Of course, both were better than billed opener Percy Sledge, who was pitchy and who didn't seem able to feel or connect with the crowd. Aftermath has never been a fan of his one hit song, but even "Take Time to Know Her," "Midnight Hour," "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Bring It On Home" were little better than karaoke quality.
His voice, like his hair, has seen better days, though Sledge does get cred for playing almost every '60s-era soul song Aftermath loves. And by the time he closed with "When a Man Loves a Woman," couples in the audience had had enough of the Barefoot zinfandel and Coors Light to start slow-dancing.
Between sets, we were able to get a bit better look at the crowd. Amazingly, the age range was well-represented, from toddlers to octogenarians, and lots of families. One of Nutty Jerry's employees told us they place sold something like 100 tickets in an hour's timespan earlier that afternoon.
And it wasn't just Winnie-ites. We recognized several faces from Houston's music scene, and saw plenty of rockabilly haircuts to show that there was certainly a crowd in place for the headliner.
Local radio personality Al Caldwell took the stage and introduced the audience to Mickey Gilley, legendary boot-scoot purveyor and cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis. Gilley, who was sitting to the side of the stage behind barricades, required the assistance of two people to stand and wave to the crowd. He's just a year younger than Lewis, but he hasn't lost that slender nose or tight-lipped smile that made him one of country's better-looking men in the '60s and '70s.
And then out came Jerry Lee's right hand man, Kenny Lovelace, the guitar player who has toured with the Killer for more than 40 years. Lovelace led the Memphis Beats in a couple of covers before Jerry Lee took the stage, moving slowly but looking dapper in white long sleeves, white loafers and a black vest.
JLL started a bit timidly, with a few of his lesser-known post-scandal country hits. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" was slow-burning, but one thing was certain: His voice has lost none of its falsetto personality or excitement. And he seemed jovial, bantering with the crowd a bit between songs.
He sped things up with "Rockin' My life Away", giving his bass player, who'd performed "Wooly Bully" in the show's prelude, room to jam, and then slid seamlessly back down into "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" and a heartbreaking but playful rendition of "Don't Put No Headstone on My Grave."
