Dateline Jan 26 2007...Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated event of the years' young calendar occured this week. No not the President's state of the union address. I think one could have easily predicted that the rhetoric of that speech would be about as stale as a day old donut. No, I am referring to the debut of our Session Americana 'Rythm Section' behind the vocal mic Tuesday evening. Yes, that is Billy Beard and Kimon 'Case' Kirk; no longer toiling in the pantry, but seated at the table. At one point they were even holding hands and looking in each other's eyes. I guess Sonny and Cher will do that to ya'...Perhaps I am overstating the amount of anticipation for this event, but it was the third sold out Tueday in a row at the Lizard, and standing room only. The fact that Case had just about every female singer in town (plus Chandler travis) backing him up on Dee Dee Warwick's "We're Just Fine" just added to the press. Packed but not stuffy. When he and Kris Delmhorst sang a duet you could hear a pin drop. Perhaps a tear or two as well but I'm not naming names...He had Ramona Silver singing with him on Skeeter Davis' "Optimistic". No I'd never heard of it either but it was dynamic! There was NRBQ and other what have you...and yes Billy Beard sang as well.
Actually it was quite startling to see Bill, guitar in hand, revealing a tender sensitive side as he sang "Jackson". No not Johnny Cash...crossing the great divide into crooner territory with "Lawyers Guns and Money". At that point there was a bit of distraction when Sean Staples assumed the drum chair. A few whap whap and thump thumps and he's spinning sticks like he's Tommy Lee. But the true highlight (or lowlight) was the aforementioned duet on "I Got You Babe" Wow, romance, rythmn, harmony. No grey monkeys here...ha ha.
Of course the night would not be complete without ice cream and beer(town). Chandler giving us his hardluck story and Kris warning us about Sunday morning coming down. Peter Wolf and Stu Kimball whipped us through "Wheel" and "Bye Bye Love".
We went late into the night, but who needs sleep when you're having this much fun.