Nashville Pussy’s First Annual Winter Hoedown was to be my first live experience and I was really looking forward to it. The event itself boasted 3 local bands, Six Shot Revival, Bigfoot and Stone Mountain Freeway. My biggest issue with this show in general was the inconsistency of the opening bands. Six Shot Revival proved to be the band with the most promise as they were referred to as the “new comers” to the scene. These young fellas had some really good songs and their stage performance was a throw back to classic Guns N Roses. Their singer looked like he had studied the Guns N’ Roses Live at The Ritz performance and got it down to a “t”. Their stage performance didn’t overpower the music which was actually quite good. I would really like to see more of these guys to see how they progress forward. It was really refreshing to see a young band not ashamed to be inspired by another generation of rock n’ roll.
Bigfoot took the stage next and the only word I can really use to describe them is horrifying. These guys all looked like they were about 3 seconds away from punching somebody in the face at any time. I was mainly afraid that somebody would be me. Musically they did little to impress me and their performance just seemed to be that, a performance. Their main motive seemed to be to create a shock and awe type of environment which totally made me not even pay attention to their songs. I mean, if their goal was to put on an intense performance, they succeeded but if it was to make me a fan of their music, they didn’t succeed as the performance itself completely overpowered the songs. The same thing applied to the following band Stone Mountain Freeway who, in all honesty, weren’t nearly as good as the two previous bands and just seemed to be trying their hardest to upstage the previous bands. It’s one thing to be moved by your music but these bands performances seemed to lack any real, sincere emotion. In a nutshell, it was Six Shot Revival who proved superior when it came to the opening bands. As a whole they are all bands who have studied Rock N’ Roll Stage Performance 101. Six Shot Revival got an A- while the other two got C’s in the class.
Going to your very first Nashville Pussy concert is very much like losing your virginity. There is a sense of losing your innocence or what little innocence you may have and don’t get me wrong, this is great feeling. I was not in the greatest of moods after having stood through the previous two bands so right off the bat Nashville Pussy really needed to deliver. Well low and behold they did and then some. As the theme from “Jaws” filled the packed hall, you could feel the anticipation of the audience as the band slammed into “I’m So High” and it was off from there. I can only hope the opening bands were paying attention because Nashville Pussy was schooling them all on how to really deliver a sincere, energetic and moving rock n’ roll show. This band completely cuts loose on the stage but instead of trying so hard to rock their audience, they put their focus into rocking the fuck out of their songs and the audience completely obliges. Nashville Pussy doesn’t have to “try” to rock, they just do.
The set list was an anthology of their 15 years as a band featuring songs like “Cmon C’mon”, “Hate and Whiskey”, and “Speed Machine.” Lead singer Blaine Cartwright addressed the crowd saying, “When people ask me who my favorite southern rock band is, I tell them first, Lynyrd Skynyrd and then 2nd, Ike and Tina Turner. Well, they’re southern and they fucking rock!” The band then launched into a face-ripping cover “Nutbush City Limits” that totally rocked my face off.
One of the things I loved the most about seeing Nashville Pussy live is that it’s very much a no bullshit type of performance. There was no cheesy banter, no “I can’t hear you!” and no trying to hard. This band obviously has the songs and the passion that appeals to their audience and again, it’s sincere; not put on or over acted out. They playfully interact on stage with each other and you really get the fact that they truly love what they do. Ruyter Suys has to be one of the baddest fucking guitar players I’ve seen live. She is such a passionate player that if she was any more passionate she’d be fucking her guitar. Matter of fact, a few times in the show I think she was. Karen Cuda, in addition to being one of the hottest looking bass players ever, is an amazing player. The solid rhythm that is created by her and drummer Jeremy Thompson creates the very foundation that makes this band sound so fucking fat and monstrous.
Instead of doing the cheesy “walk off the stage and walk back on” encore, the band closed out their set with “Goin’ Down” that completely brought the house down as Ruyter climbed on top of the PA and ripped every string off her guitar as the band drew to a final bang to close out the song. The crowd was so rowdy and loud as they chanted “PUSSY” over and over again to a wall of feedback and squealing amps. After the show I went up to Ruyter to thank her for a great show. She came up to me, grabbed and planted a big wet one on me and said, “Don, we took your fucking cherry. Thanks so much for coming out and I hope you had a blast.” Well, I think that about sums it up in a nutshell if you ask me. Nashville Pussy totally rocked me out and to be honest, I can’t wait to have more Pussy in the future. I’m hooked.
Nashville Pussy Setlist
I’m So High, Going Down Swinging, High as Hell, Speed Machine, C’mon C’mon, Shoot First, Hate & Whiskey, From Hell to Texas, Aint Your Business, Late Great USA, Nutbush City Limits, Struttin’ Cock, Drunk Drivin’ Man, Why Why Why, Go Motherfucker Go, Goin’ Down
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