Kansas City Blog

Soul Asylum and Los Lonely Boys
06/21/08
Ribfest, American Royal/Kemper Arena Parking Lot
Better Than: you could imagine
By DANNY ALEXANDER
Photos by LAUREN ALEXANDER

Click photo to view slideshow.

"Karl told us to say hi," guitarist Dan Murphy announced toward the end of Soul Asylum's set, "That guy could kick some ribs." Of course, Murphy was referring to Karl Mueller, the band's founding member lost to cancer in 2005.

Despite the oddity of playing to a somewhat sparse crowd (it grew substantially as the band played) on a hot afternoon at a barbeque, lead singer Dave Pirner seemed determined to have fun from the start, prowling the stage and cracking bad jokes inspired by the John Deere display and the irony of playing in the shadow of an arena. By the third song, Pirner
was swinging his hips and dodging invisible bullets (or ribs).

But style and substance hung close, and no one listening missed it when Pirner ended "Lately," a reflection on the pain of a soldier and his girlfriend, by calling it "part two in a trilogy of songs I hope I never have to finish, for anyone who's got a loved one off someplace getting shot at."

The show started strong and never let up. From the moment Murphy referenced Mueller, the band exploded, sometime Prince drummer Michael Bland and new bass player George Scot McKelvey pushing the best out of the other two and the interplay between all four growing more intense. The set closed with a huge version of the thematically perfect "Stand Up and Be Strong," taking on two more guitarists to end with a triumphant roar.

Ribfest was looking full by the time brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza (a.k.a. Los Lonely Boys) took the stage at 9:00 and the responding roar left no doubt when Henry cried out, "Are you ready for some Texican Rock & Roll?"

The band returned the compliment with a muscled up version of "Kansas City," lead guitarist Henry consistently laying down fiery blues licks while bass playing brother Jojo egged him on. That interplay grew ferocious by "Man to Beat," with the brothers bouncing together centerstage. The music could also be probing and reflective as with the Santana-esque, "I Never Met a Woman."

Almost nine minutes on the band's first album, Saturday night's live "Onda" was a half hour fireworks display of musical ideas. At one point Jojo and Ringo shared percussive duties for a dazzling drum solo, at another point they duck-walked from the back of the stage to the front together.This rock and jazz suite never grew dull, firing the crowd for a final sing-a-long with the band's Top 40 hit, "Heaven." Heaven didn't feel far away at all as Henry played his final solos, tossing half a dozen different picks into the crowd without breaking his stride.

Setlist:
Soul Asylum

Somebody to Shove

All Is Well

Bittersweetheart

See You Later

Misery

Lately

Black Gold

Without a Trace

New World

Runaway Train

Oxygen

Cartoon

Gone til November

Whatcha Need

Sometime to Return

Just Like Anyone

Closer to the Stars

Bus Named Desire

Stand Up and Be Strong

Los Lonely Boys

Make It Better

Kansas City

Roses

Crazy Dream

Nobody Else

Heart Won't Tell a Lie

Forgiven

Oye Mamacita

Staying with Me

Man to Beat

I Never Met a Woman

Onda

Heaven

Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: I wrote a little book about the first band, and I don't
think Latin artists get near enough press.

Random Detail: The photographer was "cuted out" by Dave Pirner when they
exchanged waves by the side of the stage watching Los Lonely Boys.

By the way: Los Lonely Boys' new album is out July 1, and the four songs
Saturday night say buy it.