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Review and photos by Frances Sealy The John Butler Trio (JBT) made their return to Tucson last week. JBT has had many changes in personnel since their inception in 1998 and John Butler has remained the foundation throughout the changing years.The band is on tour supporting their seventh studio album, Home, released in September. It had been four years since their last studio album and fans were welcoming the new music. John Butler started his musical career busking in Fremantle, Western Australia. Butler has worked his way up and gained success that includes four Australian Performing Right Association Awards for Song of the Year and Most Performed Blues & Roots Work and six Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards for Best Independent Release and Best Blues & Roots Album. Butler is a true multi-instrumentalist and he has added many layers and textures to the songs by switching between his 12-string guitar, banjo, pedal steel and a few 6-string guitars. The set began with Butler sitting on the left side of the stage practically in the dark playing a lap acoustic guitar. They kicked off with "Wade in the Water" from the new album. His banjo reigned supreme in a couple of tunes, particularly on "Ragged Man." However the showcase piece was midway through the show when the band left Butler alone to play the acoustic song, "Oceans." This was the only time when the crowd was silenced while he hypnotized them with the multilayered piece. His musicality was awe-inspiring. Butler's impressive guitar work has turned heads across the globe. The composition of the band this tour has grown by adding two more members, percussionist and vocalist, Lazz Benson, and keyboardist and vocalist, Ben Corbett. Obviously the word Ôtrio' has a loose interpretation. Even though Butler is the obvious leader of the band, the performance is truly a collaborative effort. Gerathy's drums were a highlight with every song as he worked to add to the exhilaration of the music. "Running Away" was the first song that Gerathy was able to tear it up on the skins. Luiters is a multi-instrumentalist, as he played keyboards as well as the electric and acoustic bass. Luiter's first bass solo was during "Don't Wanna See Your Face." The bass and drum members of the trio have changed several times. It is reported that Butler feels that it is necessary to achieve fresh creativity and inspiration within the band. It is amazing that the band cannot be pigeonholed into one genre of music. They perform a hodge-podge of genre including folk, roots, heavy rock, and jam. The key is that they are exceptional performers. The John Butler Trio has built up a solid following of fans. They can sell out venues even though they have had limited radio exposure in the U.S. "Ocean" from 1998's very first album was given the extended treatment and continues to be a fan favorite. "Pickapart" from Butler's first EP from 2000 was featured. "Betterman" was pulled from their highly successful Three. The three-song encore featured "Zebra" from their 2003 EP of the same name. "Better Than" was performed from their 2007 Grand National album. "We Want More" was appropriately placed at the end of the show from their latest album release, Home. |
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1. Wade in the Water 2. Tahitian Blue 3. Running Away 4. Don't Wanna See Your Face 5. Betterman 6. Just Call 7. Faith 8. Pickapart 9. Ocean |
10. Ragged Mile (Spirit Song) 11. Blame It On Me 12. Miss Your Love 13. Home 14. Funky Tonight Encore: 15. Better Than 16. We Want More 17. Zebra |
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