Photos by Jim Mimna
The Scene: 2014 went out with a fight, giving her last days hell in the form of wicked cold temperatures. I saw -8 on my phone as I pulled in to park at The Gothic Theatre, an ironic setting for a Tennessee band about to kick off its New Years run. Despite the dangerous temps, I waited in line to enter with a guy wearing only a sleeveless T-shirt and jeans! As I entered the warm interior, I had to take a moment to enjoy the classic feel of the Gothic’s art-deco ambiance. The room felt ready for a last hoorah of the year.
Lucero: This run of shows had a couple unique points for Lucero; the first being that the band is not touring so they are rested and refreshed from some RnR, and the latter being the emotional rollercoaster they are all riding since the back-to-back deaths of their friends John Hampton and John Fry just weeks earlier. The Ardent Studios founder and the legendary engineer died just a week apart, so the band, like all of the Ardent family, just suffered big losses and were obviously still working through it all. Luckily for the fans, this proved to be a powder keg of ingredients for what turned out to be a great performance.
Ben Nichols plays his role well as the bands core leader, always giving you the down to earth guy next door, which frankly is just who he is and is why Lucero as band is so easy to like. Proving this point, Ben was seen out front of the theater smoking with his fans; he is, after all, just one of the guys. Ben’s stage presence is just like his song writing, it creates a comfortable place to open your heart and lay your troubles down. He did this in spades last week, as his heart was boldly pinned to his shirt with a banner of emotion running down his arm as he sang some of the most soulful deep lyrics that seemed like they were written just for this night. As he sang tunes like “Goodbye Again” and “Mom,” the sentiment in the room was palpable, and it lingered like the smell of whiskey on the breath. This had to be one of the most slowed down stripped performances these fans had seen. Lucero is, by nature. a raw beast, but this night was down to the bone.
This band has always been a bit of a white rhino for me, always leaving me feeling like I missed the magic others seemed to be so enchanted by. So for me personally this show was important. I got what was looking for; they played not only the best Lucero show I have ever seen, but one of the most touching performances of the year. If this was the 1st night of the run, I can’t imagine what the grand finally was like on New Year’s Eve!
Energy: A
Musicianship: A
Sound: B
Stage Presence: A+
Set/Light Show: C
Overall A–
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