right is Kent Aberle playing the drums in place of Brit Turner, who is being treated for cancer.

This was my third time seeing Blackberry Smoke and first with Holcomb — and first without regular drummer Brit Turner. Holcomb was out with personal issues when I saw the band twice last summer. On the current tour, Kent Aberle is filling in for the extremely popular Turner, who is being treated for a very scary form of brain cancer — Glioblastoma. I’m seeing Blackberry Smoke twice more in the next five months, and hopefully Brit will be back at some point.

This was a typically quality outing from Blackberry Smoke — not much to complain about … other than the large man a few rows in front of me who yelled “Sanctified,” referring to the song “Sanctified Woman,” at least 20 times. At times, his tone of voice turned angry. I mean, I don’t dislike that song, but … it’s not one of the 50 best Blackberry Smoke songs.

This show was very close to sold out and the crowd — not exactly a young group — stood for Blackberry Smoke’s entire set.

Austin Meade opened for Blackberry Smoke.

That was after we’d sat for opener Austin Meade’s set. I’m loathe to badmouth any musician making a go of rock music when it often feels like a dying genre, but Meade and his band did a lot of cheesy rock posing, and just looked and sounded like that late 90-early 2000s post-grunge era that … wasn’t good. It was definitely not a fit for those into Blackberry Smoke’s soulful country rock. As Meade finished the final song of his set, he informed the crowd of their response: “That was awful,” and the band proceeded to perform the end of the song again … to the same reaction.

— Feb. 22, alone

Steepwater Band, The Venue, Aurora

The Steepwater Band performing at The Venue in Aurora.

I’ll always love the Stones, Floyd, etc., but there’s something about being a fan of a regionally (and also, in pockets, internationally) popular band that has never hit the big time but is just as talented and enjoyable to watch as any that have. The shows are WAY cheaper, you’re WAY closer to the stage, and the band members are often accessible after the show.

Steepwater, though, takes it to even another level. Drummer Joe Winters makes everyone he talks to feel special — like you’ve been his friend for years. He invited concert buddy Shawn Hillman and I backstage before the show as representatives of the State of Amorica podcast, on which Joe has appeared (and which has recorded an episode about the Steepwater Band’s catalogue that I co-hosted along with show producer Jason Doncis! When it’s released, I’ll post the link).

Shawn (right) and I posing with Steepwater Band drummer Joe Winters before the show at The Venue in Aurora.

And the band … these guys are too good for people who love the music of the Black Crowes, Allman Brothers, Derek and the Dominoes, etc., not to gravitate to. And I’m going to do everything I can to preach that message to the masses.

Like the Crowes and the Allmans, Steepwater can stretch out a song live and take it to some pretty fun places — especially when guitarists Jeff Massey and Eric Saylors are playing their guitar harmonies. And it’s always a good night when Chris Grove is on keyboards for Steepwater, and he only adds to the band’s ability to jam out a song.

On this night, they played an epic version of “Waiting to be Offended,” though the highlight of the night surprised me — a song I liked in “The Stars Look Good Tonight” that I found additional appreciation for hearing it live for the first time. Though there were some minor technical issues at times, The Venue is a great place to see a show — it sounds good and it’s in a cool location with plenty of parking and bars/restaurants.

The Steepwater Band performing at The Venue in Aurora.

For the last three songs, a guitarist Joe described as one of his all-time favorites, Scott Tipping, sat in and proved to be a great fit.

After the show, Shawn and I talked with each member of the band and also Joe’s wife Angela — a huge Black Crowes fan who has been to over 100 Crowes shows and has some great stories. It’s one thing for a band to be accessible; it’s another for them to create community with their fans. These guys are doing it right. I would love it for them if they hit it big and played in front of thousands of fans every show. But, I’ll admit, I’d miss what they are now.

— Feb. 24, with Shawn

More from Blackberry Smoke and Steepwater

Blackberry Smoke’s “Azalea” from their new album.

Blackberry Smoke’s “Run Away From It All,” which is one of their best

Blackberry Smoke’s “Little Bit Crazy”

Steepwater Band covering Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street.”

Steepwater Band’s excellent “Turn of the Wheel.”

Coming soon: I had subscribers and other concert-goers fill out a questionnaire and have much to say about the results. Also, more book reviews and your March mix tape!