Wanda Jackson put on a pretty good show last night at Shenanigan’s Pub here in Richmond. The Lustre Kings warmed the crowd up and also served as Wanda’s backing band. She performed all of her hits—Hard Headed Woman, Mean, Mean Man, Let’s Have a Party, Fujiyama Mama—as well as a few covers, including her recently recorded version of Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good ( it was the first time they played that one live and it was, to put it delicately, a trainwreck). Oh,well. The woman is in her 70’s, but she’s still got some fire in her and is clearly enjoying herself.

Jackson, often referred to as The Queen (or The First Lady) of Rockabilly, began her career in the mid-’50s. As a pioneering rockabilly artist she was a peer of other early key figures such as Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, and shared bills with (and briefly dated) Elvis Presley. She recorded for Decca Records as a teen, though Jackson had initially talked with Capitol about a deal, where she was told by a producer, “Girls don’t sell records.”

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It’s been remarkable for Jackson to see the evolution of her audiences from the last years of her country career in the 1970s to today’s shows where she is held in reverence by fans who recognize her as one of the few remaining rock & roll pioneers. “The people are different these days, even in clubs. I’ve noticed that the generation, the people who are coming to see me now, are young adults. There are a few scattered people my age, from my era, but most of them are this new generation of rockabilly and ’50s-rock fans. They’re so cute because they know all of my songs, which is always shocking, and they sing along with me, and they know so much about my career. They’re just really great fans and they seem to esteem me very highly, which is very nice. Plus, I get paid a little bit more these days. That’s always nice, too.”

Shenanigan’s seems an unlikely venue for such a notable performer as Wanda. I would expect her to perform in a larger or more well-known space. But, really, all things considered, it’s  perfect.  Shenanigan’s is one of Northside Richmond’s trusty watering holes,  low-lit with a small stage by the door.  When you walk in you can smell the odor of stale beer mingling with bleach. Dedicated smokers cluster outside on the sidewalk, puffing away. It’s the ideal setting to hear the reigning Queen of Rockabilly sing about hard-headed women and mean, mean men.

What started as a way to subsidize a rock band during his college days at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992 turned into both a passion and a career for McCready.

He now owns the Foxwedge school and Bankston & Bailey, where he designs and makes fine furniture.

He started his career as a woodworking apprentice at Richmond-based design and fine-furniture maker Harrison Higgins Inc.

“As it turned out, I liked woodworking more than the band,” McCready said.

After graduating from VCU in 1998, he worked at a couple of research-related jobs before starting a doctoral program in counseling psychology at the University of Maryland.

“I stopped after one year because I wanted to get back to woodworking,” he said.

Forget carbo-loading and resting before the Richmond Half-Marathon: I plan on preparing for the race  by drinking beer, bathing in secondhand smoke, knocking down a few duckpins, and rocking out to cute Japanese punkers Shonen Knife. Inspired by the Ramones, adopted by Sonic Youth, Shonen Knife are one of a kind and not to be missed.

SK are currently touring the US in their Hello Kitty tour bus and will be stopping by Richmond’s own duckpin alley, Plaza Bowl, on November 13th, the night before the big Richmond running hooha. Hot Lava, Hex Machine, and Jeff the Brotherhood will be sharing a lane with the ladies. Get your tickets here

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