Show Review by Shana Restall Crick
Photos by Alex Crick

Concrete Blonde

The music of Concrete Blonde comprised a sizeable portion of the soundtrack to my college years. I was fortunate to be able to see them perform on June 24th at the Showbox during a stop on their “20 Years of Bloodletting” tour. Opening the show was Jim Bianco, who sang about subject matter such as Tennessee Williams and made a request for “stalker lighting” to complement one of his songs. Eclectic and funny, Jim Bianco proved to be a crowd-pleaser.

Jim Bianco

Concrete Blonde

The real draw of the evening was Concrete Blonde, and specifically, the amazingly mesmerizing vocals of Johnette Napolitano. One gets a sense of the depth of her talent as a singer and a bassist by listening to their albums. However, nothing prepared me for how stunning her voice was live. She pushed the boundaries of every song to spectacular heights. And then she went a little further. Unquestionably, Concrete Blonde achieved a performance that was technically brilliant, but they also were able to connect emotionally to the crowd. They began their set with two very recognizable songs – “Bloodletting” and “Joey”. However, the show became more alluring as the night progressed, and the rapt audience became more and more entranced. Particularly memorable were their performances of “Heal It Up,” “Caroline, Tomorrow,” “Wendy,” and “Mexican Moon”. I was astonished by how incredible this show was, and I am certain that no one left disappointed.

Concrete Blonde

Jim Bianco

Concrete Blonde

Jim Bianco

Concrete Blonde

Setlist:

Bloodletting
Joey
I Don’t Need a Hero
Days and Days
Lullabye
Scene of the Perfect Crime
Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man
Someday?
Everybody Knows
Caroline
When I Was a Fool
God is a Bullet
Run Run Run
Little Wing
Heal It Up