Joe Bataan playing in Stockholm, no fucking way!
Way.
But when? Not on one of the two nights we’re there, I know it.
Tonight!
Cabron! Tonight?
Yes.
Shall we go?
[Mark, can we go? Shall we go?]
Hell yes.
Chingon!
We walked around, posters everywhere for Swedish bands I don’t know and couldn’t care less about, finally we found Joe:
This shit is real. Joe Bataan has meant a whole lot to me over the years, from latin soul to above all boogaloo. I can’t believe I got to see him play in Stockholm.
The email said the concert started at 8 and the doors opened at 9. That was a little confusing. we compromised by showing up around 8:40. We got a little table getting there that early, and a good spot for seeing and dancing.
This 19th Century concert hall called Nalen was brilliant, though like everywhere in this puritanical paradise, the drinks were SO goddamn expensive. Finally, late, quite late, I mean the band played three songs before he got there late, but then finally damn. Joe Bataan.
He started with the Lord’s prayer, that was somewhat unexpected. Nice though, even to my atheistic self. He played Good Feelings, of course, one of my very favourites:
So much more, Setenta the backing band and they were pretty awesome. I missed the brass section, but the rhythm section was fierce. A little
Encore was Subway Joe.
Amazing. Joe Bataan is still amazing at 73, still young (at heart) gifted and brown. He rocked Stockholm.
Also, Mark now knows I will never go back to Georgia. He just doesn’t know why.