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Horseshoe Tavern Celebrates 55 Years
Toronto
January 27, 2003
From the energy level in the pit during The Waco Brothers' set, you would think that Horseshoe Tavern patrons had waited 55 years to see this band and not the mere 7 Horseshoe staff had tried to get them on a bill. Introduced by owner Jeff Cohen as "one of the best live bands in the history of Rock and Roll", The Waco Brothers did no dissapoint, delivering an unrelenting mix of punk, country and good ol' Guiness fueled rock and roll.
Fronted by punk legend Jon Langford of Mekons fame, The Waco Brothers have earned a reputation as the live band to come out of the hyped Chicago music scene. With Steve Goulding (Mekons, Graham Parkerm Archer Prewitt) on drums, Alan Doughty (Jesus Jones) on bass, and Dean "Deano" Schlabowske (Wreck), Tracey Dear (World's Greatest Living Englishman), and Mark Durante (KMFDM) on guitar the extremely talented line-up flawlessly combine elements of their varied pasts to produce music that is at its core, pure rock and roll.
The love affair between the band and the dedicated fans crowding the front of the stage was as entertaining to watch as the show itself. Coming out for the encore the band gave in to the crowds demands that certain songs be played, something they never do but something they could hardly turn down on this evening considering a wish list had been nailed to their dressing room door. The encore featured covers of George Jones' "White Lightning", Johnny Cash's "Big River" and "Folsom Prison Blues", "I Fought The Law"(dedicated to the late Joe Strummer) and The Who's "Baba O'Reilly".
Like the history of the Horseshoe Tavern itself, the evening was a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll and a lot of the Good Familiy. Playing an all too short set before The Waco Brothers, The Sadies were joined by Dallas and Travis' father, Bruce Good, who was celebrating a birthday himself, his 57th.
Opening the evening's birthday celebrations was a "solo" Jon Langford, backed by The Sadies. With a more toned down performance than what would transpire later, the set was no less impressive. Often dessibed as The Clash meets Johnny Cash, it would be more fitting to describe this set as The Clash meets Stompin' Tom Connors.
Happy Birthday Horseshoe Tavern!
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