War -- Birchmere - Aug 23rd

War - I am not sure this band was one I felt I needed to cross off my bucket list before I went to this

show, but I certainly feel that way now. I am almost embarrassed at my forgetfulness of just how much music of theirs made up the foundation of my early rock listening. But even if you somehow weren't familiar with their many hits, this band's ability and revolutionary worldliness in their approach is an amazing experience. Only Lonnie Jordan on keyboards and vocals remains from the 1969 debut, but each component part has been filled by an expert player in the same proportion of the original band: Drums, percussion, harmonica, sax/flute, guitar, and bass (along with the keys). The rhythms are amazing as ever and helps the band sound so tight yet flexible. Jordan really keeps things fun with crowd interaction and a more controlled George Clinton like ringleading of band as well as audience, who are quick to help out on vocals and not in need of a formal invitation. It is a sold out show of hardcore fans, who have loads of enthusiasm and respect for these players. My feet were moving and my body was swaying like few other shows. Of all the players, the bassist seemed the most amazing and it was no surprise that his solo drew raves from the crowd. My former supervisor, Byron, was from New Orleans and this was his favorite band, which makes perfect sense as New Orleans has a complex cultural integration going on and this band embodies that musically as well as anyone. They have still got the goods and I highly recommend them to older fans as well as younger listeners, who can pick up a lot of tricks from what these guys can do.

Quiz answer: In yesterday's post, I put out the question of where a certain page of script came from. It was nearly impossible for most, but of course it was a loaded question that a certain friend of mine picked up on instantly. It was from a little known play called 'Teacher Teacher' by Ellison Carroll. My friend used to do this cut in high school in the dramatic interpretation category. The problem was that after a few listens, I could not take it seriously and started laughing. He eventually had the same issues and found his way to far better material thereafter in his Speech and Debate career. I still laugh more at this than I do most comedy, so I am not sure if this material should remain forgotten or make a Mystery Theater 3000 type comeback. Something to ponder.