JIMMIE VAUGHAN/JAKE ANDREWS/GARY CLARK/NICK CURRIN
@Antone's, Austin, TX
March 8, 2002
There's usually nothing like the homecoming show of a conquering hero. When modern blues slinger Jimmie Vaughan came to Antone's for the first of a two-night stand, he was not only finishing his tour but also sporting a Best Traditional Blues Recording Grammy for his latest album Do You Get the Blues? So the elder Vaughan sibling could basically do no wrong on stage tonight, especially for an Antone's audience (which basically consists of white, middle-aged blues fans). Vaughan and his Tilt-a-Whirl Band (featuring master organist Bill Willis) ran through the usual assortment of 12-bar shuffles, funky R&B tunes and variations on Elmore James' "Dust My Broom," with the leader's stinging picking and soulful vocalizing front-and-center. Vaughan does this well, but he can also do it in his sleep, and for all the ultracompetent musicianship it was difficult to locate much inspiration. The only true highlights of the main set were a heartfelt cover of "Texas Flood," a tune up 'til now forever linked with his deceased brother Stevie Ray, and the acoustic slide work of "Off the Deep End."

Vaughan noticeably perked up when he was joined onstage by singer Lou Ann Barton; the two old friends had an obvious blast with numbers like "Power of Love," "Sugarcoated Love" and "In the Middle of the Night." For "Out of the Shadows" and "Natural Born Lover," the group was joined by surprise guest Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, whose solos were crude but somehow effective, even next to the superior picking of Vaughan. The main set closed with, of course, a rousing "Boom Bapa Boom," Vaughan's signature song. A three-tune encore followed, but it was anti-climactic. Vaughan is never less than rock-solid, but he's gotten to the point where he needs to challenge himself if he wants his music to remain interesting to him, let alone his audience.

The other acts were singularly unimpressive. Jake Andrews, AKA Guitar Jake, sprayed guitar solos all over the place and sang decently enough, but his sub-Doyle Bramhall II tunes need work. Gary Clark turned in a deeply uninspired set of electric blues covers; as with every other band on the bill, Clark's performance was all about the solos, and his six-string skills never rose above workmanlike. Opening act Nick Currin was at his best when he played danceable swing blues, but, alas, he insisted on performing too many of the type of slow blues and shuffles designed to let a picker get in at least two solos. At least Otis Rush's "All Your Love" was an inspired choice of cover. Unfortunately, none of these young artists had the musical presence to keep one's attention from wandering. Michael Toland