Concert review: Bob Dylan and Scott Aiges tributes.
It was something of a Wilbury weekend in New Orleans, as tribute nights were on tap for two musical legends who also happened to be Traveling Wilburys. On Saturday, a roomful of local favorites took the stage at the Broadside to commemorate the 84th birthday of Bob Dylan. And on Sunday another group of local notables (including a few of the same faces) saluted a longtime friend of local music, writer and band manager Scott Aiges, with a night of his favorite artist Tom Petty.
Bob Dylan Tribute
The fun part of a Bob Dylan tribute is that the catalogue runs so deep that there’s no telling what songs people will choose to do. So, it was that the Broadside’s birthday tribute ran three and a half hours and there still wasn’t room for a few of the gems, though it went deeper into the catalogue than the man himself does nowadays. Many of the big classics got played, but there were plenty of illuminating looks into the darker corners of the catalogue. When Gregg Hill opened the night with “Hurricane”—the epic story song about boxer Hurricane Carter, wrongfully jailed for murder, that nobody ever covers—it showed this night wasn’t going to be all about the obvious. Bandleader Sam Price kept things moving and allowed for some spontaneous jamming, just as the real Dylan does onstage.
Everyone was onstage for just one or two songs, which made for a wide variety of takes on Dylan. Blake Quick of the Quickening did “I Don’t Believe You” but chose the 1966 Albert Hall version, distinguished by its triple shot of venom. Gal Holiday naturally gravitated to a pair of countryish songs, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” (which she said she’d learned from The Byrds) and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Johnny Sansone played accordion on a localized version of “On a Night Like This,” saluting Buckwheat Zydeco whose own version was appreciated by Dylan. The one performer who’s played on a Dylan record, Brian Stoltz ventured into the ’80s for “Sweetheart Like You,” proving as always that a going-for-it guitar solo is still thrilling in the right hands.
Nearly everybody else picked songs from the ’60s or early ’70s; only Mia Borders got close to the present day with a sweet take on 1997s “To Make You Feel My Love”. Layla Musselwhite was among the most adventurous, picking the confessional ’80s song “Every Grain of Sand” and giving it a moody, Peter Gabriel-esque treatment. Aaron Wilkinson (Honey Island Swamp Band) segued from one of the more meaningful Dylan songs, “When I Paint My Masterpiece” to one of his most lighthearted, “Country Pie.” And Susan Cowsill was joined by her old Continental Drifters partner Vicki Peterson and her husband, Susan’s brother John Cowsill for the celestial harmonies on “Knocking’ on Heaven’s Door.” Every song revealed a different facet, and a Dylanesque time was had by all.
Scott Aiges
“Rock for Aiges” at Tipitina’s was a more bittersweet event. The night was a tribute and benefit for Scott Aiges, who covered music for the Times Picayune and went on to manage a few notable bands before moving Northwest. He’s currently facing severe health challenges and couldn’t attend the show, though it was recorded for his benefit. His wife and two children were present, and the latter said onstage that there were two things Aiges would most appreciate: “Some Tom Petty music, and a fuckin’ party.” Aiges’ friend and Picayune colleague Keith Spera served as the MC. And one of the bands Aiges managed, Royal Fingerbowl, opened the night (in a new reunion incarnation) with a bunch of nuggets that leader Alex McMurray seldom performs these days.
It was hard to miss how many Petty songs are about strength and survival—“I Won’t Back Down,” “Running Down a Dream,” “Refugee” (the latter performed by a partial reunion of the first band Aiges managed, the Continental Drifters). That also goes for “Swingin’,” a deep-cut gem that was chosen by C.C. Adcock (who also did an even deeper track, the 1982 rocker “Same Old You”). Rob Savoy (whom Spera introduced as “one of the 89 bass players who’s been in Cowboy Mouth”) took the lead on the one Wilbury’s tune, “Last Night.” The Cowsill/Cowsill/Peterson trio was on and offstage all night to provide the Jeff Lynne choir; and John Gros was also an MVP with his tasty solos on the Hammond B3. Much like Petty’s catalogue, the mood switched from celebratory to somber a few times—most dramatically when Samantha Fish’s rowdy take on “American Girl” was followed by Paul Sanchez doing a tender “Wildflowers.”
The night ended appropriately with everyone onstage doing “Free Fallin’” (a song that always gave Petty a problem with the high notes onstage, but they were nailed by Cowsill and Peterson). With all the greatest hits accounted for, the night testified to the power of Petty’s catalogue—but most of all to the local music community, and to the love it has for Aiges.
