Here is my lengthy report...

I made the two hour drive and arrived around 6:45 for the show. When I had called the club they told me to arrive early, but I guess I was a little too early because no one else was there. Anyway, I ordered some dinner and soon Jeff, another Internet Shaver fan, showed up with his family. We grabbed seats about 6 feet from the stage and swapped Shaver stories and soon the place filled up. I'm a horrible judge of crowds but by the end of the night there was probably at least 100 people there...and this was a pretty small place so many people were standing and sitting on the floor. Anyway, about 8:30 or so the band walked in and was met with a round of applause. The band began to set up while Billy Joe chatted and signed autographs, and Jeff's wife helped collect money for the "Electric Shaver" CDs which were being sold.

At a little after 9pm Billy Joe took the stage but the band was nowhere to be found. I guess he was supposed to being doing a sound check but he basically just started singing then as they tried to get his guitar hooked up to the sound system. At some point Eddy showed up and started getting his guitar hooked up and Billy Joe mentioned that their bass player had just gotten stung by a bee and that he thought he went and "died in the crapper." Finally, five songs in the entire band takes the stage, but Eddy's amplifier won't work. Right on que, Billy Joe starts into "Try, Try Again" almost teasing the other guys as the work on the amp. At some point they get the amp fixed and at 9:30 the show kicks off with "Good News Blues." The next two hours were just pure excitement... Lemme go ahead and give the listing of the songs and then mention some of the more memorable events:

(Sound Check, Only Billy Joe)
1. Deja Blues
2. Old Five and Dimers
3. The First and the Last Time (a cappella)
4. Son of Calvary (a cappella)
5. Willie the Wandering Gypsy
6. Try Try Again
(The rest of the band joins in)
7. Good News Blues
8. Georgia on a Fast Train
9. People and Their Problems
10. Honky Tonk Heroes
11. Black Rose
12. Woman Is the Wonder of the World
13. Love you Till the Cows Come Home
14. Old Chunk of Coal
15. Thunderbird (5 minute drum solo)
16. Good Ole' USA (acoustic)
17. Bottom Dollar (acoustic)
18. Live Forever (acoustic)
19. Mother Trucker
20. Sweet Mama
21. Hottest Thing in Town
22. Blue Blue Blues
23. I Couldn't Be Me Without You
24. Do I Stand a Prayer in Your Paradise (?) (sung by Eddy)
25. You're As Young As the Woman You Feel
26. You Ask Me Too
27. Slave At the Feet of The Queen
28. Ragged Ole Truck
29. You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ

First of all the players last night were:

Billy Joe -- singing and guitar
Eddy -- electric and acoustic guitar
Jason McKenzie - drums
Dillon Jones -- bass

Apparently this was Dillon's first night with the band, but he held his own for the most part. There were only a few songs that he wasn't familiar with.

During the whole show Billy Joe interjected many funny comments and stories behind the songs (the one about Ragged Old Truck was probably the best) and he frequently left the stage to shake hands with those in the audience. During "Sweet Mama" he actually left the club and returned a few moments later with a pack of gum which he had retrieved from the van. Before the next song he stated something to the effect of "ya'll have probably already gotten your money's worth, but its raining and we can't load our shit up...so were just gonna keep playing." The crowd loved that of course.

A few other random notes about the show...Jason's drum solo on Thunderbird was unbelievable! He did a great job all night and was very friendly when I talked to him after the show...A bunch of folks kept requesting songs which Eddy had writing credits on. Once, Eddy pointed this out to Billy Joe, Billy yelled "well hell we'll let him do one then" and he and the other jumped off the stage and left Eddy one his own. With Billy leading the chant of "Eddy, Eddy", the younger shaver took the mike and reluctantly sang one of his tunes which I'm guessing is titled "Do I Stand a Prayer in Your Paradise." I thought it was a good song and most of the crowd liked it, but after it was over Eddy basically begged the rest of the band to come back to the stage.

The show ended to a standing applause and Billy Joe spent the next 30 minutes signing autographs and meeting people. I got him to sign my "When I Get My Wings" LP and an issue of the Country Music Journal with him on the cover. Interestingly enough Billy Joe doesn't even have a vinyl copy of "When I Get My Wings."

All in all I had a great time and it was definitely a night that I will never forget. If you have the opportunity to go to a Shaver show anytime this summer (especially when it is just Shaver in a small club) then I certainly would implore you to go...you definitely will not be disappointed.

OTHER NOTES
**Shaver has recorded a video for Thunderbird but Billy Joe didn't have any further details
**An album is in the works with Waylon, Willie, Billy Joe, and Kris Kristofferson signing a bunch of Billy's songs.

That's all from here...I hope that I didn't get too long winded 8-)