George Thorogood Jimi Hendrix's Birthday Tribute with Buddy Guy, Slash, & Others A Concert Review	November, 1993 Around the City Chicago, IL A Review by The Dude on the Left & The Dude on the Right

It was a dark and stormy night, well, not really, just a little cold. The evening began a couple of Saturdays ago, on a trip to the Riviera. Lonesome George was playing, yes-sir-ree, George Thorogood and the Destroyers began a Saturday night of music for me. And for the Thorogood show, a buddy of mine who went with me e-mailed me his review via internet (aren't computers great), so to rest my brain for bigger and better things, here's a guest review, by Homer Simpson. Well, maybe not Homer, but this guy does work at a nuke plant, so here we go....George Thorogood and the Destroyers played the Riviera the Saturday after Thanksgiving. George took the stage dressed in his best Elwood Blues outfit, black suit and tie, complete with sunglasses and pork pie hat. He opened with "Born in Chicago" and then moved into his old show opener "Who do you Love?", a Bo Didley number he used to open his show for a long time and one that is quite popular with his fans. He then covered Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues", which George had recorded on one of his early albums. George joked about stopping and listening to Albert Collins tapes for the rest of the evening, in memory of Albert's passing three days prior. Another legend moves on to Blues Heaven and will surely be missed. George tackled his double header of drinking songs in "I Drink Alone" and John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" to a wild crowd response. Unfortunately he didn't add "If you don't start drinking, I'm goin' leave" from his last album and tour. George only played two tunes off his latest, _Get a Haircut_ album, the title track and Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready". Not quite what you'd expect if he is out promoting the album. The slide came out and the band proceed to move into their slide guitar repertoire highlighted by an incredible reading of Elmore James' "The Sky is Crying". The Destroyers finished up with a tune they called the "Rock 'n' Roll National Anthem", Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." It was a fast paced show that the crowd really seemed into. Larry McCray's opening show was highlighted by his rendition of Albert King's "Born under a Bad Sign"

So, how was that from a guest reviewer. Granted, not as flashy as my writing, but hey, it saved me a lot of typing. But the night wasn't over after Thorogood. South we traveled to Buddy Guy's Legends, where our tickets said Jimi Hendrix was playing, but alas, it was just a birthday tribute for the late-great Jimi who would have been 51. And what a great tribute it was. We missed a few of the opening acts, but were there for the important ones. It was pretty cool. I saw the best bassist I've ever seen in the likes of Billy Dickens, heard some rockin', screamin' guitar from a special guest, Darryl Thompson. And then the evening kicked into high gear. A reunion of the Band of Gypsies, Jimi's original band, took the stage. Yep, Buddy Miles, Billy Cox, and Riki Hendrix took the stage and rocked. Then Buddy Miles started talking about this guy he met while working on the tribute album, Stone Free, and alas, from the depths of Buddy Guy's came none other than Slash from Guns 'n Roses. Now, let's just say that although not bad, Slash was sort of out of his element in this blues bar. He did a decent job, but then Buddy Guy came out, and took Slash to school. Buddy showed that loud isn't always better, but Slash just couldn't follow suit. You could sense the frustration by Slash when during a Buddy Guy solo, Slash got on the mike asking for a Jack and Coke. Only there for a couple of songs, Buddy left the stage to the Band of Gypsies and Slash. Let's just say it was a very interesting, but very cool, and the night played on way past closing time. So, I can, for the rest of my life, brag that I saw Slash and Buddy Guy playing on the same stage. Yea!

Then there was last Thursday of course, my normal fill of weekly live music. It brought the return of the All Night Newsboys, and well, it was definitely not a night to remember. The band was a mix of electric and electronic, just like before. The evening was slow, the Bog crowd was thin, and it seemed the Boys were just going through he motion until people started dancing. I can't say they were that bad, because they weren't, but I've seen them before and they've been a whole lot better. The night was a mix of some new, some old, and some originals. I really didn't get into it at all. Maybe it's finals, maybe people are just to scared to venture out into the cold to the Bog, but come on people, what's the worse thing that can happen, you just might have some fun.

Oh yea, I almost forgot all of my ratings. Well, George Thorogood and The Destroyers get TWO THUMBS UP from me. A definite rock-em, sock-em show. The Jimi Hendrix Birthday Celebration gets TWO THUMBS UP from me again, yep even Slash did alright. And finally, the All Night Newsboys, well, they get barely a SHRUG. They were on their way to a thumb down, but people finally started to get up and dance so I guess they had that going for them.

And so, that wraps it up for me again for another week. I'm still full from Turkey Day, and next comes Christmas. Oh Boy! This week is the last band of the semester, with reggae filling the Bog. Be there or be square. Don't worry about studying for finals - if you don't know it by now, you ain't going to know it, so you might as well have some fun. Until next time, Party Smart!! And as always, Rellim Reeb, Rellim Reeb!!

The Dude on the Left
Well, That was weird! One moment I was reveling in what I considered one of the best Meatloaf concerts I had ever seen and then all of a sudden out of nowhere comes this huge mass of lights and POOF! I was beamed onto a ship that very much resembled a flying beer bottle. These little green guys came from out of the walls and started speaking something in gibberish, I don't quite understand alien talk. Then they pulled out a beer and drank it through their fingers, it was weird. Then they started to try and communicate through the world wide language of beer-speak. With which I was very familiar, and to make a long story short they returned me back to the Bog yesterday for the concert, safe and sound like nothin had happened so everybody can stop holding their breathe for my return. Odd thing about the whole deal is the fact that they knew where the Bog was without me having to try and give directions. Scary thought, eh?

Well, upon my return I headed down to my usual place in the Bog and much to my surprise the Dude on the Right had not arrived yet. So I quickly ran to the nearest phone to call him and make sure those little beer drinkin aliens didn't get him next. I found him to be in his room still mourning my disappearance. But everything is all better now! Welp, the band in the Bog this past week was a band that has graced the Bog walls many a time before, hell I think that these guys have seen almost all of the Bog renovations through the years. They were a band called All-Night Newsboys. They brought their electronic simulated music mix down to the Bog. This three man band played mostly alternative styled music and a little bit of the Blues. They played songs like Pets by Porno for Pyros, 3 Princes by Spin Doctors and Blind Melon's No Rain. And the stuff that they played that was bluesy was mostly tunes from the great Stevie Ray Vaughn.

These didn't really impress me in the first set, especially when they allowed a guest singer to sing Freebird. Now, I like to hear Freebird just as much as the next guy but I hate it when the band won't sing it and allow others to partake in their job. Well, in order to try and keep this short, my partner had a lot to say anyhoo, I am going to give All Night Newsboys ONE THUMB DOWN. I had a good time and actually got up and danced to a tune or three, but the fact of the matter is that electric drums and sampled music just doesn't cut it in my book. Any computer dork could go out and start their own band in that sense.

That gives All Night Newsboys a total of ONE THUMB DOWN. Everyone really need to get their work done early this week as it is the LAST Bog concert of the Fall semester. And I can only think of a couple of better closing bands but Keith Eric and Waterhouse should really kick some ass! That is right reggae will be making its appearance once more in the Bog.

So until next week, study hard or hardly study but by all means get your work done early, or blow it off we do have a study day to use, so we can pack the Bog to the Walls. And I will C.U.Next Thursday