Saw Tommy Womack again on Saturday, this time as a double act with Alabamian Will Kimbrough, who I’d not seen before. Saw them at a Nashville venue I’d not visited before either, Norm’s River Road House.
Great little basement venue, in the middle of nowhere, and I discovered I wasn’t the only first-time punter who almost turned-back thinking “I must have taken a wrong turning”. Small packed entry-fee-paying crowd hosted by owner, cum barman, cum MC, cum mixing engineer Norm, someone who clearly likes his Americana.
(This painting from 2011 – courtesy Jim Osborne on Facebook.)
Tommy and Will alternated their original numbers dueting and harmonizing on guitar and vocal on each others numbers. Some great poetry from Will as well as the legendary guitar playing that preceded him, and Tommy’s venomous wit and manic rhythms. They made a great double-act, with a clear fondness for each other and each other’s material. Will’s “Hill Country Girl” lodged in my mind – must acquire the CD EP. Have to emphasise in these parts how unusual it is to hear and pay to hear artists play entirely original material. So much covers for the tourists.
Bought a copy of Tommy’s “Cheese Chronicles” biography of his brush with stardom in Government Cheese. Great read so far, helped by a common history of music through and beyond the punk period, and Tommy’s aforementioed wit with words.