Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, Tuning Fork, 1 March 2020: Concert review

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Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock brought their authentic brand of American Roots to the Tuning Fork on Sunday night, playing to a thoroughly appreciative crowd of music lovers. Rev Orange Peel was there to capture the event.

When Jimmie Dale Gilmore enters the stage at the Tuning Fork, he looks like a whiskey preacher entering the bar in Deadwood. A lanky frame, long mane of grey hair, large western hat, hawk-like chiselled features. His partner Butch Hancock is slightly shorter, trim moustache, a Stetson hat, the poker-playing minder.

But Jimmie is softly-spoken, very warm and sincere, a real Southern, no sorry Texan gentleman.

Jimmie likes to talk, Butch leaves most of what he wants to say in his songs.

Both have their roots in Lubbock Texas. Jimmie grew up there, Butch was born there.

In 1972 they formed a seminal and legendary band, the Flatlanders, with the third great musician of that group, Joe Ely. The group was really a continuing evolution of country, folk and rock music as practised by the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and the Band.

They met with critical praise and complete indifference by the rest of the public. It was only in the 1990s, with the reissuing of those recordings by the superb American Roots music label, Rounder, that they became recognised as one of the founders of what we now regard as Americana.

Both started their solo careers a while after Joe Ely, who did establish himself in the 70s, and highlighted his bandmates songs.

The Tuning Fork is about three-quarters full, and it is an older and appreciative audience tonight.

Opening is Colin Gilmore, Jimmie’s son and a rising Americana and folk musician in his own right.

With him are two Chicago brothers, Jason Bennett on guitar and Tim Bennett on drums. Bonnie Whitmore, a talented young singer/songwriter on bass completes the band.

The sound mix brings the drums and bass up front, and whilst it doesn’t obscure the nice electric slide guitar playing, it buries Colin’s vocals.

Buddy Holly’s Heartbeat is covered and you can hear Colin now, a good country folk voice.

A real stand-out is when Colin’s wife Tammy comes up to duet with him for one song, Loretta.

Beautiful harmonizing not too far from any classic Gram Parsons/Emmy-Lou Harris song.

A brief break and the same band return with the two Western old-timers.

One Road More and Dallas, two of the best-known Flatlanders songs open their set. Again, the sound mix is drum heavy and Jimmie’s vocals are hard to distinguish.

By the fourth song, Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown, this has been corrected and now you hear how much Jimmie sounds like Willie Nelson, with a slightly higher register.

His voice also reminds me of classic Western Swing and Cowboy music of the late 1920’s. The phrasing is also reminiscent of the later Johnny Cash as produced by Rick Rubin, when his voice sounded vulnerable, let’s say something like his version of Hurt.

Butch Hancock is simply one of the best singer/songwriters in this genre. Repeatedly compared to Bob Dylan in writing and singing style, he supplied a large part of the repertoire for the Flatlanders and for both his bandmates subsequently.

If You Were a Bluebird is a classic of his, covered by Joe Ely and Emmylou Harris. Tonight he sounds similar to Jimmie but in a key lower, not the Dylanesque sound I was familiar with from his albums.

This is the first time I have seen either of them in person, although they have played in Auckland previously.

Butch covers other standout songs of his including West Texas Waltz, Moaning of the Midnight Train, You Could Have Walked Around the World and Leo and Leona.

Throughout the main set, they are backed superbly by Colin and his band for this occasion.

Bonnie Whitmore is a name to keep an eye on for the future. She is a performer based in Austin, Texas. She has a powerful country voice and from her current album she gives us two standout songs, She’s a Hurricane and Fuck with Sad Girls. Well, you have to get people’s   attention these days.

Get Together closes the evening, a recent song by Dave Alvin and Jimmie. It is strongly reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane of the Volunteers album of 1969, and like that period it evokes a plea of hopefulness in a time that seems to be caught up in much trouble and anxiety.

~Rev Orange Peel

Rev Orange Peel
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