Released today and featured at in exclusive, ”Going Down To Jacksonville 1983” features the magnificent PAT TRAVERS and his band when they stepped on a Florida stage on April 10th, 1983, and proceeded to annhilate it with a blistering set of road-tested, hard rockin’ anthems.
When Travers recorded his great ‘Black Pearl’ album in 1982 he added to the band keyboardist Don Harris and Joey Helf on backing vocals and blues harp. With this line up, completed with Peter Cowling (bass) and Sandy Gennaro (drums) the band toured promoting the LP all through 1983.
Pat Travers Band were at the end of the touring schedule by the time this concert in Jacksonville, FL, was recorded. Unfortunately a day before Harris fractured his wrist, and Travers was unable to find a keyboard replacement so soon. They decided to perform the show without keyboardist. So the keyboard parts are covered by guitar riffs and harp – heavy harp! – resulting in unique versions of these songs.
”Going Down To Jacksonville 1983” rocks hard, captured with an awesome sound quality, crisp and sharp. As bonus track, there’s a studio track recorded by Pat Travers in 2019.
“Everybody ready to rock ‘n’ roll?”, a moot question to the cheering crowd. The answer is a resounding “yes” as he launches into “Your Love Can’t Be Right”. It is a great way to open the show and album. Taken from his 1980 album, Crash And Burn, it has always been a fan favourite, and Travers and his band completely rock the song. You can feel the energy. And that is just the beginning.
From here, Travers and his band launch into a fantastic set of new (at the time) and classic songs. “Rockin’” from the recently released Black Pearl is much more exciting live. “Life In London” from 1977’s “Putting It Straight” is pure energetic with fine playing from Travers.
Of course the classics are here too, such as “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)” which ends the show and the album. Again, Travers tears it up with his guitar and vocals. “It is officially party time”, Travers announces and the crowd seems to be in agreement.
And you can hear the fun in Travers’ voice with “Snortin’ Whiskey And Drinkin’ Cocaine”. The joy Travers is experiencing performing live is palpable all over.
Pat Travers is going through his archives, and he must be very happy with what he is finding. These are extremely well recorded concerts and serve as a great reminder just how good this particular band was.
Travers is still playing and still sounding great, but these historic concerts take people of a certain vintage back in time, and younger fans can get a chance to hear a young and hungry band. The CD contains a bonus track, a studio recording, “Racing The Storm”.
Simply listening to the show is exhausting – imagine what it must have been like to be there.
Killer rock n’ roll!
1. Your Love Can’t Be Right
2. Life In London
3. You Don’t Love Me
4. Stevie
5. Born Under A Bad Sign
6. Going Down
7. Snortin’ Whiskey And Drinkin’ Cocaine
8. Rockin’
9. Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)
10. Racing the Storm [2019 studio track]
Pat Travers (guitar, vocals)
Peter “Mars” Cowling (bass)
Sandy Gennaro (drums)
Joey Jelf (backing vocals, blues harp)
PAT TRAVERS – Going Down To Jacksonville 1983 (2025) , MP3+FLAC
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