John Fullbright Shines at Continental Club in Austin

Next, the very solid “Never Cry Again” was followed by an incredible version of “All the Time in the World.”  On this one he started on guitar before breaking off on the harp and setting up a Telecaster solo by Ware that brought the crowd to shouting. Mid-song, he moved back to the keys, plinked around for few seconds with some funky organ chords, which is crack to Austonians, drained his Lone Star, and set it off, full-on for the rest of the song. Finishing out the number with a blasting harp he built the perfect roll-in for “Fat Man,” which was played mostly solo from the keys and had The Continental Club reeling like a bawdy, mad barrelhouse cabaret.

A new song followed, “When You’re Here.” It was one of the best numbers of the night. Then, after the way he went tearing into the Porter Grainger/Everett Robbins number, “Ain’t Nobody’s Business,” to the sound of a breaking bottle behind me, the sad thought crossed my mind that the next time I see him in Austin it will probably be at a larger venue. As I was still contemplating what is next for this guy, Dustin Welch, a local bad-ass writer and player from the talented Welch family and Fullbright’s writing partner on “Gawd Above” made his way on to the stage. With Welch’s banjo in on “The Damage is Done” the band and the crowd traded shouts on the chorus. Later, Welch’s own excellent midnight set was much respected.  If you haven’t checked out Welch’s latest album, Tijuana Bible, I would recommend you do so.

Solo again, “The Child in the Mirror” was a stirring performance on the keys which was followed by a powerful treatment of emptiness in a song with the straight and simple lines, “Don’t answer the phone.  Don’t answer the door . . . I believe I’m protected.”

The band now back on stage with Fullbright on guitar and Welch on the banjo, the first licks of “Gawd Above” was met with clapping and shouts. It was a rowdy performance before he settled into the wailing “I’ll Never Speak Your Name,” followed by an incredible version of “Don’t Forget the One Who Lives Too Far,” now with Fullbright back on keys.

By now the night was almost full and you could sense the end was near when the first bars of a bouncier, piano driven version of “Jericho” became clear. By leading with the keys, it took on the shade of something you might imagine if Tom Waits and The Beatles sat down together over a bottle of whiskey and a lid of Acapulco Gold. Not a reinvention or rethinking, it was a different mood which revealed that the depth of his conception of his own music has not yet been fully tapped. Not even close. So conceived, this version made for a fitting and proper final number to round out a set that surely was one of the best ever played in The Continental Club. Good on him and good for us.

Still, there was room enough for an encore when he lit a cappella into the Sam Cook soul classic, “I’m So Glad,” with the whole house clapping as he sat down and proceeded to hold church on the organ. As incredibly good as it was, the next cover, the classic Three Dog Night screamer, “Never Been to Spain,” might have been even better. There is fire in his voice that must be heard live to be believed and if you don’t get what he is doing, you don’t get greatness.

After seeing him again, it is clear to me that John Fullbright has found a way to express the music within him with incredible force and grace. There is genius in his simplicity, yet the sophistication of his musical persona is able to leave an indelible impression on an iconic Austin music nightspot. It is a hard place to light up, but an iconic joint is that way. Open since 1957, The Continental Club is haunted by many larger than life characters. From that over the top cabaret stripper and bizarre, purely Texas creation, Candy Barr to Stevie Ray Vaughan (Jimmie is playing there as I write this) it has stood a prop to great artists, taken from their energy, and when impressed, casts it all back at you in ways that only happen there. But the more memorable the talent that flows through a place the harder it is to make it move and respond in kind and only the very best artists can do make it do that. John Fullbright did it, leaving his mark with sounds, images, and sentiments that are not only relevant to an immediate American experience but point to greater abiding truths. So not only is he an important regional voice or part of what makes The Continental Club an icon of good music, he is one of the best parts of American music period. And he’s only twenty-five. And he’s not a dick. And, he tells me his next album is almost finished, so get ready, he’s just getting started.