Johnny Winter better than ever

I hope nobody thinks I was slamming Johnny Winter. Some places just do not sound good and I've even heard him tell the guy working the mixer that the music was too loud and got him to turn it down. It's just too bad he still doesn't play Chuck Berry and Rolling Stones songs live very often anymore. I saw him last month and for the 1st time in 1968, so I've also heard (live)the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Alvin Lee, all the Guitarists that played for Jim Dandy and Black Oak Arkansas, Eric Clapton and more. Johnny smokes em all! Go Johnny Go!

I have brought my custom ear plugs to shows since before my sister worked for Bill Graham Presents, and I saw a show a week in SF. Last night was LOUD at times but I only put the plugs in to tone down the audience screaming at the top of their lungs!

Still a top slide player despite physical woes.

I met John and Edgar back in the mid '70s at a friends bar in Jacxonville. he wasn't in great shape then either but he did get around seemingly pretty well. he was lucid and both him and Edgar were deep into the conversations. Funny guys too, now and then.

Sure he played a really hot guitar then adn I doubt his skill set has degraded much if any... albeit, that being said, he's simply not the greatest guitarsmith arounde from a purely inovative, articulate and dexterious perspective. I do enjoy his earlier work immensely, but he sure isn't the best guitar player around nor was he ever. knowing that didn't prevent me from enjoying his performances... and I went to several way back then including one where he had Rick Derringer playing with him. Later in that same bill he played with the Caldwells of Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, and others from Ozark Mt. Daredevils, Little River band. ZZ top closed that bill later that night. Weird as this may seem... KISS opened the show at 10AM that morning.

A southern rock show with KISS opening things up... Amazing, huh?

I saw the Winters brothers with Derringer in 1971 (good show).

Taj Mahal was the opening act.

Still have one of Derringer's Fender Heavy picks in my old "Lake Okaboji, IA" souvenir stash box.