Thursday, August 31, 2006

TheJames Gang Rides Again!



Bruce Hensal, Joe Walsh and Joe Lala


Joe Walsh, Jimmy Fox and Dale Peters have reunited as the James Gang, after 30 years to tour the U. S. this summer. I caught the show on Sunday August 27 at Ruth Eckerd Theater in Clearwater. It was smoking! With a psychadelic light show straight outta the Fillmore, the music took me back to the smokey basement of J.B.'s on Water St. in Kent, Ohio circa 1969. They rocked the ususl hit's, "Funk #49", "Walk Away" and "Rocky Mountain Way" and reached way back to cover Freddie King's "Going Down". Excellent.
Joined by a keyboard player and three female singers/dancers, the band stripped down to a trio for several songs, and even a couple of acoustic numbers including a solo acoustic song by Walsh.
He is still one of the best guitarists in the business...a true tone monster.
It's great to see these old fogeys rocking. Anyone got a Walsh story?