Saw Johnny Winter last night

[wangbar]

It was at The Glenn @ The Backyard in Austin. a small concert venue. Uncle John Turner showed up, we know him from workin' around town, so it was fun to hang with him at this show. He's gettin' cleaned up too, so it seemed fitting that he would attend.

 

My opinnion of Johnny's performance was mixed. He played well, but was a mere shadow of his former self. He sat in a chair for the whole show. He also seemed to have some mobility problems walkin on and off stage. His voice was great albeit a few mic technique gliches. He played finger stlye for the whole show and for the encore brought out the slide.

 

It sounded exactly like what it was. A cleaned up junkie trying to get back a piece of what he lost a long time ago. That may sound mean, but I don't intend for it to be like that. I'm just a realist. I love Johnny Winter. And I'm very pleased that someone has reached out to help him. Especially since he has done so much for us and especially other players, like Muddy Waters. It is messed up that he had to endure the exploitation of his former manager. It is just sick that someone would do that to any human being, let alone one of our icons.

 

Anyway, he's back, he's clean, and at 61 years old rocks pretty damn good. It will be awhile before he's in top form, but at least he's trying hard. I wish him well.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Excellent news!! MY ALL TIME FAVORITE guitar player bar NONE!!! it's great to hear he's on the mend and God bless him, I hope we can have him around for many more years!! Thanks for the update too!!

[Guitar Geezer]

Edgar was in town a while back and was interviewed on a Radio station. Said he is real proud and happy for Bro. And they are doing shows together whenever possible.

 

Too Kewl!

[Hardtail]

I'm glad he's still kicking. I hope to see him one of these days.

[picker]

Got a ticket to see him monday night at Knuckleheads, a local blues joint. Looking forward to it. I've been awed by him since I first heard the Live Johnny Winter And album back in 1970.

 

It is messed up that he had to endure the exploitation of his former manager. It is just sick that someone would do that to any human being, let alone one of our icons.

 

Steppenwolf did a tune back it the called "The Pusher", and anyone familiar with it will know what I mean when I say, that's a pretty appropriate sentiment for a manager like that. Of course, no one forced Winter to get addicted, and you take your own chances when you get hooked on anything. But anyone who would take advantage of someone like that is worthy of damnation. I guess the Bible is right when it says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.

[wangbar]

Originally posted by Picker:

Steppenwolf did a tune back it the called "The Pusher", and anyone familiar with it will know what I mean when I say, that's a pretty appropriate sentiment for a manager like that. Of course, no one forced Winter to get addicted, and you take your own chances when you get hooked on anything. But anyone who would take advantage of someone like that is worthy of damnation. I guess the Bible is right when it says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.

I agree with this. Then again, on the responsibility side of the issue, hanging with Unc, watching Johnny, it was clear the devistation that drug abuse has caused them. These guys are 30 years my fathers junior, yet my dad is far more mobile, lucid, coherent, and vital.

 

I don't know about Johnny, but Unc is doing Methadone and that too has a major effect. It's a hard road and I sure as hell would never want to walk down it.

 

I have nothing but love for these guys. However, they are a testamonial against drug abuse.

[souvenir]

Originally posted by Picker:

Got a ticket to see him monday night at Knuckleheads, a local blues joint. Looking forward to it. I've been awed by him since I first heard the Live Johnny Winter And album back in 1970.

The Live And album is really incredible. It's one of my all time favourite live albums. I can't think of a more energetic live album, especially Johnny B Goode, you can really tell these guys were having a great time.

[miroslav]

"Every now and then I know it's kinda' hard to tell...but I'm still alive and well."

 

 

[wangbar]

Originally posted by miroslav:

"Every now and then I know it's kinda' hard to tell...but I'm still alive and well."

 

 

Yeah, this occured to me too. Kind of prophetic, huh?

[Dr. Ellwood]

Ok now some equipment specifics! was he playing the Lazer? was he still using the MusicMan twin amps?

[Dreamer]

http://www.yee.ch/winter/Gallery/jw1.gif

[Dreamer]

http://www.yee.ch/winter/Gallery/Winter2.jpg

[Dreamer]

http://www.yee.ch/winter/Gallery/JWfrankzappa.jpg

[Dreamer]

The Johnny Winter Story

[miroslav]

Originally posted by wangbar:

Originally posted by miroslav:

"Every now and then I know it's kinda' hard to tell...but I'm still alive and well."

 

 

Yeah, this occurred to me too. Kind of prophetic, huh?

Yeah...but the weird thing is...he was singing that about himself 30 years ago!

 

So at this point, it's not prophetic...it's reflective!

[wangbar]

Originally posted by ellwood:

Ok now some equipment specifics! was he playing the Lazer? was he still using the MusicMan twin amps?

You nailed it. Onstage I saw 2 twins & the music man 4x10. I think the twins were for the other guitar player that opens Johnny's set. He used the Lazer for all the finger style stuff and the Firebird for slide. He had some kind of phaser going all night (wish he'd mix that up a little).

[60hurts]

I saw him a few years ago and it was painful. He was bad. I had to leave after a few songs, I couldn't stand to see my hero in such bad shape.

Maybe he's getting better (in every important way)?

[Dr. Ellwood]

Originally posted by wangbar:

Originally posted by ellwood:

Ok now some equipment specifics! was he playing the Lazer? was he still using the MusicMan twin amps?

You nailed it. Onstage I saw 2 twins & the music man 4x10. I think the twins were for the other guitar player that opens Johnny's set. He used the Lazer for all the finger style stuff and the Firebird for slide. He had some kind of phaser going all night (wish he'd mix that up a little).

Yeah, he's always doing the chorus thing! He loves those old MusicMan amps allot times it's the 2

x12's he using I don't remember seeing him with a 4X10 box when I've seen him.

[CraigT]

I only heard of him recently and was super impressed by his old tunes on a local blues radio program. Unfortunately, I saw him a few months back and he was so bad I left after 4 songs. Sad if drugs took that talent away from him.

[wangbar]

Originally posted by ellwood:

Originally posted by wangbar:

Originally posted by ellwood:

Ok now some equipment specifics! was he playing the Lazer? was he still using the MusicMan twin amps?

You nailed it. Onstage I saw 2 twins & the music man 4x10. I think the twins were for the other guitar player that opens Johnny's set. He used the Lazer for all the finger style stuff and the Firebird for slide. He had some kind of phaser going all night (wish he'd mix that up a little).

Yeah, he's always doing the chorus thing! He loves those old MusicMan amps allot times it's the 2

x12's he using I don't remember seeing him with a 4X10 box when I've seen him.

It's a Music Man HD-130. 130 watts 4X10" celestions. Sort of a Super Reverb on steroids. He turns the master volume and channel volume all the way up, treble on full, every thing else is a zero. Odd settings. That'd be way too bright for me.

[Hairfarmer]

This post is breaking my heart.

 

When I was 14 years old, I was riding my bicycle through the city park one particular day and came upon a guy unloading a Fender Super Twin Reverb and a pair of what I believe were Fender 8x10 cabs from an old rusty truck. The first time I ever saw Tommy Chong, he reminded me of this cat...but anyway, as I watched him unload and set his stuff up in a pavillion, I offered to help him, and he accepted. He had the first Les Paul custom I had ever seen. A few minutes later, a drummer and bass player showed up and set their stuff up too. I plopped down under a big shade tree and listened to these three cats wale on the blues non stop for 3 hours. I found myself intrigued by the guitar player because he had only half of his pinky, ring, and middle fingers, and 3/4 of his index finger, on his fret hand. I later discovered that he had lost his fingers as a child in an accident, had taught himself to play after the accident, so he had never known any other way of fretting chords and playing licks. He played by ear, standard blues scales and progressions, but used some really unorhtodox thumb control for muting and even structuring chords. He was truly mesmerizing to watch and listen to. And very, very, good.

 

I went home from the park that afternoon and asked my parents for a guitar over supper. The rest...as they say...is history. But to make a long story short, I was taught guitar later that summer, electric BLUES guitar, at age 14, in a park, by a guy with only half his fingers, whose ONLY influence, was Johhny Winter. That was quite impressionable on my young mind. I knew before my 15th birthday that I would play the guitar for the rest of my life. The two most influential people in my music and playing style... a cat named Jerry (stubby) Dean, and, Johnny Dawson Winter, III.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience of last night, Wang. Thank you very much. I would have given ANYTHING to have been you, regardless of how he performed. Anything. I've got to see him perform again before I die, or he dies, which ever comes first.

[BriBaby]

Love Johnny! The last time I saw him in Kalamazoo, my wife, stepson, nephew, and I got to go on his bus to meet him and get a few autographs. Yes, he was slower than the earlier days, but a gentleman and cool cat to meet. I read in Guitar Player that his former manager Tony Slatus (sp?), kept him in sort of a drugged out of it state to take advantage of him. Anywho, still one of my all time heros, I would go see him again in a heartbeat.

[wangbar]

Originally posted by Hairfarmer:

This post is breaking my heart.

 

When I was 14 years old, I was riding my bicycle through the city park one particular day and came upon a guy unloading a Fender Super Twin Reverb and a pair of what I believe were Fender 8x10 cabs from an old rusty truck. The first time I ever saw Tommy Chong, he reminded me of this cat...but anyway, as I watched him unload and set his stuff up in a pavillion, I offered to help him, and he accepted. He had the first Les Paul custom I had ever seen. A few minutes later, a drummer and bass player showed up and set their stuff up too. I plopped down under a big shade tree and listened to these three cats wale on the blues non stop for 3 hours. I found myself intrigued by the guitar player because he had only half of his pinky, ring, and middle fingers, and 3/4 of his index finger, on his fret hand. I later discovered that he had lost his fingers as a child in an accident, had taught himself to play after the accident, so he had never known any other way of fretting chords and playing licks. He played by ear, standard blues scales and progressions, but used some really unorhtodox thumb control for muting and even structuring chords. He was truly mesmerizing to watch and listen to. And very, very, good.

 

I went home from the park that afternoon and asked my parents for a guitar over supper. The rest...as they say...is history. But to make a long story short, I was taught guitar later that summer, electric BLUES guitar, at age 14, in a park, by a guy with only half his fingers, whose ONLY influence, was Johhny Winter. That was quite impressionable on my young mind. I knew before my 15th birthday that I would play the guitar for the rest of my life. The two most influential people in my music and playing style... a cat named Jerry (stubby) Dean, and, Johnny Dawson Winter, III.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience of last night, Wang. Thank you very much. I would have given ANYTHING to have been you, regardless of how he performed. Anything. I've got to see him perform again before I die, or he dies, which ever comes first.

Hair -- It was my pleasure to post, Johnny was a huge influence on me as well. If you really want to see him, check out his web site. His tour dates are posted. Maybe he'll be playing somewhere near you!

 

www.johnnywinter.net

[Hairfarmer]

Hair -- It was my pleasure to post, Johnny was a huge influence on me as well. If you really want to see him, check out his web site. His tour dates are posted. Maybe he'll be playing somewhere near you!

 

www.johnnywinter.net [/QB]

 

Bro...I went and checked the tour dates right after I read your thread. He'll be stopping 3 times within 2 hours of me beginning this coming Tuesday, and then again in July, and September. I'm f*cking wack with anticipation! I'm going to see all three for sure. By September, he should be prime again and filling his oats. I bet that'll be the best of the three shows. The best thing about all this, is I wasn't even aware he was clean and touring again. This has made my year. I've gone from a breaking heart to a butt-load of joy in the same day. I just might sh*t!

 

Thanks again,

[Big Red 67]

Wow, what a mess!

[Hairfarmer]

Wang...I gotta know...did he do "Be Careful With A Fool", and "I'll Drown In My Own Tears"?

[wangbar]

Originally posted by Hairfarmer:

Hair -- It was my pleasure to post, Johnny was a huge influence on me as well. If you really want to see him, check out his web site. His tour dates are posted. Maybe he'll be playing somewhere near you!

 

www.johnnywinter.net

Bro...I went and checked the tour dates right after I read your thread. He'll be stopping 3 times within 2 hours of me beginning this coming Tuesday, and then again in July, and September. I'm f*cking wack with anticipation! I'm going to see all three for sure. By September, he should be prime again and filling his oats. I bet that'll be the best of the three shows. The best thing about all this, is I wasn't even aware he was clean and touring again. This has made my year. I've gone from a breaking heart to a butt-load of joy in the same day. I just might sh*t!

 

Thanks again, [/QB]

 

Don't forget to wipe!!!

[wangbar]

Originally posted by Hairfarmer:

Wang...I gotta know...did he do "Be Careful With A Fool", and "I'll Drown In My Own Tears"?

I don't recall hearing "Fool". I do think he played "Tears", but I could be wrong. I was mixing with others quite a bit, so, it's possible that he slipped some stuff by me.

[wangbar]

Originally posted by Big Red 67:

Wow, what a mess!

Care to elaborate?

[Bluesape]

I fear he'll remain a shadow of his former self. I understand he's been sitting down for years at concerts and recently saw a vid of one such show - saddening - he barely moves.