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The night was full of surprises, one of which actually left me stranded on Mud Island. Go figure. Have you ever gone to show feeling great, expecting all things to be wonderful? Then you show up and realize in the first few minutes that you're in for a surprisingly different night than you expected. Not bad, not good, not great, not terrible, just different. When I finally got off the island, I realized a true music lover should always expect the unexpected at a show or festival and be prepared to deal with it.
I rolled into King Elvis' beloved town of Memphis at seven o'clock. Got a great parking spot, bought my ticket, snagged a couple of tallboys, met up with my photographer and taper buddies, and grabbed a prime seat. For those of you that haven't ever seen a show at Mud Island, there are some really fascinating aspects found in this amphitheatre. One in particular is being able to look out at the skyline of Memphis as the show goes on, and I arrived just in time to watch the sunset. Dusty shades of yellow, orange, purple, and red fell on the city's elderly buildings. It was gorgeous. I was feeling good and ready to rock 'n' roll.
Surprise! No preview of the Beanland video (as had been publicized).
Alvin "Youngblood" Hart |
I was really looking forward to that preview. I thought to myself, "Oh well, whatever, the show must go on." Apparently, the preview was cancelled weeks ago. I never heard that rumor. Not a big deal. I was more excited to see the North Mississippi Allstars rock out on Mud Island for the first time anyway.
Surprise! The gnarly Alvin "Youngblood" Hart will rock anyone's world.
"Ever have anybody tell you that you couldn't do something, but you knew you could, because your world is round?" Those were the first words I heard as I stood up and saw Hart for the first time. Right away, I recognized that this is a man who clearly has the voice and presence of an old soul. When he speaks and sings you have no choice but to listen. As I began to take in his music I loved what I heard. He was able to blend rock, blues, soul, and a little bit of country. "My World is Round" was the beginning of the night for me. Then he played a unique version of the staple "Nobody's Fault but Mine" in an upbeat blues fashion on his wild blue electric guitar. Some of my friends didn't even catch it until the third or forth verse. "Fightin' Hard" was my favorite of the set, and I look forward to hearing Alvin sing it again. Rough, distorted guitar wrapped around a forceful drum beat with harsh lyrics, giving a message to "not give up" that would get anyone's attention. It seems that is what Alvin "Youngblood" Hart is all about.
Surprise! The North Mississippi Allstars take the stage without Duwayne Burnside.
Luther Dickinson |
It's hard to be a fan in the crowd of a show when no one has an answer to the question everyone is asking. "Where is Duwayne?" No one knew. "Oh well," I thought again, "the show must go on." The absence of Duwayne didn't seem to faze the Allstars at all. They weren't at all hesitant about getting this night started with a lot of energy and big smiles. Honestly, there were only a few times I heard the space Duwayne usually fills. As for Duwayne's vocals, well, I usually can't tell what he's singing anyway. Although, I've been told that is the way traditional hillside country blues is supposed to sound. A huge "Po Black Maddie" sandwiched a little "Skinny Women" and Cody Dickinson's vicious yet tasteful drum solo. With the wind blowing through his hair, a red scarf tied around his head, and some already dirty guitar, Luther Dickinson resembled a courageous pirate on a quest to capture the audience with some golden chords. Junior Kimbrough's "All Night Long" was next and would also show up later in the night. Luther was on fire. He was all over the stage, jumping off speakers, holding chords while down on his knees, smiling and pointing at friends in the crowd, but most of all he was playing extremely hard and well. It was around this point that he actually took the time to thank everyone that had been a part of putting the show together. The last thing I remember him saying was, "We're young and we did it!"
Surprise! Mr. Jim Dickinson takes the stage and literally kicks off the night.
Jim Dickinson |
Jim Dickinson is a legendary pianist and producer in Memphis who happens to be Cody and Luther's father. He walked out on stage, sat down and began to play a large set of keys. It wasn't a minute into "Down in Mississippi" that he stood up and kicked the chair back across the stage. Obviously, Mr. Dickinson was ready to take a stand! The crowd hollered with surprise and anticipation. Immediately he starts banging on the keys and busting out lyrics with his veteran vocals. Mr. Dickinson took this show to the next level, leading his sons as a musician and a father. Seeing the history of these two generations coming together at the legendary Mud Island was well worth the drive and I'm damn glad I was there.
Surprise! The Rising Star Drummers and Paul Taylor come out to play.
Cody & Luther Dickinson |
Then the Rising Star Drummers came out to jam on "Freedom Highway." There's something spectacular about seeing a grown man in a baseball cap and cowboy boots. I mean that. The large marching drum added a lot of substance to each song with its deep and rugged sound. It always does. I felt like the classic "Shimmy She Wobble" was one of the stronger songs of the night. However, "Shake 'em On Down" got a huge response from the crowd. I looked up at Luther just in time to catch him violently throw down his scarf as the wind wildly threw his hair around while he sang, "Shake 'em on down" umpteen times in just a few musical seconds. We also were blessed with a few verses of Otha Turner's "Station Blues" (a.k.a. "Sittin' on Top of the World").
Paul Taylor hops on the drums and Cody grabs a guitar. Like I've said before, the NMA give new meaning to the childhood game Musical Chairs because no one looses. They're constantly switching up guitars, instruments, and seats on the stage. I've seen Paul Taylor a few times and he is a tough and consistent drummer. However, I prefer to have Cody on the drums. Though, it's nice to see Cody slicing up a guitar next to his brother.
Surprise! Alvin "Youngblood" Hart and Steven Selvidge return to help finish off the night.
Chris Chew |
With three raw guitarists, a bass, keys, and a drummer, "Drop Down Mama" was well distorted with a funky, raspy blues sound. "All Night Long" showed up again and I must say it was one of the better versions I've heard Luther sing. Alvin and Steven definitely added some wicked guitar work that helped fill the gaps I spoke of earlier. Sometimes, as in this case, I feel there can be too many guitars on stage and it can sound like they are fighting each other. Luckily, Luther recognized that Chris was really feeding off the crowd, smiling at everyone, and mouthing "doo wop" during "Codine." So, Luther gets Chris' attention and tells him to take a solo. Bam! All of a sudden there was no sound, like someone had pulled a plug back stage. Then Chris begins to thump and dribble his fingertips over the top of his bass like a madman. After an ambitious display of what Chris Chew is capable of, with no hesitation the whole stage jumps back into the jam. My buddy and I looked at each other and without saying a word we gave each other a solid high five. Mr. Dickinson began to speak out to the crowd. Basically, he just asked everyone to soak up the present moment and realize the authenticity. "This is real," he sang repeatedly as he held his fist up to the sky.
Oh yeah... Last Surprise! I got stranded on Mud Island.
The Dickinson's |
I suppose I lingered around talking to new and old friends too long. I couldn't help enjoying the view, gazing at the river and the skyline of the big city lights. By the time my friends and I were ready to head back to the casa, we couldn't. We were trapped on Mud Island. I tried to keep everyone's spirits up by cracking jokes like, "Hey, if there was ever an island you wanted to be stuck on this would be it, right?" They mainly responded with "Yeah, if there was a band still playing." Thankfully, there were a few crewmembers and other cats that said they would give us a ride. We all piled in a car but when we turned the corner there was a huge equipment diesel blocking the way. An hour or two later we were able to coax the truck driver into getting out of the way so we could get on ours. All things considered, the night didn't go as planned. Yet, I'm glad I was there. I look forward to seeing Alvin "Youngblood" Hart again, and I was more than fortunate to see both generations of the Dickinson's playing together in their hometown of Memphis at the historic Mud Island.
When things don't always go as planned with a band, at a show or festival, a true music lover should always remember to keep their head on straight and make the best of it.
...and that's the bottom line.
1. Po Black Maddie > Skinny Woman > Po Black Maddie
2. All Night Long
3. Down In Mississippi*
4. 51 Phantom*
5. Freedom Highway*^,
6. Shimmy She Wobble*^ > Station Blues
7. Never In All My Days*^
8. Snake Drive*^
9. Shake 'Em On Down*^ ANL
10. On A Monday*#
11. Psychedelic Sex (a.k.a. Washboard)#@
12. Drop Down Mama*!&
13. Codine*!&
* w/ Jim Dickinson
^ w/ Rising Star drummers
# w/ Paul Taylor on drums, Cody on guitar or washboard
@ Luther on cigar box guitar
! w/ Steve Selvidge on guitar
& w/ Alvin "Youngblood" Hart on guitar
Words by: Ginelle Cloar
Images by: Michael Saba
JamBase | Arkansas
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