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Review and photos by Mary Andrews Performing and writing music is obviously a labor of love for Billy Bob Thornton. Like many of us, he has to hold down a day job to be able to indulge in his love of music. He happens to be very successful and is well known in his 9 - 5 job of acting. This can be a hazard when trying to succeed in other endeavors, but Thornton was in rare form on this night and we, the fans were the benefactors!Opening the show was the Tommy Ash Band, a honky-tonk band from the Phoenix area. Tommy Ash is actually a female singer who has performed with the likes of Merle Haggard, Lorrie Morgan and Chris Young. The band performed a fun, lively 45-minute set before The Boxmasters took the stage. There were several surprises during the Boxmasters set. I've seen two performances in the past and the sets were more in line with country music. However, rockabilly is a better description of their music now. Most of the tunes are not songs that are familiar to most listeners. They are original tunes that are penned by Mr. Thornton. As Billy Bob said, "you are not going to hear "LaGrange" or any other familiar song. " Billy Bob has a 'Dylanesque' way of phrasing and a voice much younger than his age. The band was tight to say the least. The real treat was that Mr. Thornton was in the mood to talk. His stories about the genesis of many of the songs were genuine yet amusing and he felt that this audience would understand the songs. He said many times the songs sometimes just "go over a crowd's head." "It's kind of like a pig staring at a wrist watch." That was his introduction to the song, "Dead Inside." He revealed that the song, "Kathy Won't Share" is a song about a man whose girlfriend won't have a mŽnage a trois. The songs were a breath of fresh air, inventive, and thought provoking. It was a treat to have Thornton's narrative on the music. Early in the show, Billy Bob encouraged the crowd to be creative, to write everyday. "all the shit inside gets out." Art is about the truth and it is important to express oneself without trying to please everyone else. Thornton proceeded to do something that he 'never, ever does.' He did his best Karl Childers from "Sling Blade." This was a fun, satisfying show for both the performer and the audience. It was music good enough to leave your day job! |
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1. Emily 2. Japanese Girl 3. She Looks Like Betty Page 4. In The Middle of the Night 5. Providence 6. Beautiful 7. Sometimes There's a Reason 8. You'll Be Lonely Tonight 9. This Game Is Over 10. Dead Inside 11. Piece of the Sky |
12. Kathy Won't Share 13. What Did You Do Today 14. Away Away 15. Somewhere 16. Turn Around 17. Look Up 18. Desperation Parade 19. I Shot Him Down 20. Island Avenue Encore: 21. Sylvia's Mother 22. That Mountain |
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 Tommy Ash Band |
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