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Saturday, April 21, 2018

The Big Gun Show Shines On Multiple Levels

Shine indeed. Local talent The Big Gun Show soars into the stratosphere of cool throughout "Let It Shine", a masterful track from their "Shaken and Stirred" effort. Vocalist Gunter Woodson knows whereof he speaks in talking about change and how difficult it can be to adapt, especially if you're a man who lives for the bright lights of the stage and the countdown to performance that goes with it. Gunter has the look of a man who knows the rush by heart the way an all-star QB can't easily escape the allure of game day accolades and high pressure situations that require you to be at peak performance or be forever stuck in goat status. A warm acoustic guitar serenades us and gently gets us ready for the one-two punch of drummer and guitar. The band has a three pronged attack working for them in the guise of Gunter plus Barry Casebeer and Ray Kainz. Their presence is deeply felt throughout the track which would sound perfect on a bright sunny day at Lake Travis or snuggled alongside a picnic lunch at Zilker Park with one's sweet amour. Drummer Yates Hagan shows off his versatility with light taps and full on battering ram explosiveness. He has impeccable timing in this song and knows when to be gritty as opposed to velvet cream smooth. The chorus is hooky and oh so memorable that you'll have it earwig plugged into your head for days if not weeks. Chalk it up to the guitar. You'd swear there was an all-access party going on and you and I were invited. The tempo is just animated enough to get sparks flying but not so fast that you couldn't relax in a hammock to it. Let the other schmoes putter around with the lawn mower duty. The Big Gun Show is serving up cold malt beers and BBQ on the grill. Gunter tries his best to convince his ladylove his catty boy about town ways aren't done at her expense. Rather that's the way he came out of the wrapping and changing that habit is nothing short of Herculean in its undertaking. I appreciate the light airy nature of the gentle drumming. It's a real tension buster on so many levels. Whereas in battering ram mode it's as if somebody whipped the covers off your bed and said "Get up boy!! There's work to be done and it isn't gonna do itself now move it along!!" Gunter glows in his storytelling as is evident at the chorus, a testimonial preaching if ever there was one. Is it any wonder that "Let It Shine" ends on an organ note that sounds as if it was lifted straight from a revival tent deep in the heart of black Sunday school terrain. "Let It Shine" does exactly that. Please check the boys out on the 27th of this month at Saxon Pub on South Lamar. You'll be glad you did.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Panic at the Disco Gets An Amen

Las Vegas stalwarts Panic! Ar The Disco share the usual mirth they're known for in "Say Amen (Saturday Night)". Vocally Ryan Ross is in perfect form. He sounds so much like the seasoned veteran of 14 years that he is. Not only that he looks to be having the time of his life in a video filled with stealthy burglars on the prowl. The martial arts scenes are full of the spunky comedy that Panic! has used as its trademark since its gravy days. You never get the sense that Ryan is in nothing but total mastery of his realm even when the physical rough stuff gets hot and heavy. It's an excellent backdrop to a tune that's as tight as a stripper's G-string. Jon Walker's keyboards, if you'll pardon the humor, are absolutely electrifying, the ideal campy complement entree to (Amen) with its multi-faceted harmonies. Bass player Brent Wilson isn't light in the loafers either. The opening foreboding passage plays out in good fun letting you know this is one stolen artifact caper you wouldn't want to miss. Percussionist Brent Smith shows agility early on once the spooky opening passage subsides. Panic! then lets loose with its four on the floor instrumental assault. Dallon Weekes lays down the smoothest keyboard riffs imaginable and this song's all the better for it. You're strongly urged to join in the fun as the boys lead you up and down one melodic passage after another, a roller coaster ride you find yourself smiling wider and wider as time wears on. Burglars slip and slide all over the place. The sound is tailor made for big arena crowds, lighters or phones in hand. The high note Ryan uncorks toward the end is truly a thing of beauty. Where he came up with the verve to hit that sort of high note puzzles me and always will I suppose. Whatever the explanation I love the outcome. Makes (Amen) a better song than one might expect it to be. The rhythms make it stupendous. How lofty are the heights they reach. Pacing is everything you could ever hope for. You admire the piss and vinegar they bring to the table. Such brashness serves them well. Ryan mulls over if he had one more day to change his life there would be no one left to save. Pretty resigned stuff if you ask me. He swears he's never going to repent and why should he. He's not to be messed with on or off stage. He does take some comfort in knowing he gave everything he had to give. He prays for the wicked on the weekend, specifically on Saturday night. I really take to the vibe of "Say Amen (Saturday Night). It's what diehards and newbies alike should lap up with great gusto.