Originally posted by kurosawa-b/w:
I loved the show last night. Man, those ILCK guys know how to rock with a fury. I love their raw energy. And yes, Thee Shams were good. Occasionly they strayed a little too Southern rock for me but then they'd bring it back. I thought they were an enjoyable opener, and the singer had a great voice. But I was there to see ILCK, and they did not let me down. Those blues tunes get me every time. And the gospel song sung by the drummer was a treat! Really nice guys as well. Hopefully they'll be back soon.
Here's the review from Sat's Post. Favorable, and even gives a shout-out to Thee Shams. Plus, I totally agree with his assessment that their record is better than their performance. I liked their set quite a bit, but I *really* like the disc.
The Immortal Lee County Killers 3
Thursday's set at Iota by the Immortal Lee County Killers 3, a trio from Auburn, Ala., was dirty and greasy, like the grill at an all-night diner, and listening to it made you feel as if you'd pulled your clothes out of the hamper for the fifth day in a row. It was raw, groove-based blues rock of the most primeval kind. Intriguing original numbers alternated with cover songs that ranged from Pussy Galore's brutally chaotic "Revolution Summer" to an antique gospel number, "No More, My Lord," sung sans microphone by drummer Toko the Drifter, and accompanied on organ by John Wesley Myers.
Guitarist Chetley "Cheetah" Weise paid tribute to the past while plunging headlong into a dangerous future, twisting blues riffs around Myers's bass-heavy organ lines while Toko pounded out a beat that paid homage to the Stooges' proto-punk. Short as the songs were, they suddenly took left turns into psychedelia before veering back onto the blues road on two wheels.
"Boom Boom," with its roundhouse of a chorus, and a curious song about Mick Jagger turned Weise's guitar strings into song-cutting garrotes. He's clearly a student of the blues but deliberately plays like a wayward truant. We're not sure who the Immortal Killers dispatched with in Lee County, but they certainly nailed a few tunes at Iota.
Retro-rock night commenced with Thee Shams, a five-piece Southern rock-blues outfit straight out of a Cincinnati garage. You know how everyone says the album can't capture the excitement of the live show? Not this time: The record is definitely better than Thursday's flat presentation. Every song was in the same key and at the same tempo. The band looked and sounded exhausted.
