OLD UNION :: 12.31.05
BELCOURT THEATRE :: NASHVILLE, TN
Words & Images by Brad Hodge
Old Union :: 12.31.05 :: Nashville, TN |
The full flavor of Nashville's homegrown music scene was served up at Hillsboro Village's historic Belcourt Theatre. Last year, the tradition of the Midnight Special began with Old Union and The Foggy Bottom Band. This year, Old Union teamed up with up-and-comers Corleone and Mile 8 for their year-ending celebration.
Corleone's opening set seemed heavily inspired by the rich texture and groove of STS9. Guitarist John Peters and bassist James Fox seemed to command their set and to lock in the groove-oriented vibe they were looking to achieve.
Old Union :: 12.31.05 :: Nashville, TN |
Mile 8 and Old Union have shared similar paths throughout 2005, from both playing at Bonnaroo to sharing a West Coast tour from Nashville to the High Sierra Music Festival and back home. They teamed up at Halloween and created a seamless night of alternating sets and monstrous jams, and on this night, Mile 8 would set the stage for their brothers in fine fashion. Their set was very inspired and really began to spark up the evening. Chris West (horns in Guy Smiley, Bump City, Ballhog!) was in the house to play with the Union and his Junkyard Horns, so he lent some fine sax work alongside Adam Livingston.
For most, the night was about Old Union and how they would bring it for the New Year. There had been some speculation throughout the tight Nashville scene as to what the band, accompanied by the Junkyard Horns, would come with. There set opened with a combination of Mile 8 and the Union on a huge cover of the Average White Band's "Pick up the Pieces," and just like that, the place was grooving.
Old Union & Guests Celebrate the New Year
Nashville, TN |
Old Union's vast arsenal of material was perfectly complemented by a great selection of covers, like the Ides of March "Vehicle." Chuck Foster's "Thousand New Ways to Fly" is really budding into a phenomenal song and led off a nasty string of original material. The band ran through a hot streak of "Drifters Prayer," "Ragged Blue," and "Where Angels Cry" with the Junkyard Horns really letting their presence be felt. Chris West is truly an amazing musician and a blessing to have as a part of the local landscape. The horns contributed such a live and energetic vibe to the already soulful vintage rock and roll of Old Union.
What came next had been on the minds of many Old Union fans for quite some time. The seemingly shelved "Guardshack" > "Message to the Maker" combo reappeared with a vengeance. This combination has the ability to tumble tall buildings, and this resurgence came with devastating force. Then another stupendous cover, "Bitch" from the Rolling Stones' songbook, turned the historic venue on its side. "Motels and Highways" and "Travelin Show" brought the set to an end in what seemed like way too short of an evening. Isn't that the way all the good ones feel?
Even though it passed too quickly, the night wasn't finished. The Union guys were joined by a large cast to end the evening: Johnny Few (JoJo's Mojo Mardi Gras Band / Johnny Few and the Holy Smoke Band), Randy Russell (Ballhog!), some if not all of Mile 8, and guitarist Steve Swertfeger's brother Mark joined in on another Rolling Stones cover, "Sympathy for the Devil." This monumental evening of music may very well mark the beginning of a wonderful year for the Union.
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