Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy, Igor & The Red Elvises

W/ Special Guest Unknown Hinson

The Boondocks, Melbourne, FL

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tuesday night in Melbourne, F-l-a, and The Boondocks is at ¾ capacity early on. It’s been a while since a truly great touring show came to town and this is great harbinger of what 2016 has in store. Igor and the Red Elvises kicked off the show early with their unique spin on rockabilly and surf music. Their short set was well received.

Nashville Pussy, musically, are stuck in 1979, and let’s be thankful they are. 70’s rock was big, loud, and overblown, with songs about screwing, scoring dope and waking up in questionable places. Also known as the template for all the best arena rock ever. This is the world where Nashville Pussy thrives. Tonight was no exception. They kicked off the show with tough as nuts reading of “Come on, Come On,” and never eased up. “Pillbilly Blues” and “Go Motherfucker, Go” and “Hate and Whiskey” were rolled out and played with an exacting ferocity.

The classic Marshall Tucker tune, “Can’t You See,” a song that has been covered by literally every-damn-body, was rolled out new. The song has been played as a lovelorn lament, a song of hopeful longing, and tonight it was a gritty, dark tale of betrayal. It segued into “Go To Hell,” a damning account of murder and being double crossed.

As 70’s rock acts/artists are fewer every day, and rock stars are increasingly boring and rightous, Nashville Pussy are a bright spot on the musical horizon. Uninterested in breaking new musical ground, they till a near forgotten, and still wonderfully fertile patch of musical soil. Where sex, drugs and rock n’ roll aren’t mere catch phrases, but the root and greater truth of all 3 chord masterpieces.

Jim Heath, better known as the Reverend Horton Heat took the stage and delivered a solid set of psychobilly and surf numbers. The trio leaned heavily on instrumental numbers this time around. “Psychobilly Freakout,” “Zombie Dumb,” and “Victory Lap” were mixed in with classics “The Devil’s Chasing Me,” “Bales of Cocaine,” and “Jimbo Song,” Heath’s own tribute to long time bassist, Jimbo Wallace.

Heath plays with a dazzling fluidity and drummer Scott Churilla provides an effortless swing, with playing often reminscent of the legendary Gene Krupa. Lets not forget Jimbo Wallace whose solid bass playing provides the fat back beat for all to play off of. The storied Unknown Hinson was brought up as a special guest, and he took center stage for several numbers. “The King of Country Western Troubadours” is a formidable and commanding presence. His prowess with a guitar is grossly under-appreciated, but tonight the audience was familiar with his brilliance. The band performed with deft precision. Unknown Hinson came back out for the encore and positively killed. You couldn’t ask for a better evening’s entertainment.