Jason and the Rough Shop Scorchers

It’s not every day, hell not every year, that you get to hear Jason Ringenberg, one of the true godfathers of alternative country, play a loud, fast and loose live set backed by a band. While the Scorchers have a new record in the works (release date likely this fall), Jason has been largely hitting the road solo, or rather as a duo, with alter-ego Farmer Jason. But after a few house concerts in town, playing with St. Louis veterans Rough Shop, he liked the sound enough to have the band support half of his set at Off Broadway this past Friday. The results, documented briefly below, were terrific. No one will mistake Andy Ploof for Warner Hodges, but that’s little matter. Ploof and John Wendland (host of Memphis to Manchester on KDHX), dug in on electric guitar, and the rhythm section of Spencer Marquart and Anne Tkach swung every song like they’d been holed up in a barn for a winter-long practice, when in truth they hadn’t played with Jason for a year.

Ringenberg has always been an underrated singer: He’s so high and nasal and twangy that he should come off like a shyster of the highest order. Instead, he sings with great soul and wit and warm humor. His material can be inconsistent, but when it’s great, as on “Bible and a Gun,” or when covering Guadalcanal Diary, he transcends his legend.

Rough Shop opened the night with a bunch of new songs, all of which made and make me hopeful for a new record (get busy guys), and it’s a pleasure to hear them settling into full rock-folk band mode, after a year or so of focusing on an acoustic trio formation.

The Linemen followed with what will likely be the first of three final shows in town. Kevin Butterfield, easily one of the best, most emotionally expressive singers, regardless of genre, in town, is headed to Montreal for a girl of all things. I hope he’ll know I’m sincere in wishing him love and happiness–but just long enough to have his heart smashed to pieces so he can come back and write some more killer country songs. (Kidding, Kevin, really.) The band was country grace personified: light of touch, rhythms skipping and swaying, Scott Swartz’s pedal steel crying the way a pedal steel should. They ended their set with “Night Life” — I’m sure I won’t hear a better version any time soon, unless Ray’s or Aretha’s comes up on shuffle. If you have even a passing affection for country music, you’ll want to see this band before they’re done.

Posted by | April 20, 2009 | Concerts, Video/Film | 1 Comment 

Comments

  • http://short.kdhx.org/18d2b5 Roy Kasten

    Last two Linemen shows:

    Tap Room – Saturday, May 2

    Atomic Cowboy – Friday, May 15, 6pm