 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
It was a family affair Thursday night in San Francisco as headliner ZZ Ward brought her father and 3-year-old son, along with a well-along-the-way pregnancy into a sold-out Bimbo’s 365 Club. “I’ve got a lot of plans for next year. This is one of them,” she joked – introducing the elephant in the room late in her 90-minute set.
 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Ward may have sat down for a couple more songs than she would have normally, but she delivered a no excuses, full-speed ahead set that leaned into her fun, sexy, and sometimes self-described “sleazy” songs. She displayed her impressive musical range – shape shifting between country, blues, rock and club music and leaned nicely into the wide-ranging tracks on her latest album Dirty Shine. Never one to be shackled by one genre – Ward now finds herself on the label she and her husband founded “Dirty Shine Records” and her album shouts of a newfound creative freedom.
 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Ward took the stage to new album tracks “Forget About Us” and the twangy, ripe for a singalong "Baby Don’t” and it was immediately clear that most in the audience were very familiar with the most recent entries into her catalog. She drifted back eleven years for two songs off 2012’s Til the Casket Drops with “Put the Gun Down” – a song that straddles country, pop and rap - and the title track a more straight-ahead rocker. The pace got much faster with “Ride” – a song originally performed with Gary Clark, Jr for the Cars 3 Soundtrack. Wednesday, the song was delivered at a breakneck pace as her accompanying band showed their flexibility to change gears at a moment’s notice.
 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
“Tin Cups,” her duet with Aloe Blacc, showcased the new album’s genre variety, while staying close to Ward’s favored themes of whiskey, love and sex. Blacc’s vocals were added into the songs gravelly intro and then gave way as she sang; “Oh my my, these whiskey lies ain’t ever gonna tell the truth” and “Oh, line ‘em up, line ‘em up like a tin cup. Yeah, I love ‘em, then I let them down.” Ward followed with the slow, beautiful “Last Love Song” – a heartbreaker off her debut album that she sang with authentic and magnetic emotion.
 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
After “Bag of Bones,” Ward warned the audience “We are going to continue to get a little more sleazy” before going into “Charlie Ain’t Home.” The band then went into a three-song mini-set of blues standards with Ward demonstrating her deep love of her father’s favorite music – including a cover of Son House’s “Grinning in Your Face” – as she sang and played terrific harmonica while seated. “Lil Darlin” followed the blues interlude with a terrific bluesy guitar solo and 70’s vibe.
 |
| ZZ Ward @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Two songs that leaned on piano followed with “The Dark” and then “365 Days” with the audience clapping along. She wrapped up the main set with an extremely fun “If I Could Be Her” and over the top “Move Like You Stole It.” The encore saw the new dance song “OverdoZZe” and then a return to 2012 with an electric “Blue Eyes Blind” that sent the crowd home buzzing.
 |
| Lanie Gardner @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Opening the night, singer Lanie Gardner started the show accompanied only by the acoustic guitar of Vance Mazure. The North Carolina native might well be called an “internet sensation” (her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” has had over 100 million YouTube views), but her online success was more than backed up by her in person talent and humble spirit. Gardner wowed the crowd not only with “Dreams,” but also her own “Daughter of a Gun,” “Rose & Wildfire” and the vengeance song “6 Feet Deep.” There’s no doubt that Gardner has a huge near future ahead.
 |
| Lanie Gardner @ Bimbo's 365 (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Thanks for reading and while you're at it, you can follow us as well here: Instagram | Facebook.
