Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton stepped into the light Tuesday in an appearance at The Continental, trading the lights of the silver screen for the lights of the nightclub stage.
Thornton is currently on tour promoting his Sept. 23 release, "Edge of the World." Local singer/songwriter Alison Pipitone and her band opened, performing songs from their August release, "Retrodyne."
A surprisingly patient crowd waited in line outside the club for nearly two hours before doors opened. Another delay kept the eager crowd waiting inside for close to an hour. Sound problems were apparently to blame for the approximately three-hour delay.
Once the evening began, the rustic and dimly-lit club on Franklin Street was an ideal setting for the actor-turned-rocker. While some may have had doubts over the quality of Thornton's musicianship, it was surprisingly his band that seemed to dominate the stage.
Dimmed lights and lit incense made for an elaborate introduction to the musicians, leading up to a drawn-out welcome for the man who once played a psychotic murderer in 1996's "Sling Blade." Wearing a black winter cap, jeans and a button-down sleeveless shirt, exposing his tattoos, Thornton looked the part of a rock star. His look may be the only similarity.
It was clear that neither Thornton's vocals nor his lyrics were spectacular. One song consisted of simply, "Sweet little girl/I gotta be your boyfriend/Do you love me best, what can I say?/What can I say..." Its pop-like sound was odd coming from an old, raspy rocker like Thornton.
Gears shifted from the hard-rock tone of his opening songs from "Edge of the World," to what he described as an Allman Brothers Band-like set. "Dark and Mad," off of his "Private Radio" album, was one of the few songs that were written during his marriage to actress Angelina Jolie. The two divorced earlier this year.
Known for their odd behavior - like wearing vials of each other's blood around their necks - the rocky days of Thornton's past have certainly contributed to his music's dark feel.
"Blue, Blue Mountain" offered a twang-filled country-style song to his otherwise rock repertoire and was carried off with more confidence than other songs. The style certainly suited him better and was closer to the style of his first band Tres Hombres, for whom he played drums and sang.
While the musicians in Thornton's band were the highlight of his set, Pipitone - accompanied by guest Pamela Ryder - offered a more entertaining set on the whole. A mix of Sheryl Crow and Ani Difranco, both Ryder and Pipitone's vocals and musicianship are in tune with the local indie-rock scene. It became difficult to tell if the crowd was feeding from the band's liveliness and enthusiasm, or the other way around.
While Thornton's vocal stylings were disappointing, the night was still entertaining. While he has some musical talent, it pales in comparison to that of both his band and Pipitone. Thornton's band might consider whether their association with Thornton is worth their time. He, on the other hand, should keep his day job.
