Concert Review: The Jayhawks with Trapper Schoepp at The Neptune

The Jayhawks perform at the Neptune TheatreThe Jayhawks with Trapper Schoepp

Neptune Theatre, Seattle

January 6, 2015

The first time I heard of The Jayhawks was back in the mid 1990’s when I had a record store in Everett called Orbit Records. In 1995, they released an album called “Tomorrow the Green Grass” and I’ve been hooked on their music ever since. So, on a foggy January evening, I was excited to the see The Jayhawks, who surprisingly I had never seen live before at the Neptune in Seattle.

At first the crowd was light, kinda floating in like the fog. I didn’t know there was an opening band until I saw their gear set up. Boy was I surprised by the opener, Trapper Schoepp & The Shades. These guys were rockin’!!!! Hailing from Wisconsin, I was very impressed with their big sound, their solid playing and their overall performance. I can really see these guys making it big and they were the perfect opener for The Jayhawks.

After everyone recovered from Trapper Schoepp, The Jayhawks hit the stage with a seven piece band featuring Gary Louris on vocals and guitar, Karen Grotberg on vocals and keyboards, Marc Perlman on bass, Tim O’Reagan behind the drum kit and vocals, Kraig Johnson on guitar and vocals, Jessy Greene on violin, and a very fine mandolin player whose name I didn’t get.

The evening opened with “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” and continued on for a 20 more songs. From hard rockers to soft melodic harmonies, this band played to an adoring crowd. People were singing and dancing, and loving every moment, me included!

Some of my favorites from the evening included “ Big Star”, “Waiting For The Sun”, “Blue” and “I’d Run Away”. The biggest highlight was the rockin’ version of Neil Young’s “Sedan Delivery sung by Kraig Johnson which blew everyone away. The Jayhawks then brought out Trapper Schoepp & The Shades to close out the set singing “Until You Came Along” which tied the entire evening together.

The Jayhawks continue their tour down the West Coast, ending at Peter Buck’s Todos Santos Music Festival in Baja California.

You see my photo gallery at peterdervin.comThe Jayhawks with Trapper Schoepp

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!