How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Ernie Souchak

I'm back from the beach and in the real world once again, dammit. After spending a relaxing week sitting my happy ass in the sand with a cooler of beer, I made the trek all the way up to Nashville on Saturday to catch Jason & The Scorchers play for the first time in five years. They were playing a benefit for their original drummer, Perry Baggs, who is in need of a kidney transplant. During the long drive Saturday, I began having second thoughts about making the journey. I was exhausted and it was just one show. Why I had such an incredibly stupid self deliberation, I'll never know. Because not only was it the best Scorchers show I've ever seen, it might have been the greatest live show I've ever seen- period.

They were on fire from the outset. Perry came out first and played some acoustic stuff and after completing his short set with a hymn, he sat behind his drum kit and began pounding out the intro to Both Sides of The Line. From then on they were fucking on. Many guests sat in during the 2 1/2 hour show, including a 5 song set with guitarist Andy York (who now plays with John Mellencamp) and bassist Ken Fox (who now plays in The Fleshtones), who played in the band during a short stint in '89. They played everything and had more energy than ever before. I've seen a LOT of bands in my time but I still maintain that Jason & The Scorchers are the greatest live band I've ever seen. When they are on, no one can hold a candle to them - especially Warner Hodges, who is the baddest mofo guitarist on the planet. No one holds the collective ballsack of an audience like Warner does. Thanks guys and good luck, Perry.