Despite deluge, fans embrace own Woodstock at Varysburg Jam
When fans who were at the Big & Rich/Gretchen Wilson show Friday night look back in a few years, they may regard the concert as their “Woodstock” moment.
After all, there was lots of mud, baby boomers and rock ’n’ roll at the multi-day campground event called Jam in the Valley in Varysburg. Wilson’s electric guitarist even played a version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” albeit more recognizable than Jimi Hendrix’s version at 1969’s Woodstock. And most of the crowd of close to 10,000 who trekked to the Buffalo Hill Campground in Wyoming County seemed to be in a friendly, Aquarian humor despite the buckets of rain being dumped on their heads.
It’s impossible to talk about Friday’s show without talking about the weather, since the skies opened up at about the same time Big & Rich was taking the stage. The resulting mire left the big lawn a mess for Saturday night’s continuation of the Jam with Billy Currington and Gary Allan.
The performances didn’t suffer, though, as the performers seemed inspired by the tenacity of the crowd. Big & Rich and Wilson were essentially coheadliners, with the former performing the longer set.
Both wore their ’70s rock ’n’ roll influences on their sleeves, though. They’re prototypes for so many of the younger country stars who make their recordings through the Nashville music assembly line for country radio, but then go out on tour with a rock ’n’ roll show. The only things that mark them particularly as country are their accents, the fact you can understand their words and occasionally their politics.
Wilson in concert is a Southern rocker, pure and simple. It’s nothing she’s tried to disguise, name-checking Lynyrd Skynyrd in her biggest song (“Redneck Woman”) and in a song that she said will be the title track on her upcoming CD. There were a few moments of honky-tonk during her 70-minute set, which took place after the rain had mostly ended. Wilson mostly sounded like a female version of Skynyrd, Molly Hatchett or Hank Williams Jr. That’s notable because there weren’t many women singers in Southern rock during its ’70s heyday.
She didn’t let up often, mixing big-beat originals like “All Jacked Up” and “Here for the Party” with covers of Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” and Heart’s “Barracuda,” both ’70s rock standards. Her band’s showcase was a medley of familiar rock riffs, ranging from Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” to Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Wilson has a powerful voice and a great band, but to my ears Big & Rich is more interesting. The group, led by songwriters Big Kenny and John Rich, includes its share of ’70s rock crunch (more in a Bad Company mainstream mode), but mixes in some modern dance music. That’s partly through rapper Cowboy Troy (who performed his country rap, “I Play Chicken With the Train” as well as a rap from Big & Rich recordings). But even without Troy, Big & Rich dive into an almost hip-hop form of country with songs like their monster hit “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).”
Rich appears to be a little uptight and reactionary while Kenny seems to be a bit trippy, but they won’t let themselves be pinned down. That’s what makes them fun, whether it’s veering off into some reggae, riffing comedy routines with Two-foot Fred (yes, he really is that tall, and he helps open and close the show) or reaching for some traditional country populism with a song like “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” (from Rich’s new solo album).
There’s also a wider range in their songs, going from all-out party rockers to songs like “Comin’ to Your City” to more nuanced songs like “8th of November” (about a Vietnam veteran) and “Holy Water” (about a girl in trouble).
Concert Review
Jam in the Valley
Featuring Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy and Gretchen Wilson on Friday night at Buffalo Hill Village, Varysburg.
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