Luther Played The Boogie

I saw the new Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line on Friday night. It's really good. I'm certainly not the world's biggest Johnny Cash fan, but I was drawn in from start to finish. I was impressed by Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, but even more so by Reese Witherspoon as June Carter. Who knew she could act, and in a role other than the same blonde girl she has played in Legally Blonde, Pleasantville and Friends? But, and this is where I get to post some pictures, there are a few background performers in the film that you aren't likely to notice unless you are familiar with their real-life personas. The band The Dempseys perform in the film as Elvis' backup group. I was suprised to see them in the film, but then I remembered them saying something at one of their recent concerts about being chosen to star in a Johnny Cash film. I think I nearly fell out of my seat when Joe, the bassist (above) from the group, walked by in the background of a shot. Anyhow, I've seen these guys twice in concert, and it's been awesome both times. Super high energy from start to finish, never a missed note, and a brilliant selection of tunes. The first show I saw, the stand-up bass actually broke from being played too hard. They spent about 20 minutes with two rolls of duct tape, and started the show right back up exactly where it had left off.

These guys are active performers (unlike Luther Perkins, a member of Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two, who is famous for just standing there during performances). The shot above is the drummer, Ron, playing bass from a rather precarious perch. Yes, I said the drummer was playing bass. You've got to go see these guys, then it will all make sense.
As if a bass-playing drummer weren't wacky enough, how about the shot above, where the bassist is playing guitar and the guitarist is playing bass? I told you they were wacky. At one point, these two guys were both playing guitar. The same guitar. At the same time. Oh, and the drummer was tapping out a beat on the guitar body. You've got to see it to believe it.
Several times during the show, in response to some particularly loud cheering, or maybe just because a pretty lady flipped up her top for a second, Brad would flash a little message to the crowd from the back of his guitar. Talk about a hard shot to get! He only did this for about a second each time, since he never missed playing the next chord.
After the show, the guys in the band hung out with the crowd, selling CDs and signing autographs. This fan (groupie?) was excited about getting her glove signed by the boys in the band. Don't tell the guys in the band about this post, just in case you happen to know them. They hate me. I shot these pictures at two of their shows, and I got carried away and took hundreds of shots from right in front of the stage with my flash. I think I probably blinded them. Sorry guys. I'll leave the camera at home next time. Maybe...