The Bx3 Tour

[bx3webmaster]

Post here if you plan to attend or have a review!

This gig has moved from Lubbock to Austin at the Flamingo Cantina.

Thanks

[LoneStarDrummer]

Anybody else going to the Austin show?

Bx3 Photoman: Are you showing up to this show???

[Bx3 Photoman]

No but i wish I could, I tried to help you out, you really should go, Dont tell me EJ and Bozzio are going to show up!!!
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"I have to have my picture taken with this Guy" Jeff Berlin April 2006

[LoneStarDrummer]

[Bx3 Photoman]

dream boat city, EJ and Stu or Billy or Jeff, Cant wait till Feb. 21st, I want detailes Loanstar. Have a good time.
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"I have to have my picture taken with this Guy" Jeff Berlin April 2006

[LoneStarDrummer]

Wow...what an incredible show!!! I can't believe I got to see three of the greatest bassists of all time at a little dive on Austin's 6th Street!!!

I always have a hard time estimating the number of people at an event, but my best guess is that there were about 150-200 people in attendance. The place was laid out in a way that the farthest you could possibly be from the stage was ~50 ft! To make things even sweeter, the cover charge for last night's show was a mere $15!!! Can you believe that?!?

Although Jeff and Billy put on outstanding performances, I was there to see Stu. Besides his appearances in Satriani's band, I've never seen him live. The highlight of the night (and probably of the last 10 years of my life) was when he played "Flow My Tears". This song means so much to me. I've been dying to hear it live since 1990. There's just so much raw emotion in that song. It was incredible to see Stu's fingers so effortlessly fly across the fretboard. It would have been absolutely perfect, had it not been the jerk standing about 12 feet behind me...Everyone else was silent, except for this dude...and he was talking so loud that I could hear his entire boring, mood-killing conversation about Adobe Photoshop versus Adobe Illustrator.

Right after "Flow My Tears", Stu brought out special guest (and Austin native) Eric Johnson, who completely tore it up on "Lonestar"!!! Ha ha ha...just kidding. I just wanted to see if BX3 Photoman was paying attention. Unfortunately, EJ didn't make it, but, still...Jude did an incredible job handling Eric's guitar parts.

Definitely the worst part of the evening was the crowd...I don't think I've ever been to a concert where the rest of the crowd was as lame and un-enthusiastic as the people were last night. At one point, Stu was basically begging people to clap along with "Country Music"...and even then it was basically me and about 5 other dudes clapping along.

All in all, it was an incredible show. Go check them out if they're coming to your neck of the woods!

[AgingFusionDude]

The Austin Bx3 show was indeed fabulous. Anyone who thinks Jeff Berlin can't play a real baseline is seriously misled. The dude plays a walking baseline as well as anyone I've ever seen or heard (and that list includes Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Andy West, Jerry Peak, Ralphe Armstrong, Mars Cowley, Roscoe Beck, Tom Fowler, Dave LaRue, etc.)

The crowd consisted of about 80% self-professed musicians with most of them looking to be over 40 (including myself), so LoneStarDrummer needs to cut us some slack. I'm afraid that's about as excited as we can get at this point in our lives.

The show lasted around 3 hours (9:30 to 12:30?) but it felt more like 2 because there wasn't a single lull in anyone's set. Each bass player had their own distinct tone which sounded great individually and together. I loved the fact that it wasn't so loud that you missed-out on the subtleties of their respective techniques. However some of Sheehan's flashy licks were kind of obscured by his distorted tone.

The show would have been a bargain at twice the $15 cover and I left being completely blown away. Highly recommended!

[Bx3 Photoman]

[sixty-four]

Wow, where to start? $15 to see three of the best electric bass players that have ever walked the earth? My Casio calculator watch informs me that's only $5 per bassist. Count me in!

First off - the backup band rhythm section of guitar and drums was unbelievable. The way Jude Gold and John Mader smoothly transitioned between a heavy swing to new-school funk to over-the-top rock without stepping on the spotlighted bass and bringing it 1000% when it was their turn to burn says volumes for their talent and artistry. Impressive doesn't begin to describe how good they were.

Jeff Berlin was first and the only thing more impressive than his room-clearing jokes was his complete command of his instrument. I first heard Jeff on Holdsworth's Road Games but have never seen him perform live. YIKES. His arrangement of Tears in Heaven is testament to his musical genius and creativity. I remember enjoying his sense of humor and his columns in Guitar Player way back when (I still remember the "phantom bass player" article).

Stu Hamm was next and true to his name, he started with a hammy joke. His set was not very interesting so I used the lull in the momentum to discuss with my business partner why we should renew our Photoshop licensing and dump Illustrator. I first heard Stu Hamm on one of those plastic records Guitar Player used to stick in their magazines (pre-Internet and MP3). The tune was Steve Vai's Blue Powder and HOLY SMOKES was the bass killing on that. Stu's playing ranged from beautifully contemplative to incredibly energetic and complex.

And just when you thought the night's momentum peaked with the skillful 2-handed playing and airtight slap-n-pop of Stu, Billy Sheehan hit the stage with the musical equivalent of a bench-clearing, player-suspending, teeth-on-the-ice hockey fight. He is one TERRIFYING bass player. Both hands moved like those face-hugging crawlies in Aliens. Between his holy-sheet rock chops and chipmunk-on-crack stage prescense, I didn't know whether to laugh in incredulous disbelief or cry in jealous envy. The last time I saw Sheehan "live" was at Mr. Big's Addicted to That Rush video shoot with Paul Gilbert, another highly-entertaining chop-saki musician.

After being brutalized by Sheehan's F-16-flying-900mph-at-10-feet-above-the-ground playing, all three bassists got on stage for a Crossroads jam and the highlight of the show - a cover of Spinal Tap's Big Bottom.

What a night - five huge talents in an intimate venue for a song. Chops from hell, monster groove, supreme musicianship and all delivered in an unintimidating (well, except for Billy ) and friendly fashion.

[Bx3 Photoman]