 Originally published November 17, 2005 by Jedd Beaudoin PHOTO BY LISA LONNING KRAZY KOMBACK: Klyde Konnor's Mike Coykendall and Ron Smith reuinted with former musical partner Cameron Gourley last Saturday for a blistering show at John Barleycorn's. ou'd be tempted to call it nostalgia save for the fact that nostalgia suggests a tragic longing for the past and this was something very much of the present and maybe even of the future as former Mumbles man John Eberly stepped up on a double bill with Klyde Konnor, reformed for one night only on the stage at John Barleycorn's. Unlike the audiences at, say, an Aerosmith gig, most of the people in attendance were already born when Konnor was formed and in its proper heyday. Eberly's Imagination opened the show, culling material from his 2004 solo release of the same name. Given that the album itself pulled together an impossible number of name players, The Artist managed to find an ace band, one capable of replicating the diverse batch of feels/styles found on that record. It was pure, red delicious Crazy Horse-esque action as the small but powerful vocalist led the band through "Roll and Tumble" and other raucousness. Drummer Britt Rosencutter alone nearly brought the audience to its knees. A definite enhancement to the proceedings Rosencutter became not just the backbeat of the band but also the backbeat of the room, helping capture and maintain the audience's attention throughout. And for the entirety of Eberly's set the collective attention of the room was toward the stage. It certainly was fantastic to see a group of performers command the room not through shenanigans or cursing but musical power and indefinable (and unexpected charisma). Hopefully we'll hear Eberly and his band at least a few more times in the coming months, as the kids of today might actually gobble his brand of unpretentious, straight-forward rock up like free ecstasy. Speaking of free ecstasy … Klyde Konnor's Mike Coykendall stepped up to the mic for a quick solo turn, just him and a guitar borrowed from Tom "Toptone" Page. He worked through a batch of songs culled from his past and present, including turns from his time with the Old Joe Clarks and his current solo elpee Hello Hello Hello. The room grew a little noisy then, filling with (no doubt) a release after Eberly's powerhouse set. That was too bad too, because Coykendall performed with humor and warmth and gave us a chance to witness his songs in a decidedly stripped down fashion. That over, the other Konnors (Ron Smith, bass; Cameron Gourley, percussion/vocals; John Ezell, drums) took the stage and drove non-stop through a powerhouse hour-plus performance. Hitting tunes that would have been familiar to longtime fans — including "Insomnia," "East Of Cheney" (one for the ages, that one), "Bubble" (the greatest hit that never was one), plus Smith's "Shaving Helena" (yow)and Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine" (yum) — the trio/quartet seemed to make its share of new acquaintances by the end of the night. The crowd swelled to an impressive size and those taken over by the spirit of the music found room to dance or shake a bleacher to the beat of the band. The show ended with Ezell stepping out from behind the kit and making room for Gourley as the classic lineup wound down the evening with a patient and heartfelt goodbye that seemed to come one or two songs too soon but also left hope for a future reunion guaranteed to allow new fans to relive some part of their past with plenty of hope for their future. |