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Copyright 1999 Boston Herald Inc. (Source InfoTrac)
The Boston Herald
June 24, 1999 Thursday THIRD EDITION
SECTION: ARTS & LIFE; Pg. 059
LENGTH: 514 words
HEADLINE: J. Geils comes home
BYLINE: By Dean Johnson
The best rock 'n' roll has always broken the rules. Another one was broken
last night. at the Tweeter Center.
Forget what Thomas Wolfe wrote. You CAN go back home.
The J. Geils Band, Boston's prodigal rock sons, played their first official
local show with singer Peter Wolf in 17 years.
It was all die-hard fans could have hoped for and more than they should have
expected.
The marathon set for nearly 13,000 clocked in at well over two hours and
included nearly 30 songs from every phase of the group's long career.
The show began with a sizzling, 'Just Can't Stop Me' and, hit the kind of
energy levels from the get-go most bands are grateful to scrape together for
encores.
Magic Dick's slicing harmonica work and Seth Justman's gorgeous, greasy fills
on the Hammond organ set the tone for the rest of the evening.
But Wolf was the glue that held everything together. He was the consummate
front man - a non-stop shuffling, jiving, spinning, dancing, bundle of energy
who never quite shut up . . but then, that was always his charm.
This was a time capsule concert right out of the '80s, not in the sense of
being dated and moldy but in the same way a Stones or Springsteen show from
those days defies the calendar.
There was a serious burn factor to most songs, whether they were early
chestnuts like 'Homework' and 'Pack Fair and Square' or later tunes such as
'Sanctuary' and 'One Last Kiss.'
Since this is the first night of a 13-city tour, a song or two such as
'Southside Shuffle' was a tad on the loose side. Jay Geils' guitar also need to
be more prominent in the sound mix.
But the right pieces were in place. Danny Klein was rock steady on bass,
Geils is a tastier, less manic guitarist now, Justman does all the dirty work
holding the songs together, and Magic Dick's harp work is still a piece of
unique musical art.
Most tunes had Tyson punch power. Two back-up singers and the three-piece
Uptown Horns added to the mix. Touring drummer Sim Cain injected the needed
percussion muscle.
Highlights included a potent 'Musta Got Lost' with Wolf scampering through
the aisles and beseeching the audience from atop chairs.
'Lookin' For a Love,' 'Give It To Me,' 'Whammer Jammer,' and 'Detroit
Breakdown' all just whomped the crowd.
But this tour's success lies on Wolf's shoulders. Last night, he seemed
ready to carry that weight.
The best rock 'n' roll has also always been about sheer joyous release and
reveling in the immediacy of the moment.
You can't easily describe it, but you know when you've found it. There were
buckets and buckets of it at the Tweeter Center last night.
Reggae legend Toots Hibbert and his band the Maytals opened with a half-hour
of his infectious blend of Jamaican rhythms and Memphis soul.
A sparse but enthusiastic crowd heard the ever dignified rasta soul man dig
into groove-rich numbers like 'Pressure Drop?'
Photo Caption: ON TOP OF THE WORLD: J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf has
the best seat in the house for last night's Tweeter Center concert. Staff photo
by Bill Belknap
End of Article
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