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 Jamey Johnson |
 Jamey Johnson |
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Story and photos by Gypsy Davey Opening the evening was Cedarburg's own Josh Thompson. Stepping out through the soft din of Waylon's Lukenbach Texas, Josh's local contingent were strongly felt, showing support with back and forth verse swapping as Josh ripped open his raucous set of tunes pulled from his current release Way Out Here, a competent collection of contemporary Country. Standouts being "I Won't Go Crazy," "Beer On The Table," and the title cut "Way Out Here."In and of itself Thompson's set achieved what it was after. He's an engaging performer and he surely had the crowd into his vibe. In the vein of Justin Moore, Eric Church or Josh Turner, Thompson fits comfortably. He's a proud feather in the Milwaukee cowboy cap... Then Jamey took the stage in a manner that reeked of "let me show you kids how we do this thing," and he pulled down the freshly painted facade that Josh just finished constructing. Tearing away all the glitz and glamour that has become contemporary pop country, and not only took us to the bone of the genre; he cracked that sucker open and drank its marrow. What essentially amounted to a summarized version of his latest release, the 2010 double LP The Guitar Song, Jamey's set laid open his concept album as intended. In live form he presented both "Black," and "White" halves, pulling us through the darkness and isolation felt in a breakup with "Cover Your Eyes," or the frustration with arrogance in "Poor Man Blues." From there, the songs became brighter and a helluva lot lighter, but not before he and the boys rendered his ode to perseverance with "Can't Cash My Checks." If Jamey's acoustic solo over the whine of pedal steel during "Even The Skies Are Blue," wasn't enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck, the tone of the electric lead sunburst Les Paul during the outro of "Can't Cash My Checks," or its notes bent during "Mental Revenge" should've all but taken care of that. Another defining moment being the loose interpretive ZZ Top cover of "La Grange," where each artist drafted his own spin of the 70's classic. However, throughout the headliner's set the crowd began to disperse, leaving a thinning theater. Unclear as to if they were only in attendance to see our local Josh Thompson, or if they were worn down by the incongruous shift in style, nonetheless they began to leave. Jamey Johnson is in a league of his own. He not only deserves, but also would be better suited to "an evening with" billing. It would've been the better route to take for all. |
 Josh Thompson |
 Jamey Johnson |
 Josh Thompson |
 Jamey Johnson |
 Josh Thompson |
 Jamey Johnson |