Kevin Whited - Scott Melott and Friends

The Grateful Dead were probably the greatest touring band of all time. No doubt some small part of their popularity was the "party atmosphere" (for lack of a better word) surrounding their shows, and part of it was also the way they treated their fans. While most bands today (the Counting Crows being a pleasant exception!) instruct security to confiscate bootleg recording devices and bitch and moan about the existence of bootlegs on p2p systems, the Dead always encouraged it. Fans appreciated that, and it built loyalty.

But I think the main reason the Dead always turned out such numbers when they toured is because no show was ever the same, and when they clicked, they made magic. Not every show was magical -- the great one, Jerry Garcia, admitted as much -- but some nights every member of the band just had the magic, and those guys fed off of each other.

I saw a show like that last night.

It was Scott Melott's first real solo show since the breakup of his band, the Groobees. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as the playbill indicated that Gary Wayne Thomason (Groobees guitarist) would be joining Scott, along with "surprise guests." I figured one surprise guest would probably be the original bassist of the Groobees, Scott's friend and fellow resident of the Gruene area, Michael Devers, and he did join Scott for a few sets. But Scott also brought another bassist (name escapes me -- sorry), and a drummer (the earliest Groobee drummer, Craig Bagby?) and Libbi Bosworth (a fine singer/songwriter in her own right) to help out.

The show was at the Tavern in the Gruene, which is an excellent rustic bar that has a somewhat detached stage area. There was a healthy crowd, many of whom were obviously family and close friends, and the rest apparently Groobees fans, since everyone seemed to know the words of the Groobees songs, which was cool!

From the minute Scott came on stage, you could just see that he LOVED being out there. He was radiating JOY. And the rest of his bandmates were enjoying themselves as well, from Libbi Bosworth. (who didn't play an instrument, yet didn't at all seem to mind providing backing vocals and smiled all the way through) to the drummer and bassist to Gary Wayne, who showed up in flip-flops that made it difficult for him to do his trademark "bouncing" on stage. Too bad on the flip flops, but Gary Wayne PLAYED HIS ASS OFF sans bouncing! When the Groobees were together, they always seemed to tone down the guitar on recordings and in live performances, so we never really got to experience Gary Wayne like he was tonight. But tonight -- WOW. The man can jam, and he and Scott (who traded the trademark keyboards he played with the Groobees for a guitar of his own) seemed really to enjoy playing off of each other. Gary Wayne even got to sing a few songs of his own, one of which has been recorded by The Great Divide recently, one of which (at the end) can only be described as performance art. On that last, you just had to be there.

Scott Melott's trademark songs sounded better than ever, and since there was no "band" tension going on, we got a little more interaction from Scott than we used to with the Groobees. We got to hear great stories about "Cheap Trucker Speed" (and an excellent rendition of it), and "George and Lucille" (one of my favorite songs, which is about his grandparents). We got a pretty cool cover of a Flying Burrito Brothers song (almost required of Texas music artists, isn't it?), and some good stuff from Scott that I've never heard.

What we did NOT get from Scott was the sense of bitterness that seems to consume one of his former bandmates. In fact, in introducing his version of "Comforts of Home," he commented that he and Susan Gibson would often wind up working on each other's songs, and sometimes when his voice was cracking he would suggest she actually would sound better doing it -- the case, he said, with "Comforts of Home." I didn't hear any cracking in this version, but I couldn't help but note Scott's attitude towards the old band and times: no regrets, and seeming happiness. This was a guy who was obviously happy to be out playing again.

The most magical moment came with the band's performance of a song that damn well ought to be better known than it is: "Nashville Suicide," a brilliant song musically and lyrically that laments what has become of country music. I've been to a lot of Groobees shows, but I never heard them play the song like they did tonight. I don't know if I've ever heard any band do any song better at a live performance than Scott and crew with this one. Although it was in the middle of the second set, the whole crowd STOPPED THE FRIGGIN' SHOW with a LONG standing ovation. Scott even seemed a little choked up about it. So were we. It was magic -- and I think the band sensed it as they were playing.

I don't know what the future holds for Scott Melott, but he confirmed again tonight what I've long argued: not only is he a fine singer/songwriter, but he also has a great sense of how to arrange a song musically and draw out his bandmates. And he's not afraid to share the spotlight on stage, especially evident when dragging Michael Devers (who manages artists these days) out of the crowd to play bass on some of the old favorites, as well as a "washboard player" named Scratch! He promises more live performances, and his website indicates a CD is in the works.

All I can say is, bring it on.