Friday, September 2, 2016

The Whigs, The Sammies & Jason Scavone @ Visulite

The Whigs are a must see band.  They put on a dynamic show and have one of the greatest drummers, Julian Dorio, going around.  So a return to the Visulite was a no brainer.  A saw them here last year and was blown away seeing them in a small venue.

It is rare that I get to a show early, But I met Sanders at the venue before the first band had even started.  Jason Scavone is a local Charlottean, who opened the night.  There was a bit of Jeff Buckley in his melodic soft rock.  For me, nothing stood out in Scavone's performance but it was well received by the growing audience.

The Sammies then came on and, after a slow start, got progressively better and rockier as the show went on.  Sammies lead singer is a big man and his size fills the stage.  And their sound, reminds me of The Godbotherers.  While at first I wasn't taking notice, by the end I was captured by the sound and presence of this band.  As was The Whig Parker Gispert, who was getting into it just behind where we were.

The Sammies Setlist Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC, USA 2016


Dorio entered the stage to the sounds of the Atlanta Brave's tune, to which the knowing crowd (not me), gave the chopping signal to.  Dressed in a Braves jacket and baseball mitt, he had a quick game of catch with the crowd before the rest of The Whigs came out.  Sanders caught one - said he was relieved not to be the one who dropped a catch.  From the outset of Already Young, The Whigs were on fire.  This was going to be another great set.  Gispert has a great stage presence, to look at him reminds me of Nick Cave, and his lurching moves and guitar playing are befitting of his tall thin frame.  It's hard not to watch him, until you see Dorio playing the drums.  He has such an ease about him, he almost looks bored.  No song is drummed the same, but even when a stick breaks, Dorio never misses a beat.  5 songs in the set came from Mission Control, the 1 Whigs album I own.  It was nice to hear songs I was familiar with (Like A Vibration, Right Hand On My Heart, etc).  Gispert finished the set by telling the crowd that he was once told to "..never thank the opening acts, or inform the crowd of the last song.  So I'm going to do neither."  Staying Alive, was the showstopper.  A song with so much energy, and a perfect crescendo to a rocking song.  The two song encore ended with a Friday Night, and the crowd responding to all of Gispert's cues.

This is the 3rd time I've seen The Whigs, and they get better each time.  I hope for there sake that the near future will bring them bigger venues.  For my sake, I'll take them at the Visulite any day.

The Whigs Setlist Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC, USA 2016




The Crap Facts:
This is my 409th concert.
This is my 9th concert at Visulite.
This is my 49th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 55th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 217th concert in the USA.
Jason Scavone is the 483rd band I've seen.
Jason Scavone is the 100th time I've seen a band in North Carolina.
The Sammies are the 484th band I've seen.
This is my 3rd Whigs concert.

No comments:

Post a Comment