Philzone.org - Philzone Phansite Community Discussion Board: Setlists and Reviews: Non GD Related Reviews: Archive: The 'new' Waybacks, GAMH, 8/22/08

It was another beautiful foggy night in the tenderloin. Unless of course you came to hear the tried and true bluegrass of the Waybacks. They said it themselves...this ain't your grandma's Waybacks. With the line up change and the new album, the band has embraced a far more electric feel and there were quite a few people resistant to the change. The crowd had thinned by half at setbreak. I'm guessing a lot of people will have the same reaction but I liked the change. Took a couple minutes for the initial shock to wear off, but by the 3rd or 4th song the band had sufficiently warmed me up!

They played a lot of stuff from the new album, ranging from loud and electric to acoustic and folky--they haven't lost the bluegrass, just added to the collection. We got some blues, we got some celtic, we got some psychadelic. It was a bit of everything. Stuff off the new album: Low Down, Conjugal Visit, The River, Beyond the Northwest Passage. And a bunch of covers including Hello by John Prine. The last 30 minutes of the show was the highlight for me...Tomorrow Never Knows>St. Stephen and Bright Place to end it.

Apparently, I've seen these guys more than I think--I was real familiar with Bright Place, but couldn't recall who wrote it, assuming it was a cover song. After 3 people all told me it was an original, I figured they were right! It's a nice feel good tune, great way to end the evening.

yeah, listened to the new album a little while ago, and it really took me by surprise. definitely a different direction.
wanted to make it to this show, but couldn't make it cross the bridge on a tuesday.

thanks for the review. sounds like it was a good night of music.
glad you had fun.

Also worth noting...this was the first show on the new dance floor at the GAMH. Guess it was nice, didn't seem any different from the old floor.

ooooohhhhh......new dance floor at the Great American.
That old one sure had been tore up on enough occasions.

such detailed reviews.
thanks!

Thanks for the review Emily. Yes different but I still like them. It'll take more than that to get me off the bandwagon.

I was on their website yesterday and noted the link to Stevie Coyle's website. His website had a clip for "Petrified Man" and he wrote it. So maybe he took it with him. Is it odd the clip is the Wabes playin' it?

"Northwest Passage" bored me a little. It could be a lot shorter.

I noticed the link to Coyle's page too...I've been getting emails from him but not actually reading them, think I'll have to check him out next time he's in town.

The lead guitar player is such a hot dog and he steps on toes. However, Warren Wood is both humble and talented. I think the energy with this new band is much weaker than before! I'll pass next time.

seemed like good energy at Hardly Strictly this past weekend.

But I didn't catch their entire show.

BUt, looking forward to seeing them with Danny Barnes.

I thought the Hardly Strictly set was great, TNK>St. Stephen, Bright Place>Fixin' to Die>Bright Place is good stuff!

Looks like they've added another show with Danny Barnes--or at least it's new to me--Oct. 18th at the Mystic in Petaluma, think I'll go to that one