I’ve tried three times to write a post about how good the John Doe/Dead Rock West show last week was (truth in advertising: I played with the opening act, Howard Iceberg & the Titanics). It turns out that if I tell everyone who will listen what a great show it was, I have no energy left for a blog post.

I’ll just say if you do get a chance, check out John Doe at a live gig or on his latest (excellent) CD. I also highly recommend Dead Rock West (their MySpace page has two complete songs and some radio stuff), who backed Doe after playing a set of their own strong material. I ordered DRW’s CD Honey & Salt, but it hasn’t gotten here yet.

It was an evening of sophisticated punk (if that makes any sense) mixed with twang and a little touch of folk, played with consummate musicianship and incredible energy. I mean, John Doe is 52, but I haven’t seen many players half his age rock so hard. Special props to Cindy Wasserman, who with Frank Lee Drennen handles lead vocals for DRW. Any woman who sings with John Doe is going to be compared to Exene (who co-fronted X with Doe), but Wasserman was up to the task.

While Doe’s material includes one of my all time favorite songs, “Fourth of July,” (and “The Golden State” from the new album looks like it may be headed for that list), it was actually the cover songs that put the show completely over the top. They ended the set with The Beatles’ “Revolution” (“Be sure and vote,” Doe said. “It’s the one thing you can do to make a change.”). The three-song encore ended with a version of “Gimme Shelter” that absolutely blew the roof off of Davey’s Uptown, with Doe taking the part of Mick Jagger and Wasserman that of Merry Clayton. “We’re outta here. We can’t top that.”

No shit.

Update: I forgot I took some pics. My ancient camera doesn’t handle low light very well, unfortunately.