Drawing from his rich catalog—including X classics, Knitters numbers and gems from his solo records—John Doe lit up Arden Gild Hall with an incandescent power that seemed unlikely hours earlier, when the venue was totally without juice after days of rain.
Inspired by the 19th-century building and inviting ghosts of a similar vintage, Doe, drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Kevin Smith electrified the entire room from start to finish, with highlights including “Get On Board” (dedicated to Mavis Staples and Leadbelly), “Golden State,” “White Girl,” “The New World,” “El Romance-O,” “I Only Have Eyes For You,” “Love Shack,” “Travelin’ So Hard” and “Silver Wings” (dedicated to the late, great Dallas Good).
Locals Wasted Arrows opened with a set of rootsy originals, including the ruminative “Wharfman’s Blues.”
—M.J. Fine; photos by Chris Sikich
