On March 21, 2002, Johnny Dowd hit the stage at 123 Pleasant Street, in Morgantown, West Virginia. The ink for the lyrics of his new album The Pawnbroker's Wife was still wet and the set featured five tracks from that record.
Aided by Justin Asher on guitar and longtime collaborator Willie B on percussion Dowd poured his heart out and thanks to release of Live in Morgantown you get a front row seat. His wavering voice will freak out vocal coaches, but you will have a hard time finding another singer who sounds as honest as he does. Leave it to him to turn a song entitled I Love You into a Fifties doo-wop ditty from Hell.
Got uptight family members overstaying their welcome at dinner? Put on Jingle Bells and they will be off in a hurry, covering their ears. Fans of warts-and-all garage rock Americana about rocky relationships, war, getting even and murder will love it.
Johnny Dowd: guitar, vocals
Justin Asher: guitar, melodica, vocals
Willie B: drums, drum computer, bass pedals
Live in Morgantown is released on Mother Jinx Records. Buy it from his website.
Tracks:- Pawnbroker's Wife
- Separate Beds
- Big Wave
- Billy Blu
- Jingle Bells
- We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, And Me)
- Lost Avenue
- Vietnam
- I Love You
- On Shaky Ground We Stand
- First There Was
- Vengeance Is Mine
- Mystery Woman
- Murder
- 01/18 Felicia's, Ithaca, NY
- 03/13 Americana Vineyards, Interlaken, NY
- 04/09 Kulturrampe, Krefeld, Germany
- 04/10 N9, Eeklo, Belgium
- 04/11 Guitar Bar, Nottingham, UK
- 04/12 Islington, London, UK
- 04/13 The Bank Eye (Suffolk), UK
- 04/14 Prince Albert, Brighton, UK
- 04/15 The Musician, Leicester, UK
- 04/16 La Peniche, Lille, France
- 04/17 Blue Collar Hotel, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- 04/18 (to be announced)
- 04/19 (to be announced)
- 04/20 El Lokal, Zurich (CH)
- 04/21 Dreikoningskeller, Frankfurt, Germany
- 04/22 Harksheide, Norderstedt, Germany
- 04/23 Paradiso Upstairs, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 04/24 Poppodium de Peppel, Zeist, The Netherlands
- 04/25 Heartland Festival @ Metropool, Hengelo, The Netherlands