Tune In Turn On
With Doug Deutsch
A full house at Ocean Casino’s Ovation Hall went to church last Friday night – Electric Church that is – the term coined by the late, great Jimi Hendrix to represent an informal cooperative of musicians performing exploratory music in non-traditional settings.
Experience Hendrix, a touring ensemble of some of today’s top rock and blues guitar players, was born in that spirit, paying homage to Hendrix by performing a multitude of his numerous hits. It could be argued that the audience indeed attended church that evening.
The two-hour-plus, guitar-centric show featured a stellar lineup: Ally Venable, Devon Allman, Eric Johnson, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Zakk Wylde, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd all performed from the Jimi Hendrix playbook. Each artist put their own spin on one or two Hendrix songs, with several multiple-guitarist collaborations mixed into the lineup.
Hot blues-rockin’ guitarist Ally Venable took time out from promoting her newly-released Ruf Records album “Money & Power” to deliver a fiery, two-song set that included an instant-classic rendition of “Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire.” She was quite the colorful sight onstage in her bright, all-glitter dress, red Gibson guitar and matching, high red stockings.
Devon Allman came onstage and rocked out on Hendrix’s “Little Wing” and “Are You Experienced?” Eric Johnson delivered a clinic with some hot guitar soloing. Kingfish was cool, calm and collected, showing what a true technician he is with the electric guitar. Samantha Fish, arguably the top female contemporary rock/blues guitarist today, made Jimi’s classic “Angel” her own tune, with some impassioned vocals and her usual smokin’ guitar chops. Kenny Wayne Shepherd received an extended set, and smoked on the Hendrix songs he performed.
But it was Zakk Wylde – veteran hard rock axeman who not only used to front the seminal hard rock group Black Label Society but is also Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist – who really set the crowd on fire with his wild stage antics, running through the entire audience a few times, thrillingly reimagining “Manic Depression” and a few other Hendrix classics.
Wylde’s stage gear – black leather vest; large, high suede boots, gorgeous Flying V guitar with an eye-grabbing spiral design, cool Jimi Hendrix t-shirt – all perfectly fit his wild-man persona. “Now that’s a rock star!” I said to Rueben Williams, manager for Samantha Fish, Devon Allman, Tab Benoit and many others, who was in town to see Fish and Allman perform.
Experience Hendrix has been an annual event since 1995, with this year being the first time it came to Atlantic City. Ovation Hall is a nice room to play, and Ocean is as fine a casino as any out there, all of which means: I’m thinking there’s a good chance the Hendrix traveling tribute could return here next year. If it does, by all means, make Experience Hendrix a must on your entertainment schedule. Suggestion: Adding a left-handed guitarist – Jimi was left-handed – would be a nice touch.
Peace Out – DD
