Wolf Prowls the Infinity Stage

Peter Wolf and the Midnight Travelers
Infinity Music Hall and Bistro
Norfolk, CT February 9, 2012
Review and photos by Nancy Nutile-McMenemy

Peter Wolf and the Midnight Travelers stormed the stage at 8:45 pm and rocked the crowd until 10:40 pm. This show was originally schedule for late October, however a big snow storm postponed the show until February. We saw Wolf at Tupelo White River Junction 10/26/11 so we hadn't planned on attending this show but when tickets went on sale for February 9 we scored front row seats so we made the 6 hour round trip drive.

Wolf has recorded a nice voice over to start the show while the Midnight Travelers are playing a jazzy tune. The crowd seemed to like it howlin' and whistling.

Their show opener seems to be "Long Line" the title track to his 1996 release. "Nothing but the Wheel" followed, prefaced by Wolf saying he had the great pleasure of recording this song with Mick Jagger. Wolf told stories of days gone by: playing in the All Soul Review; walking around Harvard Square at 3 am with Howlin' Wolf;  hanging with Willy Deville at CBGB. More recent stories included losing Merle Haggard to a Cracker Barrel and having him just barely showing up for a sound check; and hanging with "The Great Shelby Lynne."

Wolf told the crowd to Google Mink Deville and Willy Deville "When you get home!" Then he dedicated "Riverside Drive" to Willy.

He thanked Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris for recording "Cry One More Time"

Wolf brought a young lady on stage for "Give it To Me"

He looked like he was enjoying himself!

Wolf closed the night with Duke Levine saying "we'll leave you with this..." Start All Over Again"




Setlist:
Long Line (1996)
Nothing But the Wheel (2002)
Long Way Back Again (1998)
Never Like This Before (2002)
Can't Do My Homework Anymore
Always Asking For You (2010)
I Don't Wanna Know (2010)
The Green Fields of Summer (2010)
Love Stinks (bluegrass version)
Wastin' Time (1996)
Riverside Drive (1996) dedicated to Willy DeVille
Cry One More Time (1971 J Geils Band)
Tragedy (2010)
Run Silent, Run Deep (2002)
Dead End Fools Blues (???)
Give It To Me
Looking for A Love
Encore: 10:10
When Women are Lonely (1990)
Waiting on the Moon (1998)
Encore:
It's Too Late For Me (2010)
Woolie Bully
I've Had It
Musta Got Lost
Start All Over
10:40 pm

The Roy Sludge Duo opened the show. The duo of Roy Sludge and Jim Haggerty took the stage right at 8 pm. They were announced as "Right from the Bar, The Roy Sludge Duo!" The set kicked off with "Too Drunk to Truck" the title track to their 2011 CD (that was nominated for the Boston Music Awards Album of the Year!)

The followed that up with the raucous "I Got Hammered (Then I Got Nailed). Continuing with their truck driving theme they plowed into Red Simpson's classic "Nitro Express". If you don't know Red there is a nice bio at http://www.virtualtruckroute.com/music_simpson.html .

Moving into the drinking songs they pulled out "On the Tap, In the Can, or in the Bottle" an old Hank Thompson song. The duo recently upgraded their vehicle to a new minivan but wrote a song about their old traveling buddy "Big Red" then paid tribute to their favorite Country Singer, Ernest Tubb with a great rendition of "Drivin Nails in my Coffin."

After telling the audience that "Pete (Peter Wolf) only hired us to make him look good" they played two more: The Tennessee Ernie Ford "Sixteen Tons" and the Paul Howard song "Drinking all My Troubles Away."

There are some nice videos by Mrs. Sludge on YouTube. Check them out!

Photos by Nanci Wolf PicsVideos of Wolf
(At the artist's request only a 'point and shoot' was allowed for a few songs.)
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