No one is likely to confuse the Greasy Greens with Pink Floyd, but some fans of Arkansas' "Band of Opportunity" perhaps thought of the parallels between Pink Floyd and Roger Waters, and the Greasy Greens and Patrick "Mo" McKelvey. For those fans of the Greens, seeing "Mo" back with his old mates was the local equivalent of what Pink Floyd fans would feel if Waters ever reunited with his old group.
The Greens, in all their numerical glory, assembled Friday night for a show at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock. The show sold out in rapid fashion, leaving many a fan on the outside wishing they could be looking in. And what a sight it was -- at times there were 20 or more musicians on stage, with more on the sidelines waiting their turns.
And the show was much different than a usual Greens show -- it was obviously well-rehearsed, for one thing. And there were intervals between songs when filmed interviews and photos appeared on the backdrop, as the band's 40-year history was placed into context and tales were told. There was even a program, listing the band members and the songs, in order. Merchandise was available, from CDs to LPs, T-shirts and posters, just like at a real rock concert.
Highlights and performers were too numerous to list, but a few of them were: Evan Brown and the Greasy Greens Choir on "Dem Bones;" McKelvey and Barbara Raney on "Bad to Me;" the six-person Greasy horn section on numerous numbers, especially on the old Jackie Wilson hit, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," as sung by Rick Holiman; and the intricate choreography created by Sheila Kuonen, whose highly developed gift for whistling remains intact. Washboard Leo Thomas gave the show a Cajun flair at times, and bandleader Ron Hughes' vocals were among the strongest.
Joe Kuonen appeared in many an outfit and did credit to all of them, and James Bass, still looking like an adolescent, was a multi-instrumental whiz kid. And then there was uber-fan Bill Worthen, a dancing dervish, back in his true element rather than a museum.
Unlike the worldwide tour that would be booked if Waters and Pink Floyd were together again, the Greens will not do any such thing, although they are considering another show in a year and maybe even one sooner in Eureka Springs, where the band first came together lo those many years ago.
Metro on 07/29/2017