Robert Jon And The Wreck Leamington Assembly Rooms 10-2-23

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Robert Jon And The Wreck Leamington Assembly Rooms 10-2-23

I love live music.

I love discovering something for the first time and tonight that happened 3 times.

The Assembly is a new venue to me.. a great little place less than an hour from home.. Discovery #1

Bywater Call .. a band from Vancouver.. well 2 of the 7 piece anyway.. Discovery #2

Robert Jon and the Wreck.. they've been on the edge of my radar, heard the occasional radio track .. Discovery #3

Bywater Call, two people Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes on stage, one with acoustic guitar and one with a tambourine and frankly the best female voice I've heard since Beth Hart. Definitely check out their full band album because if two of them are this good then the whole ensemble must be a force of nature.

Robert Jon and the Wreck (Robert Jon Burrison - guitar and lead vocals,Henry James on lead guitar, Warren Murrel - bass, Jake Abernathie on keyboards and the ever smiling Andrew Espantman on drums and vocals) Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't ready for that! They ambled onstage with the cool confidence of a band who knew they had all the chops, all the talent, and all the songs to burn the place to the ground. Musically they are unique but the music (and the look) comes from a melting pot of 70's country rock like the Eagles and Skynyrd, through twin guitars of Lizzy, the modern country of Chris Stapleton to the blistering endless solos of Molly Hatchet or Blackfoot.. and all points in between.

They started good, second song in (Do You Remember ) had the kind of Freebird solo and band interplay that less accomplished bands would end with.. but not these guys. They kept upping the ante all the time through to the 15 minute encore of Last Light On The Highway that had it all. Emotive vocals, lengthy guitar soloing of the highest order with the rhythm section holding it all together and the wonderful ability to take it down to a whisper and build it up to a crescendo.

We were swept along with them.. dad dancing erupted everywhere you looked.. smiling singing faces all around.

Wonderful.

Your new favourite band - you just don't know it yet.

Ps. Robert Jon if you read this - I really want your guitar.. let me know what it is!!

Setlist

Pain No More

Do You Remember

Come At Me

She’s A Fighter

Ride Into The Light

Waiting For Your Man

Rescue Train