Happy Easter to everyone…everywhere!
This past Friday G-Man and myself got to go to the Will Hoge concert at the Exit/In. I have been looking forward to this for months.
It was decided that I would meet him after work downtown at his job and we would move on from there. After watching him finish up a few job related activities, we jumped into my car and cruised down to West End in search of a safe parking location and some grub (with the obligatory pre-concert libations!).
We procured a safe spot near Cafe Coco and noticed that a conspicuously parked purple tour bus was only a couple of spots away. I was getting seriously hyped!
After visiting your friendly neighborhood ATM, we walked the area to find a good place to prepare for the show. We stopped and considered (momentarily) the local Hookah Bar (seriously, a hookah bar!) but passed settling on a creatively named establishment called The Corner Bar.
After a handful of Miller Lights and Bass Ales, we noticed it was nearing the 8 o’clock hour and meandered towards the front door to stand third and fourth in line respectively. I was weary of the previously promised free entry as it neared time for the doors to open but I stayed positive.
When I walked into the entrance I hesitated and breathed deeply when announcing, “I’m on the guest list.” The bloke behind the confines of the window asked my name and if my “plus one” was with me then waved me through! How easy was that? Now the adrenaline really began to flow.
We managed to snag one of the few tables on the main floor and waited patiently for the live music to kick us in the chests. The opening band, The Alternate Routes were familiar to me in name only and I was not too thrilled for them to play. I was wishing that they would just skip the opening and go straight for the main event.
Thank goodness that the music gods did not read my thoughts because I think everyone in the joint would agree with me that THESE GUYS ROCKED!! I am very pleased to have heard them and recommend them to all my rock music listening friends and cohorts.
The Routes played about 45 minutes and then we were treated to some downtime to nurse a few more brews and listen to the odd selection of Motown hits that were played over the PA system.
G-Man and I got pretty antsy for the headliner to hit the stage as the bar suddenly became “asses and elbows”!
Finally, it was pushing 11 pm when Will and his group of misfit rockers (lead guitarist Adam Fluhrer, bassist Dean Tomasek, piano player Jefferson Crow and drummer Sigurdur Birkis) hit the stage with flare!
Two hours had passed before we got to breathe and rest our voices. The crowd was pumped and everyone knew all of the words to every song. I had already decided that this was the best of the many Will Hoge concerts that I had attended and it had nothing to do with the drunk chick falling out of her seat or the girl who spilled a beer (party foul!) on our table that dripped onto the empty seat next to G-Man or even the drunk frat boy who asked to borrow the aforemention seat to flop his lazy backside on and never noticing that it contained an entire Miller Light! Oh, good times ya’ll! The boys were crisp and clear and played spot on. We were also treated to, I believe, FIVE songs from the up coming studio album…and then the encore!
If I wasn’t mistaken, I think former band guitarist Brian Layson jumped on stage for a little steel guitar action among other riff playing, as well as another band alum, Jason “Slim” Gambill (pigtails and all), not to mention little brother Josh Hoge!
Then they hit me with the big guns! Some of you may know that I have been on this huge Faces kick of late. I just can’t get enough of them and The School Girl is a tad bit worn out. To close this spectacular show, Will and the boys broke out the old Faces tune “Ohh La La”. Heavenly! And as fast as it started, it was all done. More than two hours of his greatest stuff. Bravo, Will Hoge…bravo!
…Oh wait, you didn’t think that we left and went home. What about the “happily ever after” you ask? Something was definitely missing. I felt compelled to fulfill my destiny to shake hands with (as my wife calls him) my man-crush! God, that sounds gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that, George). G-Man decided he wanted to check out the CD prices for The Alternate Routes and I waited patiently at his side. I thought about a t-shirt but then balked and decided that I had spent enough and I only had a fiver in my pocket anyway. It was at this moment that Mr. Hoge appeared at the merchandise table and began shaking hands and kissing babies, if you will. I decided to plop down my remaining $5 to buy a poster and get one of my favorite rockers to sign it.
“Rock On Brian – Will Hoge”…and will you believe that the wife won’t let me put it over the mantle? And one more thing…you can’t greet one of your favorite rockers without a good man-hug!
I dragged myself into bed well after 2am with the thoughts of having to be at work by 8am looming. I did make it on time but my body was sure pissed at me. I would definitely do it all over again, though. I cannot wait until the boys roll through town again.
I almost said Hi to you, but I wasn’t sure it was you. My wife and I ate at Samauri Sushi and we walked across the street..the line was long. I was pretty sure that was you, but I didn’t want to freak someone out if it wasn’t, so I didn’t. I’m a big chicken sometimes. Sounds like the show was pretty amazing.
hutch
Yeah we were 3rd/4th in line. I am the same way about talking to people in public that MAY not be who I think they are. It would have been great to finally meet you. The show was absolutely amazing, but I am biased having followed his career since the beginning. Hope you and the wife had a great time too.
[...] Someone Jam Something In My Ears! A while back G-Man and I attended a Will Hoge concert here in Nashville. On our way out of the venue we were handed a copy each of a free CD. I have never been one to turn [...]
good info