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Set list:
1) Roll Over Beethoven
2) You Win Again
3) Boogie Woogie Country Man
4) She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye
5) Chantilly Lace
6) Rockin' My Life Away
7) Georgia On My Mind
8) Over The Rainbow
9) Sweet Little Sixteen
10) Before The Night Is Over
11) No Headstone On My Grave
12) Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
13) Great Balls Of Fire
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Jerry Lee Lewis in Florence
Picture: Folke Myrvang
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After the usual 4 song warm
up by the band, Jerry came on stage to a thunderous applause at the Belterra Casino. The room was filled to capacity with an enthusiastic adult audience that rose to greet the
killer.
Dressed in a black suit and boots, Jerry looked sharp, alert and quite fit as he approached the baby grand piano, grinning as he saw the Petrov brand name and went
straight into the expected "Roll Over Beethoven". I thought the piano at times was drowned in the sound of the organ, but the solos were as loud as they should be.
For the next number we got the Hank Williams classic "You Win Again" introduced by Jerry as one of his gold records. Someone shouted out HAPPY BIRTHDAY and Jerry
grinned even wider and joked that he heard him, but didn’t want to. A little later in the show, Jerry did acknowledge the fact that he would be 69 shortly and that he had been
blessed with a rich life. "the good Lord hasn’t spanked me too hard, but I must admit he got my attention a few time or two".
More hits followed with nice
versions of "Boogie Woogie Country Man", "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" - "She woke me up, but she didn't have to take my money, cars and all that -
well, I gave her what she wanted, goodbye baby" Jerry quipped in his well known style before launching into "Chantilly Lace" talking on the phone Big Bopper style
and yapping, yapping and yapping before screaming out "nekkid goose", oh yeah, the killer was in town at the "beautiful establishment in mmmmmm, - - Indiana"
he said.
"Rockin' My Life Away" followed and the rapping adlib at the end was faster and wilder than I can remember ever hearing it. "Georgia on my
mind" followed, and set the pace for "Somewhere, Over The Rainbow" - "the land ol' Jimmy Swaggart dreamed of, once in a lullaby!" "Sweet Little
Sixteen" was next, and like most of the rocking numbers it was fast and quick, no BS and no complaints from either Jerry or the congregation. With the exception of the 2001
b'day, it had been over 15 years since I had seen Jerry in a US bar, and the middle class and up audience seemed to have aged with us. In 1989 I was 25, Jerry was 53 but we rocked
just as hard last night.
The next song came with the blessing that it would be released next month on a new album, "Before The Night Is Over" must be his very
favorite track from the new album. The more he plays it, the better the performance gets. "Don't Put No Headstone On My Grave" followed - a monument of course would be
more fitting this incredible performer.
I knew the night wouldn't last forever and the opening bars to "Whole Lotta Shakin" drove the already hot audience over
the top. A short and hectic "Great Balls Of Fire" followed with the stool toppling over and it was goodbye and goodnight.
Approximately 40 minutes of rock and
roll from the old master was just what the doctor ordered for the audience who seemed happy and I heard no comments about the show being short.
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