John Hiatt and the Combo at the Shaftman Performance Hall (Roanoke, VA)

  John Hiatt and the Combo stopped in Roanoke on Friday evening (September 9, 2011) on their tour supporting their new album "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns."  John was in his usual good form, belting out mostly old favorites and several new selections.  He was very animated and chattered quite a bit between songs.  His songs (both old and new) have such great lyrics and funky beats.  It was an interesting crowd.  Some were there specifically to see the opening act, Big Head Todd and the Monsters.  They played an energetic set and have an interesting sound.  Here are some photos of John Hiatt and the Combo:

and several of Big Head Todd and the Monsters:

John Hiatt and the Combo

Jefferson Center – Shaftman Performance Center – Roanoke, Virginia

September 9, 2011

 

                                                SET LIST

Perfectly Good Guitar

Your Dad Did

Train to Birmingham

Open Road

Cry Love

Down Around My Place

Drive South

Thing Called Love

Adios to California

Damn This Town

Slow Turning

Tennessee Plates

Memphis in the Meantime

                Encore

Have a Little Faith in Me

     The highlights of the Hiatt portion of the show for me were many:  opening with "Perfectly Good Guitar" was one.  The others included "Your Dad Did" and "Slow Turning," old favorites which I had never heard him perform live.  The best of the new numbers was "Down Around My Place", which apparently was inspired by the 2010 Nashville flood.  I would have liked to have heard some more of the new album, particularly "I Love That Girl", but he has so many great songs that he can't play them all.

     The Shaftman Performance Hall at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke is a fabulous venue with great acoustics and comfortable seating.  It is relatively small and, therefore, a perfect venue for Mr. Hiatt.  This concert was a rockin' good time and I hope that John Hiatt comes back to Central Virginia soon!