Tab Benoit Buddy Whittington

[Hamerica]

Gulf Coast Blues Assn.
Their web page is outdated so don't go there, they are working with what they have and should be commended.

The event is your typical Blues/Fundraiser show with bands having 45 minute sets.  The headliner getting a 75 - 90 minute set depending on what they are contracted.  

This past Saturday ( I am still re-cooperating) the legendary Fitzgerald's was the location set for the Gulf Coast Blues Association (Houston) annual show to help the local Blues Radio Station, Texas Cares Charity's and etc.  Mrs Hamerica and I went with Guitar Greg and"Lil'" George Gillespie (Thanks George for the VIP!). 

Houston Texas
What can I say? - I don't live there for a laundry list of reasons and Saturday reaffirmed two of those - dumb shit drivers and flash flooding, not my normal typical retort I give "NASA is located there just so they can test out the moon suits, you need an air conditioner strapped on your back just to breath there!"

Mother Nature did an awe inspiring lighting and monsoon - it was impressive.  The drive down was nothing short of nerve racking events with moments of letting up long enough to make you believe you were going to make it and that everything was going to be fine. It was raining so hard you could not see the next vehicle ten feet away.   Three times we drove through flash floods and stalled cars.  Hell if Cajun Boy comes over to Houston and pisses they issue a flash flood warning...it doesn't take much to flood Houston.

Lil George was already in Houston to see Buddy Whittington perform the night before.  Originally from that part of the country we took up George's advice for an early dinner at Merida Restaurant a few miles from downtown and close to the venue. http://meridarestauranttx.com/

This is not TEX MEX.  Yucatan Peninsula authentic Mexican food so it is going to be bland if your going thinking your going to enjoy a meal of Cal Mex Or Tex Mex.  The number 0 plate ( I have never seen a Number 0 on a menu before), the Merida Special is the ticket.  They specialize in roasted pork.  Get the roasted pork...and a large cold Cerveza .

Everyone's selection was very tasty.  Service was good and your eating with the locals.

Fitzgerald's - The Venue
http://www.fitzlive.com/

This is an old, old night club that needs a ton of investment dollars.  It was a great venue and still a good place to see a live band.  The bar prices are cheap compared to the HOB, and other nightclubs in the Houston market.  There are two stages, one down stairs for house bands and the "showcase" stage on the upstairs level. 

"The Fitz" is one of those places if the walls could talk joints.  A who's who of the blues played there back in the 60's and the 70's. If the Delta Tau Chis were to have a place to see "Otis Day and the Knight's" - it would be Fitzgerald's.

We arrived around 5 p.m. and the upstairs bands weren't going on till 6 p.m.

Mark May and Eric Demmer
Downstairs the band was on.  The event started at 3 p.m. as six bands were playing for the day.  Mark May and Eric Demmer are a very good enjoyable local band and we were lucky enough to catch a couple of songs before their set ended. Their version of "Frankenstein" was exceptionally good with no keyboards (sax filled in nicely). 

If you are in Houston, see if they are playing. They don't disappoint.

Jeff Plankenhorn
The top level opened at 6 and first up was Jeff Plankenhorn.  Not familiar with him however, I soon will be.  Austin has some really, really fine musicians and what they don't grow there others have went to Austin like Stevie and Jimmie Vaughn, as well as our own Matt Smith.   

Jeff Plankenhorn is a damn good solid artist.  His rhythm section was extremely good.  His drummer was the best drummer of the night.  Malford Milligan came out and sang a song.

I thought Jeff's set was too short (didn't time it) and was hoping he was coming out for an encore.   Didn't happen, I will be making he effort to see him live again in the very near future!  Check him out.  

https://www.jeffplankenhornmusic.com/

Besides Tab, best set of the night. 

Buddy Whittington
The Buddy Whittington Band was billed as the opening act for Tab Benoit.   I ass-u-med that Buddy would be given a 60 minute slot. A BAD ASSUMPTION on my part.   The band take the stage and RUN through a 35 minute set list - WTF?!?!?!?  Thank you, good Night! It ain't even 9 p.m.

One of the GCBA guys asked Buddy to do an encore and requested that they play Kenny Cordray's "Francine"  Kenny was a local celebrity who was much more than that, (I need to go back and check this guy's legacy.)  He was was killed by his son who was bi-polar on May 21, 2017, in an apparent murder/suicide. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Cordray

Buddy played the ZZ Top hit in which he did to perfection pinch harmonics, zings, and all. 

The place was starting to get packed and Buddy got a nice round of applause. 

If you aren't familiar with Buddy Whittington check out John Mayall's 70h Birthday on U Tube. 

Milligan Vaughn Project - WARNING A VERY LONG RANT
Milligan Vaughn Project (MVP) (sic) came on after Buddy.  Granted, I was still kinda peeved that Buddy's set was damn short and apparently not the opening act, yet after witnessing Jeff Plankenhorn and Buddy's set, I thought maybe I need to grab a beer and chill cause after all, they are going to be good - Right?!  

The short version of the story goes like this - one of the GCBA members has a connection with Malford.  This is a new band for Malford and he has teamed up with up 'n coming guitar slinger Tyrone Vaughn - Vaugh wait, no can't be - yes it is Jimmie Vaughn's son.  Now most everyone knows SRV and his brother Jimmie.  I sure as hell do.  Now I like Jimmie and have seen him on several occasions, Thunderbirds included. Of course love Stevie Ray, if you want the Blues you see Jimmie.   If you want the rocked out version you see SRV.  I was curious as to what Tyrone would bring to the party.

The Good
My mother told me if I could not say anything good...Malford Milligan is all Blues.  For those not in the know (granted neither was I), Malford was the front man for Storyville.  He is the blues...has the look, the dress, the showmanship and the shtick down cold.

He has sang with and for some of the Who's Who both in Rock and Blues.   God bless Malford!  He is a very, very good blues front man.  I expected at any moment for Jake and Elwood to appear on stage.  I wished the Blues Brothers Band would show up from Bob's Country Bunker to save his ass but it was not meant to be. The band did play uptempo songs to get the crowd ready for Tab. 

The Bad
The initials doesn't help -  MVP you are just beggin' to get bitch slapped.  Good thing I brought along my strong pimpin' hand for this review.  

MVP has the opportunity to go down as a great bar band - albeit a local bar band.  Not a legendary bar band from Austin.  Not in the vein of one of the memorable bar bands from Austin.  God knows there have been some damn good bar bands from Austin Texas and I have seen them.  Hopefully someone will send this review to MVP and light a fire under their asses. 

How bad was it? There was another guitarist who was buried and the HPD is still looking for him.  

It wasn't the sound guys fault - He had no trouble nailing the mix down very well for the first two bands.   He did his best to try to channel Charles Francis Xavier to get MVP to sound good.  The band on the Titanic sounded better under water.

The bass and drummer were average.  They probably are very good just not coming across that way.

After two songs, I got up from my VIP seat and went to relive myself.   I didn't need to but I need to to do something to take my mind of the noise.  I saw Buddy's bass player downstairs and he looked at me shaking his head in a manner that told me he was not acknowledging my presence.  He was down by the sound board trying to give the sound guy CPR to revive him. The band on stage was just killing him.

I go back up to the VIP section and see George gritting his teeth shaking his head.  Yeah, I had enough...I needed another beer.  Four songs into the set and I was thinking my only relief would be to jump from the balcony until a text comes from Buddy asking me 'Where Yall at?"

I meet Buddy at the very back corner where we could still hear the noise from the stage as others took advantage to grab a beer and visit the head to stop buy and tell Buddy they wished he had played longer.

The Ugly
Oh! The other part of that sayin' is "don't say nothing" - F that.
Tyrone Vaughn came out on stage - he had the attitude.  I thought damn this is going to be good. He did start strong - He adjusted the stage monitors to his liking and he was in tune. "Mission Accomplished" - too bad the set hadn't started. 

It isn't that Tyrone doesn't have the chops, his volume was too loud, his effects were not "effective".  He violated the three "T's" of the good Rev. Billy G.  "Tone, Taste and Tenacity".  He must have missed blues/rock school that day.  

Just because one can do hammer on's, pull offs, and bends pointing to them like a proud six year old showing off his mother his latest art work and get cheers from a now slightly buzzed inebriated crowd doesn't mean your good. 

Some readers may feel that I was still seething about my impression that Buddy had been slighted.  Not the case..had I known more about MVP before that night their bar would have been raised a lot higher.   Thank God for them - I didn't.

MVP is on the book of Face. 

Tab Benoit  
First time to see Tab perform.  Three piece power trio set up.   Drummer was very good - no flash.  The bass player laid down the groove and was excellent on back up vocals.  Tabs gear included two Category 5's.  Oh boy - that was quickly abated by the first three songs.  Tab was loud however he had the 3 T's in place.  Before Tab even got started he thanked the GCBA, Fitzgerald's and in particular the sound guy.  Now that caught me funny as I have always thought that the headliner always paid the sound guy or suggested heavily that the opening act would be guaranteed too not sound good.  (read my RATT / Scorps review somewhere).

Tab has a lot of female fans and being from across the state line helps his strong regional following.  Tab Benoit is very good.  I am not familiar with his material but it didn't matter.  Tab has a voice and impressive guitar work made the rest of the evening enjoyable.  With a name like Benoit I expected you know..a big dose of gumbo.  He balanced the Cajun influence in his sound nicely.  I enjoyed his entire set and two encores very much. 

Tab also talked briefly throughout the set about Louisiana his home and you can tell he is proud.  He has a great sense of humor.  He graciously stayed after and took pictures with anyone that was waiting outside his tour bus.

Tab is on the road quite often and you should catch him when he is near you.

http://www.tabbenoit.com/

Hamerica

 

 

 

 

 

[soulfield]

Sounds like a hell of a show.  I quit doing FOH sound years ago but a bad mix (or stage tone) can take away from the enjoyment of a good show big time.

Been listening to Tab for many years but just saw him for the first time back in February  at the Variety Playhouse in ATL.  The guy is crazy good!  Tone for days, serious chops, and a strong voice.  Occasionally the swamp boogie woogie tunes can get over done but his blues and "power blues" chops along with a hint of really really soulful R&B makes for one hell of a show.  Id recommend anybody who can go check out Tab.  Big powerful sound for a true 3 piece.

Oh and that Tele he plays is incredible!  Not sure of the specs but damn can he coax a good vintage thick (rolled off highs) tone out of it.  Dripping with emotion!

 

[Jakeboy]

Great review! Thanks! Very well done.

I dig Tab too. There is a Debbie Davies album called Blues Blast where he sings JLH's Crawling Kingsnake incredibly well....and that dark yet stinging Tele tone is intact.