If you follow DISH on FB or Twitter you are well aware, by now that John Waite is coming to town.

There are, sadly, still a few tickets available for tonight's show out in the Woodlands at the The Dosey Doe  so click and meet DISH out there. By day The DD is a coffee shop but by night it's becoming a haven for music's greats...and some amazing Blues/Gospel as well like Ruthie Foster who was up for a Grammy last year and her album was number one on the Blues Charts.

The beauty of this place is its intimacy. 150 seats max-ish but you can't just buy a ticket and go enjoy the show. You're forced to participate in a 3 course sit down dinner, now as Southernly as that may be, sometimes I just want a show. Don't misunderstand, the chicken fried steak is spot on and the cream gravy is worth bathing in but it's a bit unnerving, as a Southerner, to turn some of your favorite music artists into a dinner show. But, when in Rome...or the Dosey Doe. I digress...

An event like tonights is what this place is becoming known for, a rock legend, up close and personal.

John Waite's new album "Rough and Tumble" has done beautifully. The single of the same name spent time at number one on the Rock Charts for a bit. Waite is well known in the largest of music circles because of his illustrious 35 year career starting with The Babys and a couple of top 10 hits. The thing about the Babys is not how high they charted at the time but the longevity the music has proven to possess. If you mention the Babys today to just about anyone, they will have a great memory of "Isn't It Time" or "Everytime I Think of You"

Once the Babys wrapped up their time together, Waite went solo for a bit which is the time period the earth was collectively blessed with "Missing You" inspired by The Babys song "Everytime I think of You". It was a song that Waite admits,

"Would have been written in a fire storm, it just had to come out."

This amazing piece of music history was literally written in 10 minutes.

Waite joined up with former Babys members Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips along with Neal Schon from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo to form the Supergroup Bad English in 1989. "When I See You Smile" shot to number one on the charts and sold a few million copies before the band called it quits in '92.

By this time John Waite had more than solidified the position of one of the great balladeers of our generation. That brings us to today and he's still writing and singing gorgeous love songs. "How Did I Get by Without You" is classic Waite. But to assume he’s resting on "Classic Waite" to get by would be misleading.  

"I want to go forward from what I've been doing, I didn't want to just do this thing that's expected at a certain age. You're just repeating yourself. It seems like such an excuse if you're a musician."

Enter Kyle Cook. Cook from Matchbox 20 and Waite met met through a mutual friend who swore they needed to write together. Out of that fateful paring came the album "Rough and Tumble" which garnered Waite two Grammy nominations, one for Best Rock Album and the other for Best Rock Song for the single “Rough and Tumble”.  His sound has evolved a bit into a little blues, a little country and a little rock. This album has a Tina Turner cover, a rocking country type (the title track) and a ballad. There has to be at least one and there is a great one on this album, but it’s got a twist. "If You Ever Get Lonely", recorded and produced by Cook, is actually about a break up and trying to find the balance afterward.

When you ask Waite about the band and sound he has today, he responds almost in awe,

"This is what I've been trying to get to since I was 17, that's exactly what I was going for."

His “new” band which he’s been with for almost 10 years, anchored by bass player Tim Hogan, are having an amazing tour with dates being added almost daily, some Australian dates were just added last night.

 God Speed, JW.... and next time, please play in town.

"If you speak from the heart, people listen from the heart. " - John Waite

**REVIEW**

Tim Hogan, Shaun Hague, John WaiteFrom a fan persepective the show was beyond any and all expectations. Waite was engaging, humorous, full of energy but the voice...that voice. If possible, it could actually be stronger than ever.

The show started with the Grammy Nominated single "Rough and Tumble" which is described by Waite as a country type but masks well as a hard rocker. The first peep into his back catalogue, the Babys "Isn't It Time" brought the room to their feet and one "Superfan" off the balcony. The backing vocals, normally a power female, were held nicely by drummer Rondo and guitarist Shaun Hague (pictured). The fact is, if you closed your eyes you were transported back to the early 80's. It just got better from there.

One of the unexpected highlights of the evening was when Waite announced he was going to perform a song by Bob Dylan... "All Along the Watchtower" rocked so hard that the crowd couldn't stay in their seats (a random thing to say about a rock show but this was at a virtual dinner theatre venue). It drew great comparison to the Jimi Hendrix version and blew the original Dylan straight up. Guitarist Shaun Hague comes out of left field and just about sets fire to the stage. It's worth the price of two tickets to catch that moment. Waite's vocals are so strong it's breathtaking, you actually stop rocking out to take in exactly what's happening.

They brought it down a bit after that with "If You Ever Get Lonely" (featured above) with John joking they were about to perform a single that completely flopped. One can't help but wonder what's going on on the promotion side of this album because it really should be bigger than it is. Something to ponder.

He did bring out "Missing You" and encored with "When I See You Smile", the latter being alone on the stage and asking the audience to sing with him. Which they did with great alacrity and joy.

Ultimately, the evening was over the top, more than you could or ever would expect from most rock shows let alone a variable legend. It was a hidden gem, a treasure that you keep with you but you hope others will find.

          DISH and JWAs you can see...DISH found her treasure =)... yes he's very hot!