Wilder Critique

I have been a WW FANatic for over 2 years, and during that period been to 7 of the band’s live performances, flying to Chicago and driving to Johnson City from Atlanta for a few of them. I’m 59 years old and have had a lifelong love of Rock n’ Roll, Country, Bluegrass, Delta Blues, etc. I think I’m pretty literate when it comes to music.

What I’m about to say is predicated on my love of the band’s music and my desire to see them succeed beyond their dreams. I’ll continue to support the band’s effort fervently.

One of the many attractions to WW and his various bands’ music is the excellence of musicianship of each of the bands’ members. No matter which iteration of the band performing, they prove to produce extremely tight, mistake-free music. That is, until Friday night.

I hesitate to single out one person, but Tony Bowles just doesn’t cut it. Sorry, Tony…..and after all, this is just my opinion. Tony is in over his head.

Actually, I’ve seen Tony perform twice with the band. Friday night and at the 10 High in Atlanta, so I can opine with relative confidence that Friday was not an exception.

Additionally, I talked with a few members of Friday’s audience, and they held the same opinions that I am reporting. I’m not alone here.

I was horrified that Tony fell behind by a half beat on one song during the first set, desperately backing up to Jimmy’s drum kit in an effort to see what was happening while trying to catch up. He never did.

Tony repeatedly stopped playing his licks during many of the songs so he could tweak a knob or switch on his amps or would bend down to adjust a controller on the floor (hey….I thought they were on the floor so you could use your foot while continuing to play). His dropping licks and frantically fussing with his equipment was quite distracting.

Tony’s style lacks crispness and a fine elocution. Instead of playing a strong, singular melody line when at lead, he offers a blurred version, made over by excessive chording. Tony and the band may be better suited by his being relegated to and staying with a rhythm guitar assignment. But then again, the band is meant to have 2 leads…..so maybe Tony needs to be a non-performing “resident member” of the band for awhile. The 3 guitar ensemble may be another answer…..only keep Tony away from any meaningful lead work !!

Tony didn’t have timing problems during the second set. In fact, he seemed to improve overall. Two of his leads were tight and on the money. However, on one song, it seemed that Tony was not on the same page as everyone else…..like he was playing a different song altogether! On another, he stopped playing completely and quizically looked at Jimmy and Webb like “geez….I can’t keep up with you guys!”

If I were to guess, Jimmy was frustrated Friday by all this. Thus, by the end of the second set, he rushed the band through the last 2 or 3 songs, which made them nearly unintelligible. As he off-handedly said aloud early in the second set “I want to go home”. I laughed at his comment at first, but then when he cranked up the timing for the last songs, I believed he was speaking heartfelt truth. The consequence here was the verification that something was just not right with the band, and it is saddening.

Webb, I wish you would refrain from making prickly comments about your band mates. I don’t know what’s up between you and Jimmy, but your various asides directed toward him leave me, as an audience member, uncomfortable. I saw it a few times before in other performances, so this wasn’t a one time thing Friday night. You are blessed with a gifted, imaginative, intelligent sense of humor that delights your audience. You don’t need to include thinly veiled caustic comments about your band members in your repertoire. It compromises your normal brilliance. Again, those with whom I spoke in the audience agree.

Webb, I thought you were in top vocal form last night. I originally wondered if your recent surgery would have had any effect on your vocals, and it did……for the better !! There is more depth and assertiveness now.

I would gladly pay twice the current ticket price to see the band play in future dates…..even if Tony is put in the role that he had last night. That’s how much I like the creativeness and reproduction of the music. I’ve left every one of your concerts in a very good mental state, even after the last one.

My intention with presenting this critique is to give y’all input which you can decide to use or throw away.

Rock on.

Mike Pulaski