Johnny Winter in Annapolis

steve f · #1 02-12-2011, 03:56 PM

Can't wait to see the legendary Johnny Winter tonight in Annapolis, MD. Don't know who plays bass for him these days. Anyone seen him lately?

steve f · #2 02-12-2011, 09:48 PM

Johnny's past his peak but still kicks ass for a 66 year old guy with very little eyesight and too many years of heroin addiction under his belt.
His bassist, Scott Spray, was great on a Yamaha BB.
Good show although I'm a little disappointed they didn't play anything from my favorite LP - Still Alive and Well.

JimmyM · #3 02-14-2011, 02:32 AM

i saw johnny in a 2000 seat club in 1980. one of the loudest shows i have ever been to. he did nothing but blues except for rock and roll hoochie coo. only song off still alive and well he did was lucille. but it was amazing. it's sad what he did to himself over the years, but he always seems to deliver onstage.

steve f · #4 02-14-2011, 07:00 AM

He's still loud as hell! The Ram's Head On Stage venue is very small (a few hundred tops) and he was rattling the glass...

SlingBass4 · #5 02-14-2011, 07:30 AM

66 = old?!? The guy can still play circles around most of the newer pups that some might proclaim as the new "real deal"

Johnny was recently through Kansas City, and with him being a walking encyclopedia of the Blues genre - it made for an entertaining evening. Even though now again it's kinda hard to tell......we're fortunate he's still alive and well

treekiller · #6 02-14-2011, 07:39 AM

I saw him in 1985 open for George Thorogood. He had a wall of amps and was about the loudest I have ever heard. I was about 20 ft. from the stage and it was probably one the best shows I have ever seen. Thorogood was pretty anti climactic after that, I was thinkin' "George who???".....

JimmyM · #7 02-14-2011, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

I saw him in 1985 open for George Thorogood. He had a wall of amps and was about the loudest I have ever heard. I was about 20 ft. from the stage and it was probably one the best shows I have ever seen. Thorogood was pretty anti climactic after that, I was thinkin' "George who???".....

i like george a lot, but even he would tip the hat to johnny.

btw, when i saw him in 80, he was using two little music man amps about the size of fender twins. it was that night i learned that you don't need a wall of amps to cause eardrum bleeding.

mcm · #8 02-14-2011, 05:36 PM

gotta give a shout out to a deceased killer bassist under this thread - randy jo hobbs

Edward G. · #9 02-14-2011, 05:50 PM

Well, I saw Johnny Winter around 8 years ago at the Ram's Head in Annapolis, and he certainly didn't have anything THAT night. He played the same tired licks all night, and barely seemed engaged in the music, in addition to being swallowed up in the mix. If I recall correctly, my wife and I even left between sets. I was expecting to learn something from a master. Instead I saw a frail old guy who had stayed at the party too long. I can't believe he is still at it (and not in a good way).

Wish I had something better to say.

mcm · #10 02-14-2011, 05:56 PM

i dont think he got fully clean until about 4 or 5 years ago. maybe that was the problem. his manager had him doped up on prescription stuff. but maybe all the abuse to his body did catch up to him.

gotta also give a shout out for a killer album he played on called 'hard again' by muddy waters. its one of the last great blues albums. it stomps. johnny play some nasty stuff. so does james cotton on harp. its nasty baby

edmidlifecrisis · #11 02-14-2011, 05:59 PM

I saw him with brother Edgar as the opening act back in the early 70's. And even then it was probably the loudest show I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. It was at the old Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. Great old venue. I think I had to leave or at least stand way in the back due to the volume. He must be deaf by now, wouldn't you think?

Turock · #12 02-14-2011, 06:02 PM

I've seen Johnny Winter four times, and he blistered it from the first note until the end of the show. No exaggeration.

**nutdog** · #13 02-14-2011, 06:11 PM

I saw him at Centerstage theatre in ATL late 80s. Had and exceptional guy with him playing an 8 string bass.

I stood on the floor right in front of him. I was blown away. JW's hand moved up and down the neck but it didn't look like he was working hard at all.

JW with a black steinberger, 8 string bass. Those 3 dudes could lay it down.

doktorfeelgood · #14 02-14-2011, 06:39 PM

I saw Johnny in Boston at the Orpheum Theatre in the mid-70's out promoting the Saints and Sinners album. He had Floyd Radford on second guitar and they both were wicked awesome.
When they did Bonie Maronie it was super-natural with the twin guitars. Only saw him one other time in a small venue in Providence and it was VERY loud. He was using two 4x10 Music Man combos and it was really unbelievably loud... If he ain't deaf by now, I don't know why. )-(

jerry · #15 02-14-2011, 06:47 PM

Johnny's book is a great read for fans.

**baba** · #16 02-14-2011, 06:50 PM

Ramshead is a great venue and I've had the pleasure of playing there several times. It is a LOUD room, particularly for low end. I bet your ears are ringing.

BuffaloBass · #17 02-14-2011, 06:57 PM

Wow. I cut my teeth as a 10 yr old punk ass kid playing JW's tunes, and my buddy copped his licks admirably well for a 12 yr old! ( 1971 btw)

Frankly, I was surprised he's " Still Alive and Well. His addiction to the tape nothwithstanding, albinos do have slightly shorter life spans.

GodSpeed Johnny! Man, you put two kids onto the blues at an early age, and its never left one of us. Thank you sir!

John Wentzien · #18 02-14-2011, 07:02 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhfH8F5ToWk

**ShoeManiac** · #19 02-14-2011, 07:04 PM

I saw Johnny Winter at the Crossroads Festival in Chicago this past June. Truth be told, I felt REALLY bad for him. He played in the middle of the day and there were some great players on stage with him.

First off, he seemed pretty infirm. Someone walked Johnny out on stage and he wound up sitting for his one song. He played "Red House", and backing him up was Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi's band. Oteil Burbridge was on bass, and also on guitar was Warren Haynes along with Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. Anyway, Johnny launched in "Red House" and his playing was poor at best. He warmed up eventually, but it took him a while. And then he proceeded to take the ONLY solo in the tune. He's on stage with 4 amazing guitar players and he would not let any of them take a solo.

Post script: Johnny Winter's performance wound up being cut from the Crossroads 2010 DVD. And rightfully so. It was not good. I was there and I felt embarassed for Johnny Winter. And I suspect that much of the audience and artists who was there that day felt the same way. Is this indicative of how he's been performing lately? Or did he just have a bad day? I sincerely hope that he was just having a bad day, but I just don't know.

elshunko · #20 02-14-2011, 07:27 PM

Going to see him in April. . .can't wait!