Western New York fans were treated to a rare performance from a bona fide rock and roll legend Saturday night. Ian Hunter, former frontman of Mott the Hoople, played a tremendous show in Buffalo at the Town Ballroom benefiting a local food bank.
It had been over twenty years since Hunter played in Buffalo, and judging by the raucous reception for the septuagenarian, his return to Buffalo was long overdue.
Hunter’s twenty-three-song set featured selections from the last five decades. It relied heavily on his 2012 release “When I’m President,” an album universally praised by fans and music writers as one of his best. Hunter opted to open the show with the opening cut from the album “Comfortable (Flyin’ Scotsman)” and followed it up with one of his signature songs “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
Hunter is somewhat of a freak of nature, looking much the same as he did when he entered the scene in the late ’60s, and sounding exactly the same. Hunter plays with a level of enthusiasm rarely witnessed in his peers, which is why he has been able to amass such a devoted following.
With the show date coinciding with the anniversary of the death of John Lennon, Hunter’s cover of Lennon’s “Isolation” was particularly poignant. Moreover, even though Hunter’s voice typically does not bear a strong resemblance to Lennon’s, on this night it had an eerie intonation that made him sound remarkably similar to Lennon.
After Hunter finished his regular set with Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane,” he exited the stage for what was genuinely one of the loudest calls for an encore I have ever heard. He emerged to end the evening with an exclamation point, barreling through a trio of Mott the Hoople classics, which culminated with the band’s signature song “All the Young Dudes.”
It was a great evening for a great cause and a memorable night for fans in attendance. Hunter was able to do what too many classic rockers haven’t attempted, seamlessly integrate new material in with classic numbers. It worked, and it rocked.
Set List:
What For?
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Fatally Flawed
Wash Us Away (Mott the Hoople song)
Just the Way
Swan Hill
All the Way from Memphis (Mott the Hoople song)
All American Alien Boy
Black Tears
Just Another Night
Isolation (John Lennon cover)
When I’m President
Alice (Mott the Hoople song)
Roll Away the Stone (Mott the Hoople song)
Michael Picasso (Mott the Hoople song)
Moon Upstairs (Mott the Hoople song)
Encore:
Crazy Horse
Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground cover)
Saturday Gig (Mott the Hoople song)/Life/All the Young Dudes(Mott the Hoople song)(Medley)
All Photos by Gus Griesinger.
We would lie to thank Stephanie Cupo from the Missing Piece Group for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
