Whether it’s with the old or the “New” Animals, Eric Burdon can do no wrong.
For those who didn’t catch Eric Burdon and the New Animals Monday night at the Budweiser Pavilion, you missed one hell of a show. It was nearly 90 minutes of awesome music, great songs and a vocalist whose voice you’d sell your soul to Satan for.
Let’s just clear the air: I love the original Animals, a great rock band that never gets enough credit, and I adore Eric Burdon. Unfortunately, I missed the New Animals when they came to town last summer, so I was hyped. The place was pretty packed, and the band’s merchandise (which included the two T-shirts I bought and the bootleg CD collection) was selling like hotcakes.
When Burdon stepped on stage wearing a Hawaiian shirt, black jeans and sunglasses, the crowd erupted. Members of the New Animals also includes Dean Restum on guitars and vocals; Dave Meros on bass and vocals; Martin Gerschwitz on keyboards, violin and vocals; and Bernie Pershey on drums. And while some uncultured sloths may say they look like Megadeth in 10 years (actually, Gerschwitz has more of a Ted Nugent feel to him), that doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly good musicians.
I was not disappointed. Even though the original Animals hit their high stride in the late ’60s, Burdon’s voice remains virtually as nitty-gritty and powerful as it was then. While he doesn’t move around on stage as much as mainstream rock stars such as Marilyn Manson or Corey Taylor of Slipknot, the passion and excitement shines through in his scratchy wails. I’ve heard people try to compare Burdon’s voice to Mick Jagger’s, and while they both have bluesy voices, Burdon can manipulate his chords almost to the point of Louis Armstrong. It’s an amazing thing to hear him sing — he can still make your foot tap and your heart ache.
The set list was a dream come true. Amidst the Animals classics thrown in was “I’m Crying,” a sing-along favorite that proves that no matter how loud the band plays, Burdon can still overpower them.
Under the red and blue lights of the stage, they broke into “When I Was Young,” a bittersweet song that plays like Stephen King’s “Stand By Me.” Wailing along with the guitar, Burdon sang, “You know my faith was so much stronger then,” and ended with a bit of devilish humor, yelling, “I was such a rotten punk! When I was young.”
The crowd really got into the classic “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” You could hear nearly the entire audience singing the lines, “Now my girl you’re so young and pretty, and one thing I know is true. You’ll be dead before your time is due,” every note of which Burdon was able to hit like in the original recording. Restum broke into a guitar solo that added a funk element to the song, and was so worked up, he accidently unplugged his guitar. Meanwhile, Meros was pounding out that famous throbbing bass line while Burdon sang, “I’m walking down the streets starry-eyed. I’m walking down the streets smoggy-eyed. Searching for a place I can call my own personal paradise.” Gerschwitz works his keys like a madman, giving new breath to a classic song — more dreamy, as if you’re in a smoky blues room, reminiscent of The Doors at their best.
Another crowd pleaser was “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” There was some great keyboard orchestration, giving the song a slightly more mellow feel — prettier almost, but still clinching your heart. The crowd sang — some even danced — to the chorus line “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord please don’t let me be misunderstood.” At the end of the song, Burdon’s devilish grin broke out again when he singsong mocked “Don’t … call the cops … don’t let me be misunderstood.”
A great song was “Monterey” — “1967 baby, we were in seventh heaven.” The song had a dreamy, surreal feel with great drumming that becomes a fast foot-tapper.
You can tell these guys love music and it’s infectious. I had to restrain myself from tearing off my clothes and dancing. Burdon jumped around, Ö la Chuck Berry or AC/DC’s Angus Young.
Another great song was “Inside Looking Out,” about California’s San Quentin State Prison, in which Burdon sang, “I don’t want nobody’s sympathy.”
The “Boom Boom” classic was dedicated to John Lee Hooker, and really got people moving.
“You knock me off my feet … come on, let’s shake it baby!” Burdon shouted. Gerschwitz was hypnotizing, a definite equal to The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. At one point the entire band left the stage and Pershey had a huge drum solo, which sounded almost tribal. It was amazing to watch him pound the hell out of his set and twirl his sticks. This guy can definitely hold his own onstage. Now I realize why his drum kit was elevated. The band walked back onstage, probably sensing Pershey was on the verge of passing out, and Burdon sang the lyrics, “A little bit of lovin’ goes a long way,” and then incorporated Buddy Holly and the Crickets with, “You’re gonna give your love to me.”
For the rebels in the audience, there was “It’s My Life,” another crowd-pleaser with a great swanky jazz feel.
“This is a mean world to get a break in,” Burdon sang. “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want. It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want. Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime. But someday I’ll treat you real fine.”
There was a great blues rendition of “Tobacco Road.”
“They left me here to die in the middle of the road,” Burdon told the crowd. “I know this is the hometown of country-western California. This used to be, before I got my hands on it.”
They definitely upped the song’s tempo and funkified it, incorporating Bob Marley — “Remember what the man said, get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights … don’t give up the fight.”
They even did a line forn “The Hey Song,” with the audience shouting, “Hey!” before Burdon said, “My name’s Eric Burdon and God bless you!”
Fortunately, the crowd was desperate for an encore and they broke into what’s considered the all-time Animals classic, “House of the Rising Sun.” The crowd exploded when they heard the famous guitar riff.
Hearing Burdon wail, “Oh Mother, tell your children, not to do what I have done … spend your life sincerely in misery, in the House of the Rising Sun,” made shivers go down my spine. I rushed to the front to get a picture and experienced the greatest thing in my life — Burdon looked right at me, stepped closer and stuck his tongue out for the picture. I screamed like an 11-year-old Backstreet Boys fan and nearly wet myself. I was in shock for the remainder of the night.
It’s official — I am definitely the coolest person I know.
These guys did “knock me off my feet.” My only regret is that they didn’t play “Bury My Body,” “Gonna Send You Back To Walker” or “Story of Bo Diddley.”
Hearing Burdon say “Bakersfield” in his British accent and bang on a cow bell was too much. This concert really should not have been for free. I actually forgot I was at the fair because I was so into the music. These guys can definitely get you moving, even if you’re not familiar with their material. What’s so great is how they make the classic songs their own — it wouldn’t be fun if they did them exactly the same way. It’s obvious from their faces that these guys love what they do, and they are some of the best at doing it. They make you think, “Now these are musicians, damn it!”
Take notice garage bands — you don’t need explosives or choreography to be rock stars, just have some damn good music. Eric Burdon and the New Animals came out, played great music and had a great time, without having to wear strange makeup or leather pants. They made me have an awesome time as well, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what great entertainment is all about.