Saturday night I finally had the pleasure of seeing Ray Davies perform. I've been obsessed with the Kinks (my all time favorite band) since my early teens, but have somehow never seen Ray live.
The show at the Webster Theater was mostly a semi-acoustic duo outing with Bill Shanley providing excellent accompaniment. The evening was jam packed with jams old and new with some surprises ("Two Sisters", "Misfits" & "Nothin' in This World Can Stop Be Worryin' 'Bout That Girl" instantly come to mind). The night ended with the opening act, the 88, backing Ray on a flurry of Kinks hits. Emily assured me that she has skills that enable her to get to the front of crowds with relative ease. She wasn't fibbing and we found ourselves right up to the stage as the first snare hit cracked and the customary paper plates soured in the air as the band launched into "You Really Got Me".
Ray was in fine form throughout the night and managed to cleverly name drop Connecticut in the song "Low Budget". Oh, I can't forget to mention that the backing band also brought out Ray's classic stage moves (see "One For the Road" for more details).
God Save The Kinks!
-jason
ps- Stay tuned for my April 30th "Cover Versions" show to hear my friends and I perform a full Kinks set!
