Claire and I were thrilled to again be hosting our good friend and musical legend, John Batdorf on Thursday March 9, 2017. And we were just as excited that Junior Vasquez was again opening for John, just like he did at the Lubbock Municipal Auditorium back in 1975!
We are all a “little” older now, and the music is even better than ever! John is recording a new CD as we speak, so got to hear some of his latest, unreleased songs.
John Batdorf is an American singer-songwriter, solo artist, and one half of Las Vegas Rock and Roll Hall Of Famers, folk-rock duo Batdorf and Rodney, and folk-rock band Silver. He’s also a successful film and TV composer, session vocalist, and inspirational musician in the substance recovery community.
In 1967, as a gifted teenage singer-songwriter, John Batdorf, ventured to Los Angeles, crammed in a Lincoln Continental with six of his friends, to become immersed in the formative and iconic musical era symbolized by Laurel Canyon and names like Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman, Lubbock’s own Al Perkins, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and so many more. These went on to form some of the most influential bands of all time, and John Batdorf was part of that transformation as a founding member of Batdorf and Rodney, followed by Silver. If you grew up in that era, you will recognize many of their songs.
Since that time, John Batdorf has remained a prolific songwriter, and is a far more accomplished musician now than even at the height of his success in the 1970s.
Only once in the eight year history of our house concerts have we offered an opening act, and that once was when Junior Vasquez opened for John Batdorf in March 2015. It’s taken two years to get John back, and we could not be happier that once again Junior was able to open for him, just like he did in 1975.
This was an amazing concert! In spite of the fact that John had missed some immediately previous engagements due to flu-like symptoms, he was able to rest and recover a few days prior to our concert, and his performance was as inspiring and musically perfect as always. There are few musicians who play and sing with the precision that John brings to his performances. Never a missed note. Add to that the emotional range that he brings, and you begin to understand why John Batdorf is one of the finest musicians in the industry today.