Bobby Keys and Joe Ely

July 3, 2010 @ FitzGerald's American Music Festival

Hubert Sumlin with The Nighthawks

July 3, 2010 @ FitzGerald's American Music Festival

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Eilen Jewell

July 3, 2010 @ FitzGerald's American Music Festival

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Webb Wilder

July 3, 2010 @ FitzGerald's American Music Festival

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By Dave Miller

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FitzGerald’s American Music Festival has earned a reputation as the place to be not only with music fans but with musicians, too.
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“I can’t think of anywhere else on the planet I’d rather be right now ya’ll,” Joe Ely said with obvious sincerity during his band’s set Saturday night at the Berwyn roadhouse.

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Last night was a great example why the event was bursting at the seams with fans watching music in the club and outdoor tent stage along with bands playing in the beer garden. I’ve been going to the best day or two of the festival for years now. Saturday was the best one yet.

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I arrived early in the afternoon to the sounds of the Yellowhammers wrapping up their set in the tent, and headed straight to the club to claim a good spot to catch Eilen Jewell play the club’s first show of the day. Jewell hails from Boston and brought a three-piece band of guitarist Jerry Miller, standup bassist Johnny Sciascia and drummer Jason Beek. The band was snappy and versatile. Jewel is rooted in folk and country and western swing. Her singing is just shy of strong, which makes a listening pay attention to hear her interesting lyrics. She played a healthy does of Loretta Lynn covers including “Fist City,” but also showed her rock side with a cover of “Shakin’ All Over” which saw her shaking maracas as she encouraged everyone in the audience to dance, too. Her 75-minute set was received well. Club owner Bill FitzGerald gave Jewell the go-ahead to play an encore and she played one of her own, “Honky Tonk Girl,” ending her captivating set on a high note.

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I ducked out of the club to catch some of Tributosaurus performing as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. A lot of people were on stage and for a stretch they were even acting as if they were playing Woodstock, right down to reciting the original group’s between-song banter. The crowd enjoyed their performance.

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Then it was time to head back into the club to see Webb Wilder. He’s a terrific showman and immediately connected with the audience, a good chunk who were clearly big fans of his. He opened with a blast of “Big Time,” “Human Cannonball” and “Ruff Rider” followed by “Come Around.”
”Pretty Little Lights of Town” and “If You’re Looking For a Fool.” Wilder is the life of the party. He injected a lot of fun into the fest.

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Next came The Nighthawks with special guest Hubert Sumlin. I enjoyed The Nighthawks, who hail from Washington, D.C. The blues-based rock band gives off good vibes. Harmonica player Mark Wenner also serves as a master of ceremonies, but all four members can play and each took turns singing. They played Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Look Back” and the Sopranos theme, “Woke Up This Morning.” However, most people were waiting for Sumlin to join them. The former member of Howlin’ Wolf’s band who was named as one of rock’s greatest guitarists by Rolling Stone has been a man about town lately, making multiple appearances at the Chicago Blues Festival and Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. Sumlin’s understandably slowing down at age 78. He’s connected to an oxygen tank and plays mostly while seated, but the guy sure knows how to still with a guitar in his hands. Remarkably, Sumlin played as long as the Nighthawks as he did at Blues Fest and Crossroads combined. He played five songs including “Sittin’ On Top of the World” and “Love Somebody.” I’m not sure it was a good idea that he played so long. He was wiped out after the fourth number, looking like a tired basketball player with his hand on his knees and sucking wind. He stood up a couple times for a few moments and the moving around caused him to cut off his oxygen tube on a couple occasions. I was worried that he was pushing himself too hard and his caretaker at the foot of the stage was concerned, too. Thankfully, the set ended and Sumlin left the stage to catch his breath.

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The Blasters showed why they’re a legendary band on such early songs as “Long White Cadillac,” “Rebound” and “I Love You So.” Halfway through their set, Dave Alvin joined them, looking like he came straight off the set of a Western movie with his cowboy hat, bandana around his neck, denim and boots. Alvin injected some intensity and fierce guitar into the mix. It was cool to see him play next to his brother, Phil. Chicago bluesman Billy Boy Arnold and his harmonica joined them for “I Wish I Would” and “I Ain’t Got You.” Things moved to another level when they went off the setlist and played “Marie Marie” and especially “Dark Night,” the latter featuring scorching guitar solos by Keith Wyatt and Dave, who watched each other play in admiration. The crowd demanded an encore and received a couple more songs. The band left the stage, some members began packing their gear and some of the crowd dispersed. And then some magic happened. With some a few fans cheering for another encore, Phil ambled back on stage five minutes after he left. He sang a stunning version of “If I Had My Way.” Eventually Bill Bateman settled back behind his drums and added a kick-bass beat and bassist John Bazz plugged back in. Wyatt, whose guitar was packed, stood and clapped with the beat, and the audience followed. “That was beautiful,” Dave said afterward. The entire band followed with “Fourth of July.” Dave brought his mic stand to Phil for the two to share vocals. It was a set to remember.

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Not to be outdone, Joe Ely’s band featured Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys and responded with playing a set worthy of the special appearance. Ely and Keys go way back being bandmates, and they reunited last year for the festival. This year saw Keys in better shape and his playing reflected it. He brought the volume when appropriate, but also subtly Ely’s music at times, too, showing why he’s one of the greatest sax players in rock history. He did all this with his trademark boyish smile and his bouncing his body to the groove. That would be enough to lift the proceedings to higher ground, but Ely also brought a secret weapon, guitarist Rob Gjersoe. Like Keys, he perfected colored Ely’s lonesome ballads and roadhouse rock. He and Ely played with great chemistry and Ely often encouraged Gjersoe to take a solo or go longer with the one being played. At the end of the night, Ely hugged Keys and Gjersoe like a pitcher hugs his catcher after throwing a complete-game shutout. The appreciation was obvious. Among the many highlights in the set expertly crafted by Ely were “All Just To Get To You,” “Hard Livin’,” “Homeland Refugee,” “Me and Billy The Kid. Ely took a break to let Keys and the band jam on an instrumental take on the Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin.’” “It’s great to see Bobby Keys play ‘Tequila,’” Ely said when he returned to the stage. “I’ve seen him drink a lot of it.” Joe Pug guested on “White Freightliner.” The main set concluded with a “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” sing-a-long. “Happy Fourth of July, and freedom for all,” Ely said. The band returned for an encore of “Cool Rockin’ Loretta” which featured a mesmerizing solo by Gjersoe. The crowd demanded a second encore. After spending a long time in the backstage, the band returned for a “Oh Boy!’ cover by Ely’s homeboy. The set finally ended after midnight with the ballad “Live Forever,” with Keys sitting on the steps of the stage, blowing his saxophone beautifully off mic.

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That ran my day at the fest to 10 hours. I had heard good things about Willie Nile, but I had never seen him. Physically beat, I trudged back into the club through its back door to check out Nile. Within minutes, I had made my way to the side of the stage to cheer him on. Nile is a force of nature. He looks only about 5-feet-4 including his puffy black hair, but he tore up the stage like a hurricane. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone work harder on a stage to convert those watching him into believers. Looking a bit like Lou Reed, performing with the energy of a cross between Iggy Pop and Billie Joe Armstrong and playing with the passion of Bruce Springsteen and Joe Strummer, Nile grabbed the music and audience by the throat and didn’t let go. The Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra looked to be taken aback by the fireball frontman at first, but eventually surrendered to his mission and backed him expertly. Nile ripped through songs such as “The Day I Saw Bo Diddley in Washington Square,” “Give Me Tomorrow,” “Hard Times in America,” “Heaven Help the Lonely” and “Magdalena.” Tremulis had to practically drag Nile off the stage, but they returned for a couple more including the anthem “One Guitar” from his upcoming album, The Innocent Ones. The diehards remaining in the club demanded a second encore with chants of “Willie, Willie.” Nile returned with his arms in the air like a victorious boxer. He made a dedication to Joey Ramone before launching into “I Wanna Be Sedated.” It was inspiring to see someone care so much and not afraid to show it. Nile left the stage at 1:42 a.m. I staggered out of the club and down Roosevelt Road with ears ringing, legs aching and spirit soaring.

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past reviews

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