By Mike McKenney, New England Correspondent
Venue: Twin River Event Center-Lincoln, Rhode Island-Saturday August 18, 2018
Rockabilly rebel Chris Isaak and his long time band, Silvertone, elated a sold out Event Center with a night of 50’s rock n’ roll that included hits from his nine albums. Over the course of Chris’s long career, he has also released, twelve singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series.
As Isaak was quick to point out, he has played with Silvertone for over 33 years. Original members, Rowland Salley (Bass), and Kenny Dale Johnson (drums) were joined by guitarist Hershel Yatovitz when longtime guitarist James Colvin Wilsey left in 1995.
On Saturday night, Chris Issak and Silvertone opened with, “American Boy”, a pop/rockabilly song from their “Always Got Tonight” album before the 62 year old Isaak unleashed his trademark falsetto on “You Owe Me” , “Somebody’s Crying”, and “Heart Shaped World”.
Ever the showman, Chris bantered with the crowd thought the show, going so far as to invite a pretty young lady up to the stage while he sang to her. With all his charisma, even his hair has its own fan club!
Two notes into “Wicked Games” brought the crowd to their feet, as Chris crooned smooth as silk, his voice never tiring though his most popular song. Chris doesn’t shy away from the legends either as he reached into the songbooks of Roy Orbison “Oh, Pretty Woman” and Merle Kilgore/Johnny Cash version of “Ring of Fire”. Close your eyes and you can hear the King as Chris expertly covers Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.
A funky “Baby Did a Bad Thing” and “Can’t Do a Thing (to stop me), finished off a great night of fun and rock n’ roll
Set List:
American Boy
You Owe me
Somebody’s Crying
We’ve got tomorrow
Big Wide Wonderful World
Heart Shaped World
Wicked Game
Go Walkin’ Down
Oh, Pretty Woman
Ring of Fire
Blue Spanish Sky
Two Hearts
Livin’ for Your Lover
Let Me Down Easy
Baby What You Want Me to Do
Can’t Help Falling in Love
You Don’t Cry Like I Do
Don’t Make Me Dream About You
Blue Hotel
San Francisco Days
Notice the Ring
Encore:
Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing
Can’t Do a Thing (To Stop Me)
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