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The Boxmasters Setlist
Tour Dates
Aug 26 Chesterfield, MO The Factory
Aug 27 Springfield, IL Boondocks Aug 28 Quapaw, OK Downstream Casino & Resort Sept 02 Baton Rouge, LA The Texas Club Sept 03 Arlington, TX Arlington Music Hall Sept 04 Kerrville, TX The Arcadia Live Sept 05 New Braunfels, TX Brauntex Theater Read More
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“Boxmasters are the key”
So says the 2017 Source Point Press graphic novel (available to read here) where The Boxmasters find themselves becoming time-traveling heroes to save rock history – no such extreme drama in real life, but it was rowdy fun all the same, as the band played the newly re-opened historic Jayhawk Theatre in downtownTopeka, KS.
The occasion itself marked the first national touring act to play this restored venue, first opened in 1926, with burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee bringing her show there on New Years Eve of 1929. The venue would fall into decline with years of fundraising and renovations finally culminating in a June ribbon cutting and a handful of smaller events since.
There is a charm and personality to the peeling paint on the walls, its original ornamentation, and esteemed performance space (the balcony and eves remain mostly unfinished) and like many older theaters, the sound can be somewhat boomy (more so on the lower level under the balcony) and air circulation could be improved, but overall, it is a much-needed downtown venue that has true possibilities.
The evening was opened by longtime local singer Ellie Smith and her band, with a sassy forty-minute set of blues, funk, soul, and rock. Smith began singing on stage at age three, encouraged by her bass playing father, eventually forming The Commotion (not to be confused with Lloyd Cole’s former band) and now fronts her own named band. Formidable vocals, a seasoned performer, and songs with swagger made the opening set an enjoyable one.
We learned plenty about The Boxmasters when we talked to bandmates Billy Bob “Bud” Thornton and J.D. Andrew a few days before the Topeka show, and it was very clear from the opening notes of their hundred-minute headlining set to any potential doubters in the audience, that this was a serious rock n’ roll show and not just some offshoot vanity project.
Coming up on fifteen years together as a band, they’ve not only released ten studio albums 2020’s Light Rays on Keentone Records their latest), but also found enough time during the virus lockdown to record another three, including the new Christmas in California album due out this November. The band, in town for the first time ever, also each has local ties to the area- Andrew grew up in nearby Salina, and Thornton had tried out for the Kansas City Royals, but was released following an injury.
After a novel montage of 70’s-tinged walk-on music, TheBoxmasters came out swinging with back-to-back songs from 2018’s In Stereo!followed by 2015’s “She Looks Like Betty Page” then “Go Like This” all in rapid fire succession, setting the pace for a top-down, fifth-gear style evening of loud rock n’ roll.
Thornton finally took a breath and moment to address the audience after “Garage”, joking that they were not only trained musicians, because of the appearance of all wearing gas station type shirts, that they all also happened to be trained auto mechanics.
“Science Fiction” was not only inspired by Roswell, NM but also their bandmate friends in Devo, and Thornton revealed the full title of “I Still Want to See You” adds “I Just Don’t Want to Hear You”, saying sometimes someone is so beautiful, it’s often better to not hear them talk.
Teasing the upcoming albums, the band even played a yet-to-be-released song, “You’ll Never Be Mine”, about agoraphobia, which was followed by 2016’s cheeky “I Got Glendale” about where Thornton lived in the ‘80s. Harkening back to the small town street dances of the 60’s, the band got people moving with “I’ll Make You Dance”, “Summertime in L.A. Again” and “That’s Just Me Shakin’”.
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Setlist
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The two-song encore began with “Time” and the evening ended with their only cover song of the night, “Sylvia’s Mother”, originally penned by the versatile, author, cartoonist and playwright Shel Silverstein, a rockabilly’d revved-up version of the original 1972 Dr. Hook Top Five hit.
With some pandemic restrictions still in place and a new/old venue just re-opened downtown, The Boxmasters was a much-needed fun night out, which both showed the timeless power of their late 60’s-influenced rock, and the possibilities of what could come to a near-hundred year old downtown theater, finally re-opened to welcome in worthy acts and the community.
Ellie Smith |
Ellie Smith |
Ellie Smith |
Ellie Smith |
Boxmasters |
The Boxmasters |
Boxmasters (Bud Thornton) |
Boxmasters (JD Andrew) |
Boxmasters |
Boxmasters |
The Boxmasters at Jayhawk Theatre, Topeka (2021-08-23) |
| john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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