Billy Bob Thornton's a boring rocker, but an entertaining storyteller, at Milwaukee concert
Billy Bob Thornton conducted a highly unscientific survey from the stage of Shank Hall Monday.
How many people in the audience, he asked, were fans of his 10-year-old band, the Boxmasters? Then he wondered, how many came to the show because they liked him in a movie like "Armageddon"?
More people actually cheered for the band question, and when Thornton opened up the floor for a brief Q&A, the question he got wasn't about movies or celebs, but his songwriting process.
But let's be honest: People largely weren't there because they were Boxmasters fans. They wanted to see an Oscar winner, the star in "Sling Blade," "Bad Santa," FX's "Fargo" and other films and shows, in the flesh.
Not that the Boxmasters are a bad band. There was a handful of awkward lyrics during the 80-minute set, like the preachy closer on "Away Away" ("Does it get you through the day to look away?"). On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was the inspired "I Got Glendale," the band's clever and loving homage to a not-so-trendy Southern California town.
The music itself was solid Heartland rock infused with British Invasion-inspired melodies, made more memorable through Kirk McKim's flashy guitar playing. But even his crowd-pleasing power chords grew repetitive, and only near the set's end did the Boxmasters broaden the sound with the Tex-Mex-touched "Island Avenue" (written by Thornton's late brother Jimmy Don) and traditional country rocker "That Mountain."
A factor likely holding the Boxmasters back was the unexplained absence of Teddy Andreadis, a past keyboardist for Guns N' Roses and other big names. The other permanent Boxmaster besides Thornton, guitarist and Grammy-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew, was present but didn't do much heavy lifting.
As for Thornton, he's not likely to be cast in a Broadway musical anytime soon. He had a capable but colorless voice and was a strangely stiff performer, offering little more physicality beyond absent-minded swaying, his facial expressions surprisingly blank.
But when he wasn't singing, Thornton turned up the rugged charm. Whether he was describing the band's practice space as "the Monkees' house meets a flophouse," or playfully alluding to his own stint in jail, Thornton, the affable movie star chatting between songs, was far more entertaining than Thornton the rocker.
Veteran local singer-songwriter John Sieger came off as his own worst critic during a half-hour solo opening set, half-jokingly saying one of his blues guitar solos “stunk” and dryly joking that a new tune would pay his rent. That tune, “If You’re Going to Sing At All,” isn’t really going to make him rich, yet its lovely melody and sweet sincerity — emotional without being forced or saccharine — showed that in terms of songwriting talent, Sieger is already a wealthy man.
DRINKS ON BILLY BOB
When someone in the crowd shouted that it was his 21st birthday, Thornton, at an audience member's suggestion, offered to buy the birthday guy a treat (this being Milwaukee, he chose an Old Fashioned). Thornton even pulled out a wad of cash from his pants and gave it to him in the middle of the show.
Thornton also ordered his own favorite drink from the stage, Tito's vodka with cranberry juice, delivered to him midset.
"That's pretty pale," Thornton said.
"You're in Milwaukee dude," a woman yelled. "We like to drink here."
"Yeah, I can tell," Thornton quipped, grimacing through a sip.
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