chuck berry still reelin' and rockin' at 200th duck room show
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January 16, 2014 11:00 am • By Kevin C. Johnson [email protected] 314-340-8191
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Chuck Berry books 201st showat the Duck Room
Chuck Berry w ill
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Chuck Berry still reelin' and rockin' at 200thDuck Room show
Singer Jim Rotramel, whose band Skinny Jim and theNumber 9 Blacktops opened for Chuck Berry at the Duck
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Pop music critic Kevin C.Johnson comes home bleary-eyed and smelling of smokemany nights — and he wouldn’ttrade that for the world. Visitthe Blender to get your cocktailof all he's seen and heard at
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Buy NowBuy NowAt 87, rock n' roll legend Chuck Berry wows the crowd w ith his 200th show on the stage in theAt 87, rock n' roll legend Chuck Berry wows the crowd w ith his 200th show on the stage in the
Duck Room at Blueberry Hill in University City on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. Berry performed forDuck Room at Blueberry Hill in University City on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. Berry performed for
more than 90 minutes. Photo by Laurie Skrivan [email protected] than 90 minutes. Photo by Laurie Skrivan [email protected]
Laurie Skrivan
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Chuck Berry w illfollow up his 200thshow at the DuckRoom at BlueberryHill Wednesdaynight w ith a show
on Feb. 19 at the Duck Room, makingi… Read more
Chuck Berry hopes for 200more Duck Room concerts
The rock legend'smilestone concertat the venue takesplace on
Wednesday. Read more
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Timeline: The life and legend ofChuck Berry
Room Wednesday night, told the sold-out crowd: "I'm notgoing to say I'm the biggest fan in the house. But I do have'Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll' tattooed on my knuckles."
It was most appropriate as Berry, one of the original kings ofrock and roll, performed his 200th concert at the DuckRoom at Blueberry Hill. The 87-year-old musician hasalready said he hopes he can follow up with another 200shows (the 201st show is Feb. 19).
As he has each month at the Duck Room, Berry's bestie JoeEdwards gave the introduction.
Edwards, wearing a glittery gold vest that literallyscreamed, referred to the evening as a momentous occasion,and told the crowd Berry was the guy who started it all. "Theman who made the guitar a star, who choreographed thegreatest rock and roll moves of all time, the first great poetlaureate of rock and roll," he said.
And there Berry was, sporting a trademark sailor cap, one ofhis favorite red sequined shirts and black slacks for a night ofclassic rock and blues.
“Good evening,” Berry told his fans. “Thanksgiving has comeand gone. Christmas has come and gone. It’s time for us tokick a little butt tonight.”
Did Berry kick butt? Honestly, not so much and that’s OK.Berry was light on lyrics and occasional on the guitar, as he isthese days. But at 87, Berry should be applauded for gettingout of bed, much less duck-walking across a stage, not oncebut twice as he did Wednesday night.
And if he's not quite ready to retire despite some diminishedcapabilities, that's his business. He’s going to pack the jointregardless.
Berry was flanked, uplifted actually, as usual by his son,guitarist Charles Berry; his daughter, vocalist/harmonicaplayer Ingrid Berry-Clay; bassist Jim Marsala; keyboardistBob Lohr, and drummer Keith Robinson.
They give strong support, keeping the typically loose,rambling Berry on point.
The group delivered on nearly two hours of music thatincluded his classics such as “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll OverBeethoven” and “Wee Wee Hours” and choice covers like“Baby What You Want Me to Do,” “Every Day I Have theBlue” and “Key to the Highway.”
The grand finale of “Reelin’ and Rockin” featured some funback and forth between father and daughter before Berrydiscreetly bid the crowd goodnight during band introductions
with a slight wave and a big smile.
Before it was over, Berry-Clay read a special poem she composed just for the occasion to her father,who strummed his guitar as she recited it.
Skinny Jim and the Number 9 Blacktops, a rockabilly outfit from Carbondale, thrilled during itsopening set. "We're the most nonrockabilly looking rockabilly band there is," Rotramel jokedbefore performing songs such as "Kentucky" and a cover of Juice Newton's "Queen of Hearts," bothfrom the band's "Cool on My Right" CD.
"Juice Newton couldn't touch that. She doesn't have the facial hair we have," he joked. After playing
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On Tuesdays, watch for Kevin's Blender videoreport. And find more updates from Kevin atfacebook.com/blenderpd,twitter.com/kevincjohnson andinstagram.com/kevincjohnson.
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the song "Big Rig," Rotramel admitted, "if you wanna hear that solo played correctly you have tobuy the CD. I don't know what I was doing."
Kevin C. Johnson is the popular music critic and nightlife reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Follow him on
Twitter at kevincjohnson and add him on Facebook at kevincjohnsonstl.
Copyright 2014 stltoday.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Chuck Berry, Duck Room At Blueberry Hill, Kevin C. Johnson, Joe Edwards, Skinny Jim And TheNumber 9 Blacktops, "johnny B. Good", Charles Berry, Bob Lohr, Keith Robinson, Ingrid Berry-clay,Jim Marsala, Jim Rotramel
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