Debra Dylan: Son of a gun, we had big fun!
Only one hour into the festivities at the 4th annual Hank Days celebration, as Labron Lazenby and his band left the stage at Patrick Sullivan’s, emcee Jack Rentfro declared, “You people are getting too much bang for your bucks! I’m jealous.” For a mere $10.00 donation to the Terry Hill Memorial Children’s Music Fund, festival goers had the option to go honky-tonkin’ amongst four Old City venues participating in this celebration of Hank Williams‘ music. Even though Rentfro tried to tempt the Patrick Sullivan‘s crowd into sticking around because he said he would be making as ass of himself later, it was the incredible line up of musicians and other fun activities that kept the happy revelers traveling back and forth between Patrick Sullivan‘s, the Urban Bar, the Pilot Light and Manhattan’s.
In the early cool evening, Hank Williams impersonator Joe Wampler was strolling the streets, there were festive Hank decorations, street musicians, and the smell of Jambalaya in the air. Doc, the French-Cajun doorman from Manhattan’s won the Jambalaya cook-off. Doc’s secret seemed to be using fresh ingredients, including generous helpings of deep-Gulf Shrimp. Labron Lazenby, looking like a rock-a-billy hipster, performed a scorching blues and boogie show, while the Pilot Light offered a large screen viewing of a sweet and quaint Grand Old Opry video that included the lanky Hank singing “Hey Good Lookin’”.
Two dancers settin' the woods on fire
While Beecher O’Quinn, Jr. was available for questions about his successful efforts to get a Hank Williams’ stamp into circulation, Jacqui and the Tumblekings were were beginning to attract a large crowd across the street at Manhattan’s. Robert Earl Keen’s song “The Great Hank” depicts a dream wherein Hank Williams is sitting in a bar, drinking a “double shot of whatever you got,” and complaining that country music “was now full of freaks.” Hank would have felt at home with the vintage styling of Jacqui & the Tumblekings. The Tumblekings‘ solid accompaniment with Jacqui Wadsworth’s passionate and throaty vocals evoked the pure and simple era of classic country music from the early 1950’s. Their covers of Hank’s “I Can’t Help it if I’m Still in Love with You,” and Buck Owens' “Together Again” were a big hit with the crowd.
Their set was followed by the much anticipated performance of Hank impersonator Joe Wampler. Looking very much the part, in his skinny white suit covered with musical notes, white cowboy hat and boots, Mr. Wampler appeared to be experiencing technical difficulties while trying to get his performance underway. He and his accompanying vocalist improvised by performing an unplugged show off-stage amidst the crowd. From where I was standing, Wampler’s accompanist’s vocals of David Allen Coe’s “The Ride”, a ghostly ode to Hank Williams, was barely audible.
Later in the evening, at that same venue, Todd Steed & the Sons of Phere were not experiencing technical difficulties and attempted to “wow” the crowd with their knowledge about Hank Williams. Todd reported that “a lot of people don’t know this, but Hank Williams was a pre-curser to John Coltrane. And they both wore white hats.” He also led the crowd in cheers for Knoxville grocer, former mayor and crotchety character, Cas Walker, and Uncle Charlie from “My Three Sons.”
Strolling back to Patrick Sullivan’s, we enjoyed a mesmerizing variety of western swing, honky-tonk and country music from the Lonesome Coyotes. Guitarist and vocalist Maggie Longmire took the lead on Fred Eaglesmith’s “Alcohol & Pills,” a song that chronicles the demise of various famous musicians, including - you guessed it - Hank Williams. The Lonesome Coyotes, as always, performed an exciting and endearing set.
Later, at the Urban Bar, we walked in while R.B. Morris & the Hector Qirko Band were performing Hank’s “Jambalaya”. It had been approximately 20 years since I had seen R.B. Morris in concert. I remember his shows from the much beloved Ella Guru’s night club, where he infused his set with the very entertaining original “Local Man” poems. Last November, honky-tonk artist and Hank Williams channeler, Greg Garing, was performing at the Preservation Pub and he called R.B. Morris up on stage for a very drunken and boisterous version of “Jambalaya.” Until Hank Days 2006, that was the extent of my experience with R.B. Morris. But this past Saturday night, I saw the light. I was amazed and delighted by his performance. His showmanship and musicianship were excellent. But, by the time he began reading about Hank from the book “The World According to Whiskey,” I started experiencing Hank Daze. I was also surprised when the band was playing “I Touch Myself,” but later realized they were singing “Don’t Touch My Still.”
After heading back to Pat Sullivan’s to catch the end of John Paul Keith’s show, I noticed many festival goers were experiencing Hank Daze. Vocalist and Hank Days 2006 Chairperson, Jacqui Wadsworth, was repeatedly falling out of her shoes. “Whiskey and shoes. What are you gonna do?”, she said. An empty beer bottle was wearing a paper hat. Even though fatigue was kicking in, when I left the Old City, I capped my evening off with a walk to the Andrew Johnson Hotel. It seemed only fitting to visit the place Hank was last seen alive. Knoxville is special in that kind of way.
Beecher O'Keefe, Jr. with the notorious Jack Rentfro