“I sing in a punk rock band…” A familiar Texan accent drawls as tonight’s headliner takes the stage. Indeed, said punk rock band had a quick jaunt over to Belfast, Dublin and Torquay of all places before Jaret Ray Reddick stayed behind to deliver a couple of solo shows around this year’s excellent solo country album, Just Woke Up. The humorous tone of the song is an excellent way to set the mood as an opener for the album, and coincidentally, tonight’s show. And over the course of the show, Jaret Ray Reddick proves he is way more country than you.
Taking the stage first, Gasoline and Matches more than take their hometown advantage in their stride. All full of country twanging joy without going full hoedown, the pop gloss on top adds a level of modernity and accessibility to them and it would seem there’s a hardcore fanbase in for them tonight which doesn’t depart once they finish their own set. Excitingly, saxophone is added for the last few numbers to bring a more swing/jazz element to the table and it works a blinder to become the highlight of the set. The only downside comes in “Never Have I Ever” which speeds up the tempo a touch but the lyrics themselves come across forced and slightly immature without going full cringe. Thankfully, they rescue it back with final song, “Glory Hunter” which, in the first half, I was really hoping for a cover of Steel Panther’s “Gloryhole” (and the band themselves even manages to make a lewd joke about said activities) before it went in a completely different direction. Crowd suitably warmed up; they leave to a well-earned final applause.
Armed only with an acoustic guitar and some dry wit, Thomas Nicholas kicks off with a cover of “Stacy’s Mom” because why the hell not?! However, he dedicates his affections instead to Stifler’s mother from the American Pie series (which he appeared in) and commits to the bit for the entire song. Afterwards, it’s “Times Like These”, naturally dedicated to Taylor Hawkins and whilst it may be well-worn in the aftermath of the Foo Fighter’s passing, it’s never any less touching. It’s a brave thing to come out as a support as a solo acoustic act, especially when you’re sandwiched between two plugged-in sets but Nicholas makes it work and an engaging performance and to keep it all in the family (which will become clear later), he ends it with a parody of “1985”, entitled “1999” and American Pie leanings. Whilst those films haven’t been relevant in a long period of time (I’d like to say 1999 as a cheap joke but it would be hyperbolic), it never feels like he’s trading on that recognition and there’s a real sense of authenticity and kudos found in his performance which garners an easy singalong for his final song.
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It doesn’t feel like a year has passed unless you’ve managed to get in at least one performance from the Bowling For Soup family tree. Jaret Ray Reddick is very much the known quantity given his day job is singing and playing guitar in Bowling For Soup but a country album may sound a bit left-field, until you hear it and realise it’s the perfect fit. Plus he’s from Texas so he has the credential to back it up. That’s how it works, right? Regardless, Reddick is his usual entertaining and humorous self between songs, ably backed up by Rob Felicetti (BFS’ bassist) and some of Gasoline and Matches. Reddick touches on this early that the previous day in London was the first time the band all had a chance to perform together, without rehearsals. But the way the five play, you’d never know it – they thread the needle perfectly between the tightness you’d expect from professionals and the looseness which comes from people enjoying a fun project. There’s no rigidity nor is there enough looseness to appear sloppily. Rather, this is Goldilocks’ idea of how a band should play.
Naturally, there’s a big focus on Reddick’s country output but given there’s only one album from it, which had a couple of Bowling For Soup covers in it, familiar territory is entered quickly with “Ohio (Come Back to Texas)” which is followed up by “Songs About Texas” wherein the former is the latter. Much like his Heartache and Hilarity tour a number of years ago, Reddick balances the laughs with candour and emotion to make for a confessional set as seen in the juxtaposition of “Roayl Family” and “My Truck Up and Left Me”. The former details Jaret taking a look at his family and the members he didn’t know he had until a few years ago (that would mess with anyone, especially a man of his age). The latter lightens the mood which lampoons the country clichés of trucks and everyone leaving the singer by having the truck leave them.
As Reddick himself mentions, he only has so much material and to bulk out the time, he introduces every song but they all deserve their own pre-amble and with a couple of extra covers thrown in, the time whizzes by. Certainly, it wouldn’t be a Bowling For Soup-adjacent show if “Turbulence” didn’t put in an appearance and in its stripped-down version led by Reddick and Felicetti, it goes down a storm. And it wouldn’t be a country gig if we didn’t have the most famous country song of all time, either. Seriously, who doesn’t know the words to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, and if anyone was in attendance just to hear a handful of BFS songs and didn’t bother with Just Woke Up, there’s no chance those people wouldn’t have been singing along to this one.
Elsewhere, we have “The Bitch Song” and a touching rendition of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and whilst the latter may have been covered numerous times, it’s one of those rare songs which always produces a good version, no matter who touches it. Alcohol gets a nod at the top and bottom of the set with “You and Beer” at the start and “Drunk as it Takes” at the end. The latter of which is elevated several levels because it doesn’t have Frank Turner ruining it here. And, Reddick saves the best for last with the dual-layered “Doggonit!” and a round of “1985”.
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If people were here just for the Bowling For Soup material, it’s not obvious. Whilst it does get the loudest cheers of the night, the material from Just Woke Up is received heartily too. Played with aplomb, it comes from a band backing a man whose country album is more passion project than vanity project. It may have been more than just a divergence into nearby territory (such as Mark Tremonti getting his metal on in his self-titled band) and a massive leap but nowhere does this fall flat on its face, instead it’s a performance which simply backs up the good time found on the album.
So for anyone doubting it, Jaret Ray Reddick is way more country than you.
Jaret Ray Reddick: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
Thomas Nicholas: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
Gasoline and Matches: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
