Barbwire Turns Full Circle Saloon into a Honkytonk
Over the last fifteen years, Barbwire has established themselves as the premier country party cover band in San Diego. On Saturday, January 28th, they brought their brand of rowdy good times to the Full Circle Saloon in Santee. I know…a country band in East County, but there's always something fun about seeing a band on their home stage.
Barbwire performing at Rhythm n Brews taken by Rob Riingen Photography
At 8:30 on the dot, the opening snare and bass guitar intro of the Brothers Osborn song, "It Ain't My Fault," kicked in. James Cramer, lead singer, may not have the range for the bass voice on the original record, but he does a nice job singing an octave higher, turning the tune into more of a party shouter than a laid back baritone.
One of the biggest things Barbwire has going for it is the speed with which they transition from one song to the next, their gigs have very little dead air. With many cover bands, the pace of the show is more like song, stop and decide what's next, grab a drink, check tuning, check the guitar pedals… again, then count in the next song. Barbwire will hit you with four or five in a row before chatting with the crowd, having a drink and counting back in.
The Full Circle Saloon was packed and without a single open seat in the room. The crowd was treated to a mix of new and older Country songs, along with a smattering of classic rock tracks. The band sounds most at home covering modern classic outlaw artists like Randal King and Aaron Watson, but they also flirt with Pop Country tunes by artists like Blake Shelton.
Barbwire taken by Unknown
It's understandable why they play the more radio friendly tracks as everyone knows them and they fill a dance floor, but musically these songs do not play to the band's biggest strengths. They rightly choose to sacrifice a little polish for swagger, much like the Stones, but it is a bit surprising to hear rougher, less produced versions of super shiny, modern Pop Country songs.
Another highlight is the Keyboard player, David O’Conner, with his gigantic cowbell. When his hands aren't required on the keys, he'll pick that cowbell up and play with all the comic conviction of an SNL skit. Even when I hear the original recording of Whiskey Myers, "Bars, Guitars and a Honkytonk Crowd," I hear Dave's cowbell clonking away.
The stage banter is mostly great, with a few jokes that could probably be retired. If I never hear a lead singer say, "the more you drink, the better we sound," again, it'll be too soon. Still, James has enough unique and funny things to say that it makes up for the occasional overdone trope. One of his best has even been featured on their official T-shirts; “We cha-cha the s**t out of you.” This simple slogan gets a cheer from the crowd multiple times in the same night.
Barbwire at Full Circle Saloon taken by Unknown
If you enjoy Country Music, dancing, and maybe tipping the ole elbow a few extra times, Barbwire is the band for you. If you haven't seen them in a few months, they have plenty of newly-learned songs and are worth going back to see again. Put on them boots and cowboy hat and see if you can hang with the party Barbwire brings.
Find more information, including upcoming live dates on their official website: