Midway through his Lincoln on the Streets concert Friday night, Jamey Johnson brought opener Ella Langley back onto the stage to join him and his 10-piece band for a ‘60s psychedelic rock version of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.â€
It was followed by Johnson’s biggest hit, “In Color,†on which he asked the 2,500 or so on Centennial Mall to sing the final chorus by themselves. Then he turned the show into country jukebox Friday night, tearing through a half dozen cover songs, each given a distinctive twist by the deep-voiced Alabaman and his band.
That run began with Toby Kieth’s “I Love This Bar,†fulfilling a promise Johnson made to Keith to play his songs while he recovers from cancer, then George Strait’s “Give It Away†and Billy Joe Shaver’s classic “I’m Gonna Live Forever.â€
A banjo picked up the ending of that number, segueing into a rapid-fire take on Tom T. Hall’s “Faster Horses†that was punctuated by horn flourishes ala Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas big band. Jerry Reed’s “Eastbound and Down†got even faster before Johnson slowed things down with a dramatic telling of David Allan Coe’s “The Ride,†a tale of hitching a ride with the ghost of Hank Williams.
Somehow fittingly, the concert ended with a Johnson song, the gospel number “Lead Me Home,†which brought the show full circle to its opening, showcasing his evocative songwriting and the band.
The show opened with “Keeping Up with the Jonesin’†and a horn punched “Ray Ray’s Juke Joint,†a pair of songs from 2006’s “The Dollar†before hitting the autobiographical “Between Jennings and Jones.â€
Then the normally taciturn Johnson went on a bit of a rant about the KZKX radio personalities who, he said, had a “pep rally†on stage in introducing the band. Country radio stations, Johnson said, are all the same to him – “none of them play my music, so why should they be on my stage talking to you?â€
Back to the show, he featured the band on stretched out versions of songs like the honky tonk weeper “Cash My Checks,†which ended with Johnson deftly, if quietly on acoustic guitar joined by the organ. The solo then passed to one of the electric guitars, then to the steel guitar and finally, the horns and second electric joined as the song - or ending – built to a high volume crescendo.
Similarly, “High Cost of Living†got a spin that came very close to soul music, complete with a sax solo in the middle.
Those variations in songs – no Johnson setlist is identical to the previous show or the last time he played in a city – and in emphasis – he was clearly showcasing the band Friday - are what makes Johnson so captivating live that he can get away with releasing and performing little to no new material for the last decade.
He’s played Lincoln three times in the last four years. Each show has been different and each has been excellent and memorable for different reasons – Friday’s for the covers, the musicality and the radio rant.
Blackberry Smoke preceded Johnson with a well received hour of their Southern rock that, even without the cover they played, always establishes them as sons of and heirs to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Country musician Jamey Johnson performs during Lincoln on the Streets Aug. 12. Lincoln on the Streets was headlined by Grammy nominated country musician Jamey Johnson and featured special guests Blackberry Smoke and Ella Langley.