Cheatham Street Warehouse San Marcos, TX - January 30, 2003 ~ Andy Upon entering Cheatham Street Warehouse I was greeted by the site of five empty chairs lined up across the front of the stage. Although my buddies and I had arrived early, we soon found that we were not early enough; all of the good seats had already been taken, but it was no big deal. This was my first Reckless Kelly show of the New Year, as well as my first acoustic set ever; I was full of anticipation, to say the least. The Warehouse filled up quickly, and before I knew it those five empty chairs were occupied by the boys from RK as they opened the show with “Desolation Angels.” This was also the first time I had attended a show at Cheatham Street Warehouse, but it turned out to be everything that I expected. The low ceilings and nostalgic atmosphere of the building blended well with the feel of the acoustic show. Soon after the first song my friends and I got tired of trying to peer around the stack of speakers (not to mention the girls dancing right in front of us) so we made our way to the side of the stage - about two feet from David Abeyta. After opening with “Desolation Angels,” the boys did a lot of tracks off the old records, including “Hatax” and “Whole Lotta Love” - two songs that I have never heard them do before. My personal favorite, however, was a great version of “Lonely All the Time.” “So Lonely” kicked ass, as usual, and “Wild Horses,” was possibly the best I have ever heard them do. The boys also played “Tom Ames Prayer,” and covered a couple Gram Parsons songs, although I can’t remember which ones (my memory seems to be a bit sketchy for reasons I can not specify). But, throughout the show I found myself enjoying the new songs more than anything else. I mentioned “Desolation Angels,” but they also played “Set Me Free,” and “Everybody Looks Like You” all of which I believe are going to be released on the new record, and are all great songs. All in all the Cheatham Street show was probably the best I have ever seen - I had no idea that an acoustic set could be so energetic. My only complaint is the fact that I could not watch all five band members at once, I mean, they’re all so damn good. Seated at the very far left of the stage was Jimmy, who seemed to be playing faster than ever before. To his left was Jay, who must be the most inventive drummer in the world. I would have never believed that someone could do so many different things with merely a snare drum and a tambourine; but Jazz proved his greatness by playing percussion on everything from his tambourine stand to Jimmy’s bass. To the right of him sat Willy, who when he’s not singing one of his finely written songs, plays some of the most creative rhythm guitar you will ever hear. To Willy’s left was Cody who is probably one of the most diverse musicians around, proving his worth as a singer, as well as a mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica player. And last but not least, sitting to the far right was David Abeyta, who, as you all know, is an absolutely incredible musician. Not to mention the fact that he is able to put up with the incessant yelling and clapping of overzealous fans. In true Reckless fashion the band returned to the stage after their set for an encore performance in which they played “My Baby,” before ending the show with a raucous and lively performance of “Baby’s Gone Blues.” As the energy died down and the crowd dispersed from the Warehouse out into the cold night air, I was thankful for yet another great Reckless show, and understandably found myself already looking forward to the next one.

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