CONCERT REVIEW: Ian McLagan, Todd Wolfe

By Frank De Blase on March 5, 2009

Although I love my job, it has fueled my short attention span. Often, in order to get the job done, I'll see a few songs from one band before I scurry off to dig another. I'm always moving and I'm never bored. But Ian McLagan and the Bump Band kept me at the German House for the whole show Wednesday night. Man, he sounded fantastic. Singing soulful and ragged (not unlike his former Faces bandmate, Rod Stewart), McLagan strode the 88s and pumped the organ during a 90-minute set of groovy, mid-tempo rock 'n' roll. The Bump Band -- which included Mark Andes (Spirit, Canned Heat, Heart) and a guitarist named Scrappy -- was the perfect marriage of loose and tight as it boogied and woogied. McLagan was charming and humble, sending lots of love Ronnie Lane's way.

I didn't get into "Sons of Anarchy" last season for the plot (I mean, it's essentially "Melrose Place" with bikers). I got into it for the music. The dirty blues of The Black Keys is all over it, and Todd Wolfe's should be as well. Anyway, after McLagan, I went down to the Dinosaur to hear this ex-Sheryl Crow guitarist blast the blues so viciously you'd have thought his fingers had teeth and his amp sported twice-pipes. It spoke of open roads and open throttles.