September 14, 2024
By Claudio Vernight
The ushers told me that the plan was: the band would hit the stage at 7:30 and play three hours. At exactly 7:30, the lights went down and the Simpson quintet took the stage to cheers and hoots. Having only seen him on YouTube, I was unprepared for the energy they would create. And, yes, he played just shy of three hours.
"Brace for Impact" brought the crowd to its feet where they remained for quite a while. The swamp opened up and growled as the co-star of the night, guitarist Laur Joamets, let loose on his old Telecaster with moaning, sustained slide guitar. The tight rhythm unit of bassist Kevin Black and drummer Miles Miller set the feel. Keyboardist Robbie Crowell was mostly on the Hammond B3, alternating on his Rhodes and even adding tenor sax.
But the 5900 came to see Sturgill and he made a believer out of me. Unassuming, hardly talking and not much of a guitar hip grinder, he just sang his words and banged out a crunching rhythm guitar. But the band didn't just play songs. They explored each piece and extended the blues jam very naturally. Think of the Dead playing Delbert McClinton with a Derek Trucks-quality slide player. And they moved into different beats and grooves effortlessly, tying two, three and sometimes four songs together.
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Drifting out of "A Good Look" the band drove into the pulsating rhythm of the Doors' "LA Woman." The Jim Morrison SoCal anthem never sounded so raw and natural. They did the same for their "Voices" as they broke into the recognizable opening for the Allman's "Midnight Rider." The audience surged at the wailing harmonies that everyone knows so well. "I've got on more.... silver dollar." It was like Simpson wrote the song. They also covered the Procul Harum monster, "Whiter Shade of Pale," as well as Neil Diamond's (and UB40's cover) "Red Red Wine."
And what a range he has. Anyone who attempts Roy Orbison's "Crying" had better have his chops together. And Sturgill did and made it his, even if it was a little choppy. His Procul Harum cover was unique because Joamets played the familiar organ line with Crowell relegated to filling in with "pads" as they are called - whole note sustained chords that give the feeling of a string section. From Estonia lead guitarist, Laur, was a combination of Derek Trucks, Ry Cooder, David Lindley and with a crying steel guitar that was straight out of Nashville.
What grabbed my attention was the hard-working attitude they all exuded. There was no banter and hardly any talking at all. It was almost like he was shy of the audience and only could communicate by singing and playing. The typical "outlaw" country performer would be yahooing and screaming all night. Waylon, Hank Jr. and even Johnny Cash himself were all visible in his style. Outlaw meets Bakersfield meets Southern Rock meets the Stones.
When I visited Nashville in 1986 recording Nick Seeger's LP, the musicians on the record confessed to me that everyone in the city wanted to be Bon Jovi. I still feel that hunger coming from Nashville. They are writing all the best songs and attracting all the best musicians and they are this close (hold index next to thumb) to breaking out and putting it all together. Some might say Taylor Swift has done it but as soon as you explode, the powers that be in the Music City seem to be done with you.
Sturgill Simpson still has a lot of music and touring left in him and he is just one hit song away from national attention. When he does, the rest of the country will see the "Exile on Main Street" sound that he has captured. YouTube doesn't do him justice. You'll have to wait until next year when he passes through again. I know I'll be there.