Hell, yeah!

Pacing the Barrymore's dancefloor while the Golden Famile tore down their gear I noticed Matthew Smith of Volebeats, Outrageous Cherry and THTX fame chatting with Music for Cats supremo Karen McLane. Must be here to play guitar for 1960s soul great Nathaniel Mayer, I figured. And so it proved to be. Then I noticed the bedraggled locks of Dirtbomb, Witch and solo artist Troy Gregory (and underneath them, the man himself!) headed in the general direction of the bar. Must be here to play bass for 1960s soul great Nathaniel Mayer, I figured. And so it proved to be. I did not notice the remarkable sideburns of Dave Shettler, but if I had I'm sure would have figured he was here to drum for Mayer, if only because that's what he did last time around, when Mayer played a very early Saturday show after his scheduled slot on the 2004 Bluesfest stage suffered an unexpected power blowout the night before.
Mayer's previous backing outfit The Shanks was more Memphis rock'n'roll, while Gregory and Smith's more psychedelic leanings pushed Mayer's sound into the psychedelic shack, with Mayer pulling the songs out to outrageous lengths by riffing on the choruses.

Nay Dog, the "pimp of pimps"!



The bishop of bass, Troy Gregory.



Mayer points out some foxy babe in the audience.



Matthew Smith in a spectral projection.



Dave Shettler and his amazing sideburns.



Mayer invited several young ladies on stage to shake what their mama gave them. One of them leaned back into Mayer with greater than expected enthusiasm, causing them both to topple over. Fortunately no harm was done - no doubt it's not the first time he's been knocked over by some chick's butt.



I think he wanted to keep this one.



Personally I liked his set better than the Black Keys' - more rambunctious, raunchy, and generally rock'n'roll.



A pity he didn't have his leggy saxophone player with him this time, though.

• Show reminder: Good2Go play the Aloha Room.