Photos and review by Jennie Book
@jenniebookphotography

Paul Weller’s one of those guys who could stand on a stage and read the dictionary for an hour and everyone would stare and smile, rapt. He has one of those rare voices that resonates in the bones. He’s also a legend, having been in seminal bands The Jam, and The Style Council, and has now been on his own for a few decades. He’s also, as a fan on the rail at the San Francisco Fillmore show on September 22^nd told me, one of only three musicians who’s had a number one album in each decade over five decades, the other two being Paul McCartney and John Lennon. (A little research adds three more to the list – Bruce Springsteen, Kylie Minogue, and Barbara Streisand, but it’s still some rare air.)

George Houston opened the show, alone onstage with a guitar and his big voice. He told stories and played good music and definitely came away with some new fans after the show. The young Irishman spent a lot of time at the merch booth after his set, and it’s always nice to see artists taking the time to get to know their fans. More about him can be found at @georgehoustonarts.

Paul Weller took the stage to big cheers from the sold out crowd on his first of two nights at the Fillmore, and kept the momentum going the whole time over his two hour set which included favorites like “That’s Entertainment,” “Shout to the Top,” and “Town Called Malice.” His bandmates were great (the guitarist’s dad was in the crowd), with good energy the whole time. Weller let the music speak for itself for the most part, and the seasoned concertgoers were there for it the whole way through, the majority staying until the very end to pick up their commemorative posters on the way out.

Paul Weller has finished the US leg of his “66” tour, but hops back over to the UK in mid-October and will tour through the Kingdom in the fall, wrapping up in London on November 9^th. For the latest check out www.paulweller.com.