Time just makes fans fonder of James Gang

Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, August 12, 2006

"We're the James Gang from last century," Joe Walsh wryly noted from the stage early in Friday night's show.

This form of the band hasn't toured in 35 years, causing Walsh to note that some in the audience (admittedly, not many) weren't even alive the last time the band hit the road.

"Just pretend we're some really cool friends of your parents."

In a too-short show, the band lived up to the boast. The spine-tingling moments came early and often.

Take a Look Around and Midnight Man both used to be FM-radio staples until modern-day programming reduced the James Gang's history to its two biggest hits.

Hearing them live by the three guys who created and recorded them back in the early '70s was a thrill for many in the crowd (some of whom, one assumes, drove to the band's first go-round in a '71 VW Bug rather than the scores of SUVs in the parking lot).

The upside of a 35-year break is that so many of these songs haven't been driven into the ground through repeated touring; the band attacked them with vigor, and the crowd's fresh ears adored them.

One expects superb musicianship out of Walsh, who has toured relentlessly in his day job with The Eagles.

Bassist Dale Peters and drummer Jimmy Fox, however, were amazing in matching Walsh's energy and style, with Fox particularly monstrous on drums; it really doesn't get better than the epic version of The Bomber that blasted the crowd early.

Walsh told the News he was afraid that audiences would expect his latter-day hits such as Life's Been Good when he was determined to strictly mine James Gang material (save for the inevitable Rocky Mountain Way).

His fears were unfounded; the crowd at Red Rocks was a James Gang group all the way, applauding the opening notes of obscure album cuts and going wild for Walk Away and Funk #49.

A decade-plus sober and playing better than ever, Walsh was droll and witty.

As he has for decades, Walsh announced his candidacy for presidency on two platforms: "Free gas" and "We wouldn't have all the problems we have today. We'd have different ones."

Opening the show was JD & the Straight Shot, and likely few in the audience knew that JD was James Dolan, a New York entertainment magnate who, among other things, is chairman of Madison Square Garden and CEO of Cablevision.

While he surrounded himself with crack players, Dolan was hardly a karaoke act, putting convincing voice and emotion into the blues-based set.

The James Gang

• Grade: A-

• When and where: Friday night, Red Rocks