Wes Tucker’s CD Release: A Family Affair

My family, specifically. Getting ridiculous.

My neighbor had a party on Friday night, so I was in the front yard, drinking wine and talking to some guy about lactose intolerance* when I realized that I was going to be late to Wes Tucker‘s CD release show at Iota, and that I wouldn’t have time to pee before I left. Only after I walked/stumbled away from a group of people with a pretty good sense of humor and an appreciation for messages from moms did I see this text from my mom:

Where are you? We are at IOTA and working on a good time. Hurry so we can see you!!!

Awesome.

I did manage to get to the club as the Skillets took the stage, despite being stalled and heckled by the bouncers about the wad of ones I used to pay cover. (“Oh, so you were gonna go to the Chippendales, but now you’re here.”) Unfortunately, I missed opener Dean Fields, whom my parents liked.**

The band opened with “Sad and Proud” before a sizable crowd that cheered them every step of the way. They rolled through nearly every song on the new album, and picked a few favorites from “Tradition” and “Beauty in the Broken” for the few suckers who didn’t already have the album.

The sound was big and bold, performed with the laid-back confidence I can always expect from the Skillets. These guys aren’t showing off; they just love what they do, and Wes’s passion for his music cuts through the fun funktry sound. If memory serves, this was the first time I’ve seen the full band since Arch’s brain aneurysm in the Fall. If you hadn’t heard, you probably never would have known; his playing remains flawless, and he’s possibly more charismatic when chatting with the crowd between songs.

Mid-set, Wes dedicated “Beloved One” to the videographer, but I had to point it out to her because she was too busy telling her coworkers about some guy who put his lips to her ear as she was filming and started whispering to her. She told him that he was in her personal space, and he wasn’t impressed. Then he came up and yelled at her, saying he only wanted to give her advice because he’s a professional photographer. Where most of us would have responded with the ever mature “Fuck you, asshole!” Liz kept it classy by yelling, “You need to be MORE RESPECTFUL WHEN YOU APPROACH ME.” She went and filmed them playing the song, but I don’t think that’s exactly what Wes meant by “This one’s for the videographer.”

They closed with “Good to Go” I believe, which is even more energetic live than on the album… though maybe the generally stronger drive had something to do with the grown-up drum kit Dave debuted that night. As an encore, Wes and Bryan played “Three Yellow Roses” and the full band closed with “Tradition.”

In the car on the way home, Mikey called me. It was about 1am. It was his buddy’s birthday. He asked about the show and told me, “Yeah, I’m about nine beers in.” When I remarked that this was “quite a volume” of beer, Mikey responded, shrug audible in his voice, “Well, I’m a man.”

And that’s how I choose to remember it.

*Actual, awesome quotes from our conversation: “How long have you been this way?” and “I’ve got pills, if you wanted to get into that cheese.” This guy was great.

**Lest you think that is less than a ringing endorsement, let it be known that my Dad totally loves Gogol Bordello, and Mom and I have been known to belt out Jason Mraz on long car trips. What I’m saying is, we all have awesome taste in music.