Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 16, 1994 TAG: 9406160031
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KEVIN KITTREDGE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Yoakam, though competing with rock act ZZ Top, which performed the same night in Roanoke, filled the civic center nearly to capacity. He served up a generous set featuring hits from his latest album, ``This Time,'' and the rest of his 10-year recording career.
His tight band and even tighter leather pants eventually had the crowd on its feet despite the efforts of blue-suited security guards. He seemed grateful - at one point thanking the crowd for ``letting me make a living at something I did for a long time for free.''
The show began with a high-energy set from Blackhawk, a country rock ensemble that features Henry Paul, once a member of the Southern rock group The Outlaws. The set was well-received, if three or four songs too long.
Yoakam's set also lagged at times. His ethereal, slow moving stage presence needs to play against a backdrop of musical excitement to be truly effective, and he seldom varied the pace by talking to the audience.
Still, on most songs the combination of jackhammer bass and drums and Yoakam's creamy, hitch-and-start vocals clicked. Aided by long-time producer Pete Anderson's controlled but sizzling lead guitar work, Yoakam steamrolled through such favorites as ``Honky Tonk Man,'' ``Little Sister,'' ``Long White Cadillac,'' ``Fast as You'' and ``Guitars, Cadillacs.''
Highlights included ``Streets of Bakersfield,'' with its lively hand organ accompaniment (Yoakam providing a fine Buck Owens imitation on alternate verses) and ``Suspicious Minds,'' the Elvis song with which Yoakam ended the night.
Yoakam gave his band a break during his first encore to perform ``I Sang Dixie," accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Yoakam's voice and the song's sad/cynical lyrics combined for some of the prettiest moments of the night.
by CNB