My parents, brother and another couple went to see the Day of the Dozer benefit concert last night at the New Lafayette Club in Bloomington last night. I have gone to this twice before once to see Jack Ingram that concert took place at the Circle Lanes bowling alley, also to see Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis at Ewing Manor. This concert was a nice change of venue. The show opened with Dan Hubbard and the Humidors. Dan Hubbard is very talented and evoked many comparisons to other artists from my fellow concert goers. My dad said a young James Taylor, while others said old school Bare Naked Ladies, or possibly John Mayer. I'd say he just plays good music. I especially enjoyed their second song "This is My Life".
Now it is time for the man we have been waiting for to take the stage. Chris Knight. He walks out on to the stage with a full beard with more grey in it than before. He starts out with a song from his debut album "Chris Knight", "It ain't easy being me". Great song, and it really gets the crowd going. He went on to play a couple of other favorites "Down the river", "Framed", and "Oil Patch Town". Then since he was told "by his drummer" that this was a CD release party he played some new songs off his latest release "Heart of Stone". I think this will be another great CD for Chris. My dad especially liked "Hell ain't half full", I also enjoyed "Home Sick Gypsy". Usually when you go to a concert and the band plays songs off a new album you are kind of disappointed, but not with Chris Knight. You find yourself listening to each word of his story telling songs and gritty voice, and you enjoy them as much as his old favorites! His band was very exceptional and really rocked it out! Part of the fun is also listening to him talk before the new song "Go On Home" he talked about how he only has three t.v. channels, and he stumbled across a reality show the other day, and had to duck tape his head to keep it from exploding from the stupidity of it! Unfortunately people in the audience were rude and yelling different songs to play at him all night, and he got upset. It wasn't the greatest crowd, and I wish people would have just let him play his music, and shut up. All in all he was great, although he definitely kept the crowd wanting more. His story telling songs of love, murder, despair and poverty make you feel like you have experienced what the characters in Chris Knight's songs have a life very different than your own, and that is worth the $15 in itself.
