On June 1st, Duff McKagan played City Winery Boston alongside opener and backing band, Shooter Jennings, in celebration of the release of his new album, Tenderness. And while the Guns N’ Roses bassist is known for GnR’s hard rock sound and his roots in the Seattle punk scene, Tenderness takes his music in a whole different direction: country.
Shooter Jennings kicked the night off at 8:00pm on the dot, sliding behind his trusty keyboard as he and his four-piece band took to the stage. Switching periodically between keyboard and guitar, Shooter kept the crowd’s attention while also sharing the spotlight with members of his band, especially violinist and backing vocalist Aubrey Richmon. Highlights from his set included the loud and proud rock anthem “Don’t Feed the Animals,” and the epic jam track “Gunslinger.”
Around 9:20pm, Shooter and company returned to the stage, but this time joined by the one and only Duff McKagan. Well aware that Boston’s black and gold were currently waging war against the Blues in game three of the Stanley Cup, McKagan stepped up to the mike to let the crowd know that the Bruins were up 2-0, and was met by a yammering of yips and yowls of approval. Before beginning his set, McKagan asked, “anybody smoke a little weed before the show? Well I hope so, because this is gonna be a trip through all kinds of stuff”—and he wasn’t wrong.
Starting with GnR track “You Ain’t the First,” McKagan casually eased his way into his new material. But much to his surprise, the crowd seemed just as excited for and well versed in his solo work, as they sang along to nearly every song throughout the night. Wedged between these moments of stadium rock ecstasy were several quieter and more heartfelt moments, one of which happened during “Feel,” which McKagan dedicated to a husband who had recently lost his wife. The second of these moments preceded “Parkland,” McKagan’s tribute to the victims of the Parkland shootings, as he somberly dedicated the song to the previous day’s 12 victims in the Virginia Beach shootings. But despite the serious nature of these two tracks, McKagan was able to skillfully maneuver the crowd back into a lighter mood, following “Feel” with GnR’s iconic “Dust N’ Bones,” and “Parkland,” with a rowdy cover of The Clash’s “Clampdown.”
The third and final GnR cover of the night was “Dead Horse,” which perfectly paired with Tenderness’ country rock sound. And while he started song in center stage, McKagan eventually acquiesced the spotlight to his backing band, allowing Richmon to take the lead on Axl Rose’s signature high pitched vocals, and the lead guitarist to play Slash’s solo. Overall, the night was a wild trip though McKagan’s impressive discography and diverse musical influences, as he treated the crowd to an eclectic mix of emotional new tracks from Tenderness, country-tinged GnR classics, and crowd-pleasing covers.
See below for photos from the show (in order: Duff McKagan and Shooter Jennings):