Warren Haynes came to Los Angeles in support of his new album, “Ashes And Dust” on a Wednesday night at the Fonda Theater. It’s definitely something different than his usual shows, but not out of his comfort zone. The hippies and tie-dyed masses descended upon Hollywood in the middle of the week. Everyone that I saw had big smiles on their faces in anticipation of the show that was about to start.
I’m used to seeing Warren play with either the Allman Brothers (who are now no longer playing) or Gov’t Mule. I’m pretty biased towards his music because he’s one of my favorite guitar players out there today, so I’m going to just start this with a few quotes from friends that were also at his show on Wednesday night at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood:
“The relationship between Violin/Fiddle and guitar is a special one …. That was a real treat hearing Warren and that guy play together. Then you put Jeff Sipe, one of the worlds greatest drummers with a bluegrass band and that was the glue to make it an honest Warren show that had the perfect mix of rock and roll and bluegrass” – Brett D
“Fun! Yet another amazing set by Mr Haynes. A great show that let you settle in, set you free, then draw you back in and make you want to hug yourself.” – Grace W
“I’ve been a Warren Haynes fan for many years and I really like it when he hooks up with different backing bands for his tours. This time Chessboxer added an awesome bluegrass vibe to some great Warren tunes and classic Allman Brothers songs” – Ed C
“When Warren took the stage with his band, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was more than pleased with the set that they delivered” – Brad E
There were a few surprises thrown in between some of the songs from his new release. The Grateful Dead’s “Crazy Fingers” was one, but Radiohead’s “Karma Police” and Little Feat’s “Skin It Back” definitely caught me off guard.
There were of course the Allman Brothers staples, also. They spread out a beautiful rendition of “Blue Sky” over almost fifteen minutes, and “Jessica” as the last encore was definitely a crowd pleaser. “Soulshine” was also one of the encore’s – my personal favorite.
The backing band was also the opening band. Chessboxer has a distinct bluegrass feel, but definitely tailored their sound to work with Warren’s guitar playing. Honey Honey was the second band on the bill, sandwiched in between Chessboxer and Warren.
All in all, a very satisfying two-plus hours of music. Warren has to be the hardest working man in the music business these days. He just never stops, and always delivers.
