Gig Review with Jim Shortt
Below is a review of one of our performances from earlier this year by Jim Shortt, writer for "The Scene" magazine. WC1

JUKIN': At the Park Grocery (est. 1947) turned local charm juke joint, Southeast Houston style. I caught Johnny B. (AKA John Bockelman) and the Wildcats (marianland.com/citykingsfolder/wildcats.html) at their every other Sunday gig and jam session. The Wildcats are the Roadhouse Boogie band that burned up the Bay Stage at the 2002 Seabrook Music Festival before a jam-packed, raving audience. This night, twin lead guitarists Johnny B. & Kim Van Zant, drummer Rodger Weiss and bassist Gonzo (AKA Mike Gonzalas) made their instruments a part of them in their explosive fusion of guitar driven blues with straight-ahead rock and roll. All night, Johnny B. was at his best vocally, and that, friends, is front-rank. Here's how the set came down...

SHOW TIME: Petal-to-the-metal, Wildcat show time, that is. Johnny B. & the Wildcats hit the stage hot strokin' on Bockelman originals "Let Me In" and the searing rocker, "Get Along With Me." The big time R&R hammer of premier drummer Rodger Weiss melded with the driving lines of capital bassist Gonzo to produce the high voltage, blood boiling rhythm of over-the-top, prime rock. Johnny B and Van Zant, virtuoso guitarists both, traded gitty-up, get down rides. Wow, what an opening salvo! Next came a very well done cover of Freddie King's twelve-bar, back alley classic, "Love Her With a Feelin'." The best song of a mostly originals set was Bockelman's minor key, "Visit From The Devil," a voodoo hypnotizer to give Satan himself chills. This show was major rock festival stuff. Bravo! Bravo! FYI: I had to leave as players for the Wildcats hosted jam were arriving. A few I saw come in were bassist James Bastida; drummer David Bastida; and guitarists/vocalists Ronnie Walker, Rusty Carver and Bob Eaton.