Peter Case Returns to Buffalo
Former Buffalonian/Western New York singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Case returns for a show at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 5, at Mohawk Place, 47 East Mohawk Street, Buffalo. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jon Dee Graham will open the show, with admission $10.
Case is an amazing songwriter and performer, first as a member of the Plimsouls (the band's best-known song is "A Million Miles Away," which appeared both on the Plimsouls' "Everywhere at Once" album and on the "Valley Girl" movie soundtrack, and was later covered by the Goo Goo Dolls), and for about 20 years as a rootsy, bluesy, folksy, rocking, sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric performer.
Val and I have been major fans of Case for many years, and have interviewed, reviewed and photographed him for our web site, Buffaloroots.com, as well as several publications, since the mid-1980s. The following is a review of his show about 4 months ago at the Sportsmen's Tavern, which was slated to go up at our web site but appears here instead.
Peter Case
The Sportsmen’s Tavern, Buffalo
May 28, 2006
By Kevin J. Hosey
The Peter Case show at the Sportsmen’s Tavern, with a serious backup band of Buffalo/Western New York musicians, was similar to and just as good and entertaining as the show Case and band played at the Sportsmen’s Tavern last year, except for one major change. While last year’s show had a good-sized crowd, this show was virtually wall-to-wall people, having a great time dancing, singing along with and cheering.
Val and I got there just after the show had started, and of course, missed him playing the Plimsouls’ “A Million Miles Away,” but we still caught two sets of raw, roots and R&B flavored rock and roll with good portions of folk and blues. Among the early favorites was a wonderful, beautiful version of “Two Angels” from the legendary “…Blue Guitar” CD. The band also played “Rise and Shine,” with Case on harmonica and guitar and guitarist Mark Winsick (whose Mark Winsick Band covered this song on the recent Peter Case tribute CD) singing. Jim Whitford, like Winsick a childhood friend of Case, played bass both here and with the MWB. The version was blues rock with some honky tonk, causing couples to start dancing. For the next song, Case picked up a Telecaster for some twangy blues. The band also turned in some raw blues with a bit of funk when Case moved behind the electric piano and Winsick sang again to end the first set.
To open the second set, Case alone played harmonica, acoustic guitar and sang the blues rock song I believe was called either “Scared of That Child” or “Too Young to Die” (if anyone knows the title, please e-mail me). The band, which included super drummer Rob Lynch, then joined him for a real fun, kicking version of “Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda,” and moved right into a long, gut-bucket version of Memphis Minnie’s “Bumble Bee,” bringing on stage Mr. Conrad (The Cobras, Conrad and the Keys) to play piano. He kept Mr. Conrad on stage to launch into a frenzied version of Roy Orbison’s “Go Go Go,” with Case again strapping on an electric guitar. Mr. Conrad was kept on stage for another old song, a sloppy version of “Nadine” in which Case remained on electric guitar.
Whitford then stepped up to the microphone as the band played “Crash All Night” from his solo CD, “Poison in the Well.” Mr. Conrad, still playing, delivered a fine piano solo before he finally left the stage to applause. Case went back to acoustic guitar for “Something’s Coming,” a more soulful version with Case playing around with the refrain. Whitford took over the vocals for a hypercharged cover of Bob Dylan’s’ “Highway 61 Revisited” before Case sang two of his classic songs, a strong version of “Beyond the Blues” and “Icewater,” the latter of which was a bit more upbeat than the version on his debut self-titled CD; at one point, Case inserted “Wine Wine Wine” into the song as the set wound down.
After the set, Jeff Campbell spoke about Hungry for Music, a national charitable organization which “A Case for Case,” the three-CD Peter Case tribute, benefits. Hungry for Music is a charitable group that benefits underprivileged children by providing them with musical instruments and other positive musical opportunities and experiences. Hungry for Music can be contacted through Campbell at 202-479-2810, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, No. 384, Washington, D.C., 20006, or by e-mail at hungryformusic@att.net.
Case is an amazing songwriter and performer, first as a member of the Plimsouls (the band's best-known song is "A Million Miles Away," which appeared both on the Plimsouls' "Everywhere at Once" album and on the "Valley Girl" movie soundtrack, and was later covered by the Goo Goo Dolls), and for about 20 years as a rootsy, bluesy, folksy, rocking, sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric performer.
Val and I have been major fans of Case for many years, and have interviewed, reviewed and photographed him for our web site, Buffaloroots.com, as well as several publications, since the mid-1980s. The following is a review of his show about 4 months ago at the Sportsmen's Tavern, which was slated to go up at our web site but appears here instead.
Peter Case
The Sportsmen’s Tavern, Buffalo
May 28, 2006
By Kevin J. Hosey
The Peter Case show at the Sportsmen’s Tavern, with a serious backup band of Buffalo/Western New York musicians, was similar to and just as good and entertaining as the show Case and band played at the Sportsmen’s Tavern last year, except for one major change. While last year’s show had a good-sized crowd, this show was virtually wall-to-wall people, having a great time dancing, singing along with and cheering.
Val and I got there just after the show had started, and of course, missed him playing the Plimsouls’ “A Million Miles Away,” but we still caught two sets of raw, roots and R&B flavored rock and roll with good portions of folk and blues. Among the early favorites was a wonderful, beautiful version of “Two Angels” from the legendary “…Blue Guitar” CD. The band also played “Rise and Shine,” with Case on harmonica and guitar and guitarist Mark Winsick (whose Mark Winsick Band covered this song on the recent Peter Case tribute CD) singing. Jim Whitford, like Winsick a childhood friend of Case, played bass both here and with the MWB. The version was blues rock with some honky tonk, causing couples to start dancing. For the next song, Case picked up a Telecaster for some twangy blues. The band also turned in some raw blues with a bit of funk when Case moved behind the electric piano and Winsick sang again to end the first set.
To open the second set, Case alone played harmonica, acoustic guitar and sang the blues rock song I believe was called either “Scared of That Child” or “Too Young to Die” (if anyone knows the title, please e-mail me). The band, which included super drummer Rob Lynch, then joined him for a real fun, kicking version of “Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda,” and moved right into a long, gut-bucket version of Memphis Minnie’s “Bumble Bee,” bringing on stage Mr. Conrad (The Cobras, Conrad and the Keys) to play piano. He kept Mr. Conrad on stage to launch into a frenzied version of Roy Orbison’s “Go Go Go,” with Case again strapping on an electric guitar. Mr. Conrad was kept on stage for another old song, a sloppy version of “Nadine” in which Case remained on electric guitar.
Whitford then stepped up to the microphone as the band played “Crash All Night” from his solo CD, “Poison in the Well.” Mr. Conrad, still playing, delivered a fine piano solo before he finally left the stage to applause. Case went back to acoustic guitar for “Something’s Coming,” a more soulful version with Case playing around with the refrain. Whitford took over the vocals for a hypercharged cover of Bob Dylan’s’ “Highway 61 Revisited” before Case sang two of his classic songs, a strong version of “Beyond the Blues” and “Icewater,” the latter of which was a bit more upbeat than the version on his debut self-titled CD; at one point, Case inserted “Wine Wine Wine” into the song as the set wound down.
After the set, Jeff Campbell spoke about Hungry for Music, a national charitable organization which “A Case for Case,” the three-CD Peter Case tribute, benefits. Hungry for Music is a charitable group that benefits underprivileged children by providing them with musical instruments and other positive musical opportunities and experiences. Hungry for Music can be contacted through Campbell at 202-479-2810, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, No. 384, Washington, D.C., 20006, or by e-mail at hungryformusic@att.net.
posted by val at 12:03 AM
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