‘Reverend’ Horton heats up Bluebird

Slicked back hair, tattoos and piercings were in abundance Tuesday night at the Bluebird as the crowd waited anxiously for the Reverend Horton Heat’s performance.\nHeat is the most prevalent performer of the psychobilly music genre, which is known for its fast tempo, outrageous lyrics and rockabilly feel. He got on stage at about 11:30 p.m., wearing a cowboy hat and a bright orange suit coat and immediately launched into his set.\n“He stops by every couple of years,” Bluebird owner Dave Kubiak said. “He always gives a revved-up rockabilly show. The crowd is always very enthusiastic.” \nThe crowd was enthusiastic indeed as Heat started the concert, beginning with a few crowd favorites like “It’s Martini Time!” and moving on to a chronological history of rockabilly, with swinging renditions of “Greensleeves” and “Rock This Town,” among others, as he played songs spanning various decades. His music was an intense, unrelenting assault on the ears that got feet tapping and the crowd jumping, jiving and wailing.\nThe three-man band, fleshed out by Jimbo Wallace on the upright bass and Paul Simmons on drums, played unbelievably fast, with all three pairs of hands reduced to little more than blurs in the smoky stage lights. The crowd ate it up, dancing and cheering all night long. Bloomington resident Katelin Hope saw Reverend Horton Heat for the first time Tuesday.\n“Absolutely fabulous,” she said. “Worth the wait.” \nThe band played for a couple of hours, then left the stage, only to be brought back by cheers from the rabid audience.\nThe encore set kicked off with “Ace of Spades,” with Blaine Cartwright of Nashville Pussy, which opened the show earlier in the evening, joining the band on vocals. The band then finished the night with “Psychobilly Freakout,” a fan favorite which recently appeared in the “Guitar Hero II” video game. \nAfter the encore, a contented looking Heat sat backstage with his band and road crew. \n“Bloomington has the hottest chicks in the world, but the guys are ugly as sin,” he said. “The crowd was great though. They’re just an awesome college crowd, one of the better ones we play for.” \nAfter the show the band headed back to their home in Dallas where they will play a few gigs this weekend.\nThe packed bar emptied out into the rainy evening, where everyone chatted about the performance. The audience members were thrilled, and most said they couldn’t wait until Heat’s next show in Bloomington. \n“I’d never seen him before, but it was really good,” said Bloomington resident Shannon Simons. \nKubiak, who’s brought Reverend Horton Heat to Bloomington for more than a decade, said he’ll most likely bring the band back sometime in the near future.