God, my ears are ringing like a fire alarm this morning, but I’m not going to
bitch about it much. Considering that the guy on stage last night is sixty-one
years old and rocks harder than I do, it would be an embarrassing sign of my own
decline. Hell, if anything, I should be celebrating the fact that Ian Hunter
came to my town last night and lit the place on fire. This despite being
scheduled against the televised return of Michael Jordan to the NBA (yawn) and
the heroics of the inevitable otherworldliness of the Yankees. Despite no
airplay for Rant, the best record he’s made in twenty years. Despite both
Ticketmaster and the club itself mistakenly advertising the show as John Eddie
(the opening act) until three days before the event. Rochester, home of lame
morning talk show radio and insufferable numbers of "alternative" and "classic"
stations (who, interestingly, intersect at the corner of AC/DC and The Doors),
doesn’t deserve Ian Hunter. Thankfully, one hip club owner thought otherwise and
put his money where his heart is.
I’d love to say that the crowd was a capacity-bursting throng of young fans, a
new generation getting hipped to Hunter’s lyrical imagery and flair for the
anthemic rocker. But the reality is that the couple of hundred people in
attendance were almost exclusively middle-aged fans who grew up on rockers like
"All The Way From Memphis," "The Golden Age Of Rock And Roll" and "Once Bitten,
Twice Shy." Maybe even a few curious drifters who saw Ian play in Ringo’s latest
All-Starr Band this past summer, where "All The Young Dudes" and "Cleveland
Rocks" got a good workout. Then again, Ringo doesn’t exactly draw from
Generation Y, either. Just as well -- young puppies attending the show probably
wouldn’t know that guitarist Andy York (whose contributions to Rant were
enormous) plays with John Mellencamp. Or that drummer Steve Holley played with
Paul McCartney, bassist Tony Shanahan played with Patti Smith and multi-
instrumentalist James Mastro has the late, great Bongos on his resume. Only
keyboard player Georgie Wood is a relative newcomer ("we call him the rookie").
Though the band has not been playing as a unit for too long, the seasoned vets
overcame any rough edges many shows ago; they were rock-solid on this night and
seemed to be having as much fun as the audience.
Hunter wasted no time with formalities, kicking the show off with the power
chords of "Once Bitten Twice Shy" and testing the audience participation level
on the chorus (we passed with flying colors). We’d be called into service on
other occasions, most notably "Just Another Night" and "Cleveland Rocks," the
latter featuring an amusing moment when Ian mistakenly thought he was in Rhode
Island during the localization of the chorus. "Rochester, Rhode Island -- same
thing" he said, and he was right, of course. "I’m still in it for the thrill of
it/I know you tried to kill it/but I still love Rock And Roll," he says in
"Still Love Rock And Roll." And for those of us who survive and fight the music
wars, it doesn’t matter what our foxhole is named or where it is located. Rock
and roll as religion, as true as the breath of life, as crucial as the blood
that pulses through our veins. That, in a nutshell, is what Ian Hunter is about
and why he flips the bird to ageism and puts his ass on a stage every night.
A large portion of the set was dedicated to tracks from the new record, although
"Still Love Rock And Roll" was a curious omission (especially since it was
played at earlier stops on the tour). "Good Samaritan" and "Purgatory" were
rhythmic enough to get the crowd into a groove, but "American Spy" -- with
classic Mott riffs at its core -- really rocked the house. Ditto the infectious
chorus of "Wash Us Away," perhaps the new record’s best track, which rang out
from the stage with all the power of a hit record. Well, at least it deserves to
be a hit...
The unexpected highlight of the show came when Hunter pulled out "23A Swan Hill"
from his Artful Dodger record. "They never released it in America," Hunter
smirked, half self-depreciatingly and half-bitterly, "because it was too good."
The rocker seemed to energize the band as well, who turned it up a notch and
belted out the chorus with enthusiasm. Only "Bastard" seemed to interrupt the
flow of the evening. Although giving the band a chance to wank away on guitars,
the loud jam chased a few people from the front, though not for long. "Dead Man
Walking" followed, and probably won’t get airplay either, but it is destined to
be a classic Hunter track; this was Ian’s best vocal of the evening. Switching
from guitar to piano while introducing the song, Hunter concurred. "People ask
me what’s the best song I ever wrote. I don’t know, but I know this is one of
them." I’d also vote for the timeless and beautiful "Irene Wilde," which, framed
by three classic tracks, appeared at the end of the set. The lone encore was a
real treat -- the underrated "Roll Away The Stone" followed by the medley of
"Saturday Gigs" (the last Ian-led Mott single) and the eagerly-awaited anthem
"All The Young Dudes." Afterwards, each of the band members wandered out,
gracious with fans, signing autographs and swapping war stories.
Ian Hunter probably can’t play a gig without performing "Dudes;" the audience
will expect it every time. But something tells me that he’ll never get bored
making an audience happy, either. And if Rant is any indication, Hunter will
have a lot more to say, even if it’s only to those who defy mediocrity and
indifference to give him the opportunity to do so.
Set List:
Once Bitten Twice Shy *
Good Samaritan *
Purgatory *
American Spy *
Boy *
Wash Us Away *
I Wish I Was Your Mother *
23A Swan Hill *
Bastard *
Dead Man Walking *
Just Another Night *
All The Way From Memphis *
Irene Wilde *
Cleveland Rocks - encore - Roll Away The Stone *
Saturday Gigs/All The Young Dudes
