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Ian McLagan & the Bump Band
Ian McLagan made an incredible announcement midway through his Saturday afternoon set at ACL: his Austin-based Bump Band will be opening for the Rolling Stones at Zilker Park on Oct. 22.
But as the four-piece band, led by McLagan’s “Fingers of God” organ blasts, proved, it deserves the coveted slot. Mac and the Bumpers came out swinging, with “You’re Secret” sounding very much like the Faces of old, and they let up only slightly on a country number, “Wrong Direction,” which didn’t work in the sweltering sauna that was the Washington Mutual Stage.
“Spiritual Babe,” dedicated to ol’ mate Ronnie Lane, got this downhill train back on track, with drummer Don Harvey and bassist Mark Andes proving sturdy and tight while guitarist Scrappy Jud laid down low, fat riffs. Another standout was “Little Girl,” a meat and potatoes rocker that got plenty of spice with McLagan’s increasingly interesting vocals.
The eternal sideman has found his voice. Near the end was “What You Gonna Do About It,” a British Invasion classic from Small Faces, that finally got the heat-stifled audience moving. What a treat for our out-of-town friends to witness our own slice of Brit rock royalty. That Ian McLagan wasn’t booked during the previous four ACL fests was a mistake rectified in about 50 minutes of pure pub rock glee.
(photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: 2006 Reviews
Comments
By mere
September 25, 2006 09:20 AM | Link to this
Oh no…I was crossing my fingers it would be Blue October. :(
By Allan
September 21, 2006 01:35 AM | Link to this
Willie stunk, boring show. Mac and the band rocked out, good old Faces-style upbeat pub rock. Remarkable that Mac performed like that given that his wife died just a few short weeks ago. Very appropriate openers for the Stones, and hell, Ronnie & Keith might just join them as a modern version of the New Barbarians.
By mark
September 17, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this
Willie would have been better.