Myra Taylor, Bob Walkenhorst, and the Nace Brothers at Knuckleheads, February 24, 2006

Wonderfully, wonderfully awesome evening yesterday.

I got there about 7:50. Myra Taylor was performing. Well, actually, as I got there, she had a guest singer singing on stage for one song. Later she had another guest singer. I'm really not sure how to describe it. Jazz. Good jazz. Vocal jazz. Jazz comes in varieties, but I really don't know how to describe it. Just good or bad (which is, of course, just my opinion). (Actually, it's not that Jazz I don't like is bad really, just boring. Especially I don't like "smooth jazz".) And vocal or instrumental. And this was good, vocal jazz. :)

There was a birthday cake. The cake got dumped upside down on the floor of the stage. But there was a backup cake. (At some point during Bob's set, the cake was carried past the stage, and Bob goes "is it my birthday too?". :))

One song she did, "On the Sunny Side of the Street" I believe, after singing it her way, she did her version of Louis Armstrong singing it. It was good and also funny. This was complete with pretending to wipe sweat off herself.

Anyway, I was glad I could catch part of her set. She played till about 8:30 I believe. I don't know when she started. :)

I had a seat up front because Sharon got there early and got a spot and she had an extra spot. That was nice. Especially during Bob's set. A place to stop and catch my breath while not dancing. Which I needed after dancing so vigorously.

I didn't actually start off the dancing. Some others got the dance floor going I think on Bob's 2nd song. I got up and joined them on the 3rd song. There was quite a lot of dancing. Yes, we didn't let the presense of camera crew keep us from dancing.

"Downstream" started off Bob's set. And, well, a bunch other songs. Ending with "Jan Vermeer" and "Information". Or maybe there was one other between there.

I remember, knowing it was getting towards the end of the show, thinking "Jan Vermeer" between songs, because they hadn't done it and it sure seemed they should. And then indeed did it.

They did a Johnny Cash song. I forget which one. I believe that was the only non original. After the song, Bob mentioned a Johnny Cash DVD, and he told how Johnny Cash, I forget how Bob put it, but basically, that he was laid back, I guess, and in particular, he talked about Johnny Cash performing songs that he'd just written and his band had heard maybe once. So, in that spirit, Bob sang for us a song he'd just written that morning. I forget the title, but one of the lines, the line Bob highlighted when introducing it, was "I just wanna play guitar". It was a good song. And Norm and Jeff did pretty good accompanying Bob never having heard the song. Oh yeah, and the song was so new Bob didn't have it memorized yet and used a lyric sheet which he had a volunteer hold up for him.

Wonderful show. High energy.

Last up, the Nace Brothers. I love the Nace Brothers. I've seen them like 30 times at least. Not sure. I haven't counted. Nace Brothers Website. (By the way, Steve Phillips produced their newest album, Moonshine. Or, rather, co-produced it with the band. And it's darn good. The album really captures the Nace Brothers well.) The Nace Brothers do both originals and covers. (Originals on the albums, but both live.) At the shows at Blayneys and at Cheeseburger in Paradise (where I see them most often) they tend to be heavier in covers than originals. I liked this show because, while still a mix, it was heavier in originals. And they have some good ones.

For the Nace Brothers the dance floor was even more crowded than for Bob, I think. Me, I completely abandoned my chair and just stayed on the dance floor. I can do that for them. They don't wear me out near so quickly as Bob. :) They also don't play any sit down songs.

Bob joined them for a song. It wasn't at the end of the set, but in the middle. I think it was then so that it would be when the film crew was still filming. At least, I think they were still filming on that song. After that the film crew packed up, but the Nace Brothers played on. It was "Fortunate Son". Bob just did vocals, with the Nace Brothers playing. It was interesting, and quite cool, hearing Bob sing with the Nace Brothers playing.

Jimmy Nace, by the way, is an awesome guitar player. I love watching him play. At some point during the Nace Brothers set, I abandoned all my friends over on the right side (audience right) to go watch Jimmy play. And so I didn't get to say goodbye to them when they left. Ah well.

Good show. Wonderful evening.