All photos by Kevin Pyle/for the Tulsa World
All photos by Kevin Pyle/for the Tulsa World
All photos by Kevin Pyle/for the Tulsa World
Jamey Johnson-logo camo koozies hugged hoisted beers as his set began on Thursday night at Cain's Ballroom.
Straw hats, felt hats, leather hats, starched Wranglers filled the venue, along with cowgirl boots and miniskirts. There also were the biker types with bearded faces and "line dancing sucks" tees, and the college kids hip to swing dance and two-stepping.
Johnson warmed into his two-plus hour set that held more than 20 songs, including a string of timeless covers including the Hank Cochran classic "He's Got You," made famous by singers Patsy Cline to Jimmy Buffett; the chill-inducing Appalachian folk song "In the Pines/Black Girl/Where Did You Sleep Last Night," performed by everyone from Nirvana to Lead Belly to Dolly Parton; the Metallica-inspired version of the Bob Seger classic "Turn the Page," he also performed the ever-timeless Danny Flowers tune "Tulsa Time," made famous by Don Williams.
It's odd to lead a music review with a list of covers, but his version of Floyd Tillman's "I Love You So Much It Hurts" nearly brought the audience to tears.
His originals undoubtedly won hearts and cheers too, especially "In Color," which evoked the most emotion from Johnson, as well. He backed away from the mic as the crowd took over singing the verses. He repeated, "Thank you, thank you," with a huge grin on his face. It was one of the few emotive moments of the night for Johnson. There was little banter. His song segues included random guitar strums and not much else from his 6-piece backing band.
Johnson in snug tee, gray-swathed beard and shoulder-length hair. Played to a packed house, walked into his set without a word of greeting, his beat-to-death acoustic guitar slung around his chest, ready to play.
His show was a seamless tapestry of storytelling.
He often "thanked" his crowd by lifting a red plastic cup, which his fans mirrored in action and cheered. An hour in, he seemed to fully relax into his element.
Crowd responded most enthusiastically to his originals, dancing and singing and cheering. Especially "That Lonesome Song," "High Cost of Living," "Can't Cash My Checks," "Mowin' Down the Roses" and others.
His show crescendoed with a rousing tribute to Waylon, "Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way." Couples danced and twirled and scooted. Hats flew off in the revelry.
Johnson also eschewed the "sham" of encores, using the valuable set time to give fans more music instead. His finale, "I Saw the Light," had the crowd lifting its hands toward the heavens. It was as country-fied as any country song has ever been.
Johnson is a true musician's musician, a songwriter and lover of storytelling.
To sound like a teen, last night's show was epic.
