Written by Bill Whiting
Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts Purple At The Core tour made a stop at Bogarts in Cincinnati on March 22, and the pandemonium that enveloped the building’s floor made for a lively and entertaining evening. A late start to the proceedings had Weiland taking the stage just before 11p.m., and The Wildabouts fused together an impressive, lengthy improvised jam session that lasted for nearly ten minutes. Weiland appeared, and the band whipped out a tenacious cover of “Crackerman” from the Stone Temple Pilots recording, Core.
Slam dancing along with push and shove sessions broke out on the floor, and Scott Weiland made a plea for calm. But, the craziness continued with body surfing and feverish dancing during Core’s chart topping number, “Wicked Garden.” Then, Weiland shifted tone and tempo with a nod to his underrated 2008 solo project, Happy in Galoshes, and the riveting composition, “Paralysis.” Settling down into an evocative, shuffling blues movement, Weiland and The Wildabouts threaded a razor sharp needle with the popular and stinging anthem, “Creep.” An avid David Bowie enthusiast, Scott Weiland flawlessly performed the bouncing glam nugget, “The Jean Genie” with bold rock and roll bravado and aplomb. Switching gears to the STP disc, Purple, Weiland and The Wildabouts slammed hard into the driving, relentless album ending corker, “Kitchenware & Candybars.” Flowing through the balladry of “Big Empty,” into the eventual build up of the one two punch finale of “Interstate Love Song” into the bruising, kinetic stomp of “Vasoline,” Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts left the Bogarts stage to a deafening, standing ovation. Returning to cover with a loose limbed, liberating version of The Doors’ classic, “Roadhouse Blues” and a convincing, free falling drop around the last Stone Temple Pilots tune of the show, “Unglued,” Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts left the Cincinnati faithful giddy and wanting more of their off kilter flavored madness. The concert was a rare, blissful and buoyant thing of shimmering beauty,aiming it’s bright shining beams into the spring of 2013.
Setlist: Opening Jam- Crackerman- Wicked Garden- Paralysis- Naked Sunday- Creep- The Jean Genie- Kitchenware& Candybars- Where the River Goes- Mountain Song- Big Empty- Can’t Stand Me Now- Still Remains- Interstate Love Song- Vasoline
Encore: Roadhouse Blues- Unglued