Tony Joe White
Southland Ballroom, Raleigh
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Tony Joe White is in the middle of a resurgence. Returning to the Southland Ballroom after two years, he brings with him another critically acclaimed album, Rain Crow, released by local record label Yep Roc Records. With his familiar drummer Bryan Ownings, the duo filled the room with about the heaviest groove a two piece band can do. The large crowd inside responded at time adding a gator chomping motion with both arms while dancing throughout the set.
Outside of a smile and brief comment here and there, White was all business, playing a handful of numbers from his latest release while also playing his biggest hit “Polk Salad Annie.” The standout moment came when he performed “Bad Wind,” a spoken number where White spins a tale that begs the question how he hasn’t used his distinctive voice to build a second career doing voiceover work. The show ended with White reprising “Who You Gonna Hoodoo Now?,” which the crowd cheered just as much as his bigger hits that are decades older.
Below are clips from the evening’s performance:
Tony Joe White, “Rain Crow”
