Chicago -- Midwestern fans got their first taste of the third Stereophonics' disc Tuesday night at Chicago's Double Door.
Decked out in full folk gig regalia -- stools for the band, neatly arranged rows of folding chairs for the faithful -- the dark Double Door looked more like the scene of an Arlo Guthrie gig than a show by one of Britain's most powerful rock and roll trios.
Guitarist and lead singer Kelly Jones and bassist Richard Jones (no relation) were visiting as part of a nine-date U.S. tour in advance of the Tues., April 17 release of "J.E.E.P. (Just Enough Education to Perform)." While drummer Stuart Cable remained at home awaiting the imminent birth of his first child, the Jones were accompanied by keyboardist Tony Kirkham and guitarist Scott James.
The acoustic tour follows a similar UK jaunt last fall that Kelly Jones undertook alone while Richard Jones was honeymooning and Cable was taking a well-deserved break after mixing "J.E.E.P." in New York with Andy Wallace.
"I just felt like going out on tour, playing the songs as stripped down as the day they were written," Kelly Jones says in a promotional booklet distributed at the shows. "(I envisioned) traveling by train, having days off in cities I love and having a laugh. I felt like a folk singer for a week or two."
And stripped down they were. With a focus on the acoustic guitar and Kelly's gritty, classic rock and roll growl (think Rod Stewart), the band performed nearly all of the latest album and a couple choice cuts from 1997's "Word Gets Around" and 1999's "Performance and Cocktails." James' subtle slide guitar added spice and Richard Jones understated bass playing and Kirkham's workhorse skills built a solid foundation.
Although one doesn't get much of a clue what to expect from "J.E.E.P," thanks to the stark performances, the effect was one of offering a tantalizing glimpse into the mellower side of the Stereophonics.
Opening the show were James Mazler and Phil Vassil of Vibrolush, the Stereophonics' V2 labelmates. The New York-based band recently issued its sophomore disc -- and V2 debut -- "Touch and Go."
Kelly Jones promised the band will return for a full-on tour in May. Perhaps Wales' best band will find its way to Milwaukee, where they haven't performed since appearing at an all-day, radio-sponsored rock fest at the Marcus Amphitheater, three years ago.
Visit the Stereophonics' website .
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
