Ever get to meet your favorite musicians? I took in last night’s Was (Not Was) show at Johnny D’s–my first time in this legendary establishment–and was amazed at the fact that the goddam band members were literally hanging at the bar before the show. One minute, I looked up and saw lead singer Sir Harry Bowens poring over the menu, then I turned to see band co-founder Don Was, in all his dreadlocked glory, sauntering through the front door of the place. Flummoxed, I said, “Hey Don!”–yes, the best I could muster–and he ambled over, smiled and shook my hand and thanked me for coming out. Folks, I’ve got family members who don’t seem that enthused to see me. Before long, the whole freakin’ band–a band I’ve been mad for since their 1988 disc What Up, Dog?–was standing around, and I went into full tits-up fanboy overdrive.
The show itself was a gritty, spectacular and slightly warped affair, as WNW is pretty much the only band that can give you a ferocious jam about the Kennedy assassination (“11 MPH”), followed by a smooth groove straight outta Wilson Pickett Land (“Crazy Water”) and top it off with a bizarre hybrid of funk and beat poetry (“I Feel Better Than James Brown”). I tried to capture a little of the magic with my bitch-ass camera, and you might just enjoy it if you can get past the occasional blurriness caused by my “white guy jimmy leg” that comes on every time I hit the floor.
Was (Not Was) is on Conan O’Brien tonight. Do yerself a favor and tune in.
Oh, and this all ties back to the Red Sox. Someone noted before the show that Don Was took in Tuesday night’s Sox game, and the NESN cameras zeroed in on him at one point as Remy announced, “Hey, Bob Marley’s in the house.”
Wakefield against Burnett in a couple hours. Get your brooms ready.
