I nearly didn't go out last night: I ended up working late, got home at nine, and by that time I was sore and cranky and doubted that I should inflict my company on anybody else. However, I've noticed that the chairs along the bar at Tribeca don't bother my leg and anyway, after a good night's sleep that leg is really cranky in the morning. So I went off to see what Adam, Rob and the guys were up to, promising myself that if I started to get hateful I would go home. This seemed fair.

Well, I don't know what Adam was up to, but whatever it was he wasn't up to it at Tribeca--I arrived partway through the first song to find Jason singing and playing guitar, Rob playing keys, and Mike and Brian on bass and drums.

It was also, for some reason, a really quiet night. Possibly a lot of hockey fans stayed home to watch Calgary at San Jose (about which the less said the better, thankyouverymuch.) However, the smaller audience was enthusiastic, and interactive, and... I'm trying to think of a way to say "we were obnoxious" without coming right out and admitting it, and frankly not having very much luck. Fortunately, everyone involved was a good sport. And really, what country singer could possible mind being heckled by two-thirds of Skank Williams?

Since Jason was obviously the lead vocalist they did a few songs from his first solo record, and then a few more from the upcoming record, as well as a few covers--"Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones, "All Right For the Shape I'm In" by BR-549, "Tiger By the Tail" by Buck Owens, and after considerable pressure from the peanut gallery Jason agreed to play something by Johnny Cash. Jason knows a bunch of his tunes. Speaking as a member of the peanut gallery I was reluctant to specify one (okay, I did yell for "Big River" at one point) just because I had no idea which songs the band as a whole knew.

There was one glorious moment when, based on his guitar work, I thought Jason was talking everyone into playing "Tennessee Flat-Top Box," but he didn't get traction from the others (and I may have been hearing things anyway.) However, they played "Big River" and "I Still Miss Someone," which I should have remembered Rob would know from the Chris Denny sessions.

It was a short evening (and this is a short entry) but definitely a nice one.