Waddy Wachtel Band: Reviews and News


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Reviews and News - January 2012
Review: Waddy Wachtel Band 1/7/12

Note from Nina:

Happy Rockin' & Rollin' New Year!!!!!!!!

The Waddy Wachtel Band gave us just what we needed on 1/7/12 at The Joint to know 2012 will be a great year...... an electrifying show by incredible performers of fantastic tunes!

What a great bunch of Rock & Rollers we had - onstage and in the audience!

First, here's the players and set list. I'll add my notes below.

On stage all night:
Waddy Wachtel - Lead Guitar
Phil Jones - Drums
Rick Rosas - Bass

Set List:
First Set:
1. "You Got Me Rockin'" (Rolling Stones) Bernard Fowler lead vocals; Waddy Wachtel harmony vocals, and slide guitar; Blondie Chaplin harmony vocals
2. "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter [recorded by Sam and Dave]) Bernard and Blondie lead harmony vocals; Mindi Abair saxophone
3. “Itchycoo Park” (Small Faces) Jamie Savko lead vocals; Waddy and Bernard harmony vocals
4. "Immigrant Song" (Led Zeppelin) Jamie Savko lead vocals
5. "Bitch" (Rolling Stones) Jamie lead vocals; Blondie guitar; Mindi saxophone
6. "Lawyers Guns and Money" (Warren Zevon) Blondie lead vocals and guitar; Waddy harmony vocals
7. “Run Run Rudolph” (Chuck Berry) Keith Allison lead vocals and guitar; Mindi saxophone
8. "Pump It Up" (Elvis Costello) Keith lead vocals and guitar; Waddy harmony vocals
9. “Johnny Strikes Up the Band” (Warren Zevon) Waddy lead vocals; Jamie harmony vocals
10. “Substitute” (The Who) Jamie lead vocals; Waddy harmony vocals

Second Set:
1. “Going to a Go-Go" (The Miracles) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy and Blondie harmony vocals; Blonde guitar; Mindi saxophone
2. "I Can't Let Go" (The Hollies) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy, Jamie and Blondie harmony vocals; Blondie guitar
3. "Girl's Got Rhythm" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals; Waddy harmony vocals
4. "If You Can't Rock Me" (The Rolling Stones) Jamie lead vocals; Waddy and Blondie harmony vocals; Blondie guitar; Mindi saxophone
5. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" (Rolling Stones) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy, Blondie and Mindi harmony vocals; Mindi saxophone
6. “Heroes" (David Bowie) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy harmony vocals
7. “Live With Me” (The Rolling Stones) Waddy lead vocals; Jamie harmony vocals; Blondie guitar; Mindi saxophone
8. "C'Mon Everybody" (Eddie Cochran) Keith lead vocals and guitar; Waddy harmony vocals; Mindi saxophone
9. "Wild Horses" (Rolling Stones) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy and Blondie harmony vocals
10. “Honky Tonk Women" (Rolling Stones) Jamie lead vocals; Waddy, Blondie and Mindi harmony vocals; Mindi saxophone
11. "Down Payment Blues" (AC/DC) Bernard lead vocals; Waddy and Blondie harmony vocals

See what fantastic tunes WWB played? And each of the performers up on that stage were smiling all night and blasting delightfully through all of them. Much to our deeeeelight!!!!!!!!

Gee..... It's hard to write just a few words about the concert, and of course my words could never express the electrifying feeling that surged through all of us. Those of you who were there know what I mean. :-)

Where do I start?

Ahhhhh....... Our main man Waddy Wachtel. Anyone who's seen Waddy perform over the years with the wide variety of people he's played with know that Waddy always gives 1000%. A guitar is like a fifth appendage for him - so comfortably does he move his fingers over those strings and make everyone gape in awe. Waddy played many great guitar riffs and solos last night, and he can sing too! Before singing emotional and riveting lead vocals in the first set on Warren Zevon's "Johnny Strikes Up the Band," he said it was for Warren, whose birthday is coming up - January 24. In the second set, he wailed through the Stones' "Live With Me." And Waddy definitely knows how to put together a great band.......

Phil Jones may be sitting in back behind that drum kit, but his presence jumps out at us like the rock solid beats he kicks out from those drums and cymbals. We don't need any fancy drum solos or twirling sticks from Phil - he's got the goods to make any tune zing!

Rick Rosas strikes those bass strings in a way that makes anyone's heart feel good. Whatever tune the band plays, he's spot on. Rick came up front a couple of times, put his foot on a monitor, and showed us up close the magic in his fingers. Rock on, Rick! Rick THE bass player!

Bernard Fowler sang the first song of the night "You Got Me Rockin" by the Stones. Yup, he sure got all of us rockin! It's hard to categorize Bernard's singing style. Just when you think he's a hard rock singer, he delivers sweet melodic vocals on "Wild Horses." And, wow.... When he sings Bowie's "Heroes" we all agree that he IS a Hero. Just for one day? Nope.... Every day!

Blondie Chaplin joined Bernard for the second song (the first time WWB played this one) "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" - a song recorded by Sam and Dave. (If you don't know who Sam and Dave are.... LOL Look 'em up.) Blondie and Bernard's vocal harmonies swirled and twirled around each other like 2 moths around a flame. Fired up we all were! Blondie also showed he can make a guitar sing, giving us a couple of solos as well. And his vocals on "Lawyers Guns and Money"....... Incredible!

Jamie Savko knocked it out of the park with his lead vocals on "Itchykoo Park" with Waddy and Bernard blending the harmony vocals. What did we do there? We got high. It's all too beautiful. Yes, it was rockingly beautiful! Then we got to hear Jamie let it all loose on "Immigrant Song" and "Bitch." He can do anything with that voice - and does. A real treat to hear all of it.

Keith Allison and I were saying how much we missed "Run Run Rudolph" - the traditional holiday song he's played with WWB. So, out comes Keith with a big red ribbon around his neck and gives Rudolph to us. :-) We loves our Keith. When he sang "C'mon Everybody"....... we said..... OKAY!

Mindi Abair joined WWB again last night, and it was so great having her up there adding her incredible saxophone to the mix. Not only is she gorgeous, but she can wail on that horn and looks so gooood doing it! Sax solos? You bet! Mindi ain't shy on that stage. She's such a great player, we hope she keeps coming back!

If there was a rating system for last night's WWB gig, I'd give it a gazillion thumbs up. We know we always get heated up and feeling fantastic at a WWB gig. That's why we keep coming back, bring our friends, and ask for MORE, MORE, MORE!

I never want to forget to say thank you to Waddy, Phil, Rick, Jamie, Bernard, Blondie, Keith and Mindi for not only giving us such great shows, but for being such wonderful people. Love 'em all!

And always saying thank you to the guys who've help make it happen all these years: John Philbrick, Charlie Wood, Charlie McIntosh and Mark Nathanson. More wonderful people they are!

More wonderful people to thank: All of you delightful Rock & Rollers who come to enjoy it with us, spread the word about the gigs and beam those beautiful smiles. WWB sends their love to all of you!

We don't have confirmation on the next show yet, but I'll let you know as soon as we do. There's a song Waddy and Joe Walsh wrote in 1985 that's on The Confessor album "(Hard to Keep a) Good Man Down." And it's impossible to keep a good band down. WWB WILL continue to Rock It Up!!!!!!!

Click any photo to enlarge............

Waddy Wachtel, Bernard Fowler, Jamie Savko (photo by Emily Aguilar)	Waddy Wachtel, Rick Rosas, Bernard Fowler, Jamie Savko (photo by Robert Bruns)	Phil Jones, Waddy Wachtel, Rick Rosas, Jamie Savko (photo by Robert Bruns)	Waddy Wachtel, Bernard Fowler (photo by Emily Aguilar)
Waddy Wachtel, Bernard Fowler (photo by Robert Bruns)	Waddy Wachtel (photo by Robert Bruns)	Bernard Fowler, Blondie Chaplin (photo by Robert Bruns)	Waddy Wachtel, Keith Allison (photo by Emily Aguilar)
Keith Allison, Mindi Abair (photo by Robert Bruns)	Waddy Wachtel, Phil Jones, Jamie Savko (photo by Robert Bruns)	Bernard Fowler (photo by Robert Bruns)	Mindi Abair, Rick Rosas (photo by Robert Bruns)
Blondie Chaplin (photo by Emily Aguilar)	Jamie Savko (photo by Robert Bruns)	Phil Jones, Rick Rosas (photo by Robert Bruns)	Phil Jones (photo by Robert Bruns)