Reverend Horton Heath
Fitzgerald’s Nightclub, Berwyn IL
November 14, 2024
Photos: Roman Sobus
Performance review: Jerry Morgan
REVEREND HORTON HEAT stormed through Chicago in support of their latest release, a collection of vintage cover songs, titled Roots Of The Rev. The album highlights artists connected with RHH, and the band showcased several cuts weaved between classics and frontman Jim “The Rev” Heath’s charming storytelling.
Kicking off with sometimes opener “Big Sky”; rolling into hit after hit from their 35+ year catalog, REVEREND HORTON HEAT delivered another blistering set as they always have since first coming to Chicago nearly 30 years ago. The nearly sold-out crowd was treated to “Five-O Ford,” “Psychobilly Freakout, ” “400 Bucks” and “Big Red Rocket of Love.”
Bassist extraordinaire Jimbo Wallace took over vocal duties on Eddie Cochrane’s “20 Flight Rock,” another gem from Roots Of The Rev, before Heath asked the crowd for some spelling assistance as the fist- pumping chants of the “Jimbo Song” hit. The trio is rounded out with drummer and backup vocalist Jonathan Jeter, who also fronts his own outfit, as proclaimed by The Rev.
Heath also promised new original music coming from the band in 2025, as the band performed a pair from their last studio album, 2018’s Whole New Life, including its first single, “Let Me Teach You How To Eat” and the eponymous title track
“It’s Martini Time” was another pleasant surprise with the crowd sing-along already in full effect at this point of the night. The Texas boys closed out their set with “Galaxy 500” igniting a mosh pit
before returning for a 3 song encore consisting of “Bails Of Cocaine” sandwiched between covers by Ronnie Dawson (“Rockin’ Bones”) and the almighty Motorhead (“Ace Of Spades”).
Set List (Incomplete)
Big Sky
Baddest of the Bad
Big Red Rocket Of Love
Five-O Ford
Let Me Teach You How to Eat
Three Days (Willie Nelson cover)
Psychobilly Freakout
Big Red Rocket of Love
20 Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran cover, Jimbo Wallace on vocals)
Jimbo Song
In Your Wildest Dreams
It’s Martini Time
Whole New Life
400 Bucks
Galaxy 500
Encore:
Rockin’ Bones (Ronnie Dawson cover)
Bales of Cocaine
Ace of Spades
