It’s been a hard week in the roots music community. Another icon Joe Ely, passed away yesterday at age 78 due to complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s, and pneumonia. I got to see him open for The Clash at what must have been one of his most miserable moments in performance. Here’s Bhagavan Decreed from The Flatlanders.
Joe Ely
Sorry I just posted similar. But Joe’s history deserves emphasis.
I disagree though with your assessment of his time supporting The Clash, didn’t it open up lots of doors and inspire countless others?
Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia, as you say. A bloody awful way to go. Joe was one of my absolute favourite artists. Loads of excellent albums, especially mid-period ones like Letter to Laredo, Love and Danger and Twistin’ in the Wind, alongside the blistering live set Live at Liberty Lunch and so many others. His association with The Clash provided his only real bit of UK fame, but he had a long and glittering career from which the fire never really went out. Hard to pick a song, but it doesn’t get much better than this. Rest easy Joe, and thanks for all the fantastic music. I’ll be rocking at Liberty Lunch with you tonight.
As a lover of country-rock long before punk, it was great when he got the Clash thumbs up, meaning I could like the genre in the wide open again. I’m not sure whether he ever played the long gone and still much missed Breedon Bar in Brum, but the other two Flatlanders certainly did, as did the superbly named Ponty Bone, accordionist in his band.
I saw The Flatlanders play an initially-packed-out revival gig at The Barbican in summer 2002. Co- headliners were Los Lobos. Both were very good indeed. Seeing Los Lobos was my main motivation for buying the ticket, tbh, but I enjoyed The Flatlanders despite some rockstar posturing from their (very good) lead guitarist.
A large swathe of the Flatlanders (who were on first) fans left before Los Lobos came on, so I got to move from my cheap seat off to the right to a better seat front-ish centre for Los Lobos who, at the end of their set, played something or other (can’t remember what, possibly Won’t Get Fooled Again) by The Who, to commemorate John Entwistle who had very recently died.
@Mike_H I saw Los Lobos on that tour too but not with the Flatlanders.
They also played a Who number as an encore but I thought it was Pictures of Lily but we could of course both be wrong
I saw Los Lobos in 1987 at the Town and Country Club. They were excellent. I think they were with The Meters though that might have been a separate gig.
According to Concert Archives
https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/joe-ely-the-flatlanders-los-lobos
the Barbican gig was November 23rd, not in the summer and the Who/John Entwistle tribute on that occasion was My Generation. At least I got the venue right.
This was my one
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/los-lobos/1987/town-and-country-club-london-england-2be8043a.html