Hornsby gives solid performance
Bruce Hornsby’s concert in the Town Ballroom on Saturday night wasn’t originally scheduled there, but the revocation of the temporary liquor sales permit at North Tonawanda’s Gateway Park (where he was originally slated to play July 26) led to his rescheduling at the alternative venue.
Gary Zoldos and his band, the Pillagers, were already scheduled to perform in a benefit concert for the Buffalo City Mission with Middleman, another local group, but when Hornsby’s Gateway Park gig evaporated things began to change.
Hornsby — whose career includes hit singles, Grammy Awards, tours with the Grateful Dead and recording projects with bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs and a trio with jazz masters Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette — has both an eclectic sonic palette and a social conscience.
The confluence of the “Feed the City” benefit and Zoldo’s ability to persuade Hornsby to help out resulted in Saturday evening’s concert. While there was an increase in the cover charge from freewill to $25 at the door, the attendance of Hornsby fans swelled the audi -ence.
The resulting percentage of proceeds from the gate was, according to talent promoter Donny Kutzbach, “raising a lot more for the City Mission than [the original concert lineup] would have.”
When Hornsby and his band, the Noisemakers, strode onto the stage for their portion of the evening, a great roar went up from the crowd. As the night wore on, it was apparent that the audience was (quite rightly) enamored of Hornsby and his associates.
Hornsby’s vocals and keyboard playing were solid as ever, and it sure was nice seeing him pick up the accordion and actually play something other than “Lady of Spain” with it. But it was his jazz-and jam band-inflected songwriting and his ease with the audience that made his performance memorable. Especially notable was a powerful version of the tune he co-wrote with Don Henley, “The End of the Innocence.”
While the leader was the primary focus, the band was supportive and incendiary at the same time. They didn’t overwhelm the star, but when they had the chance to solo, everybody delivered the goods with vigor. Drummer Sonny Emory and bassist J. V. Collier were particularly noteworthy, although it would be hard to dismiss the contributions of guitarist Doug Derryberry and saxophonist Bobby Read as mere note spinning.
Despite having an unfortunate name for a band seeking to generate money for charity, the Pillagers played a fairly decent set before a receptive audience that was obviously aware of the group and their repertoire.
While the Pillagers played a few of Zoldo’s high energy originals, most of their time on stage was taken up with socially responsible selections penned by such cultural icons as John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, with tunes by the Who and the Rolling Stones tossed in as a bonus.
Concert Review
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
With the Pillagers as part of “Feed the City” show Saturday night in Town Ballroom.
