Sometimes, I feel a need to salute people outside my preferred genre. Today’s honorees are very deserving for enthusiasm, competence and endurance. Without further ado, here are tonight’s Awesome Non-Metal Dudes of the Day.
George Thorogood - Yes, “Bad to the Bone” is hideously overplayed. But that’s not Lonesome George’s fault. And if I were king of the world, “You Talk Too Much” would hit the airwaves more often. But I defy anyone to show me another dude with lets pretense and more rockitude. He’s the very prototype for badass barroom blues-rock. He is one steady-rollin’ man. The Fuzz might not like this gear jammer, but I sure as hell do.
Brian Setzer - Straight up, I’ll admit that rockabilly-flavored stuff got too exposed in the 90s, and lasted in the mainstream for about 5.27 weeks. And that’s probably Setzer’s fault. But that’s because he did it so well. His chops are formidable. His grooves are infectious. His joy at playing live is genuine. And when his pompadour aligns with Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid at Giza just so, it will beam a message to the civilization in the Pleides star cluster to signal them that we are ready for first contact with alien life. And then there will be unlimited pomade for all!
