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by Timothy Edward Jones

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When someone hears the name Billy Bob Thornton, they usually think of movie titles like "SlingBlade" or "Daddy and Them." Or Angelina Jolie might even come to mind. But a lot of people don't connect Billy Bob Thornton to music. Well, on Friday August 17th, 2007, about 300 people packed the newly opened Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center in Huntsville, Alabama to hear Billy Bob Thornton sing .... Not act.

A few minutes after 7 PM, the theatre lights came down as the few hundred BBT fans held their collective breaths as seven silhouettes stood on stage in the darkness and the music started. The stage lights came up. There, before the crowd's eyes, stood a 52-year-old Billy Bob Thornton and his 6-piece band called The Box Masters. BBT and band were dressed in rhinestone suits reminscent of Buck Owens and the Buckaroos of the 1960's. The 45-minute set consisted of some old country and rock and roll cover songs and a few original tunes. The set was more of a rockabilly sound laced with a Beatles/Gram Parsons style.

Thornton held a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other as he crooned, cried and wailed into the microphone. It seemed that most of the folks in the audience were there as fans of his acting career and not so much for the music, which was a little disappointing for me. But, nonetheless, BBT sang such songs as Mel Tillis's "Sawmill" and the '60's rock and roll song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." Somewhere in teh middle of this Hee Haw like serenade, Thornton sang a humorous number called "Shi* List." He said to the audience: "I'm on somebody's shi* list in about 37 states, so we decided to write a song about it." The crowd laughed along with him.

Thornton also whipped out a new tune that he and band members wrote about a guy who had escaped from prison and decided to go and hide out in a place that the lawmen would never look; in his ex-wife's bed (since she was the one who blew the whistle on him in the first place). The upbeat country-sounding song is called "The Last Place They'll Ever Look."

At the end of the first half of the show, Thornton and The Box Masters left the stage and returned after a 15-minute intermission with a new stage presentation and a new wardrobe. The stage was set with 1960's psychedelic regalia like incense, strange lighting effects and lava lamps. Thornton came out on stage in black jeans and a black sleeveless muscle shirt. The Box Masters donned hippy headbands, jeans and a grungy garage band look. The second half of the show was louder and really rocked.

BBT performed songs from his new CD "Beautiful Door" including the title cut. Muscle Shoals songwriting legend Funky Donnie Fritts was in the audience cheering Billy Bob on as Thornton performed a song he and Fritts wrote called "My Personal Prison." This set also included songs like "Hope For Glory" from his new CD and one previously recorded original from his "Private Radio" album called "That Mountain." Even though the set was flawless and fun, I was a bit disappointed that Billy Bob did not perform any of the songs from his "Hobo" album.

One surprise did come right in the middle of the second half of the concert. Thornton asked for the theatre lights to be turned up so that he could see the audience. He said: "I don't usually do this in my shows, but tonight I'm going to take seven questions from the audience about my movies and I'll answer them."

The first question was more of a statement from a middle-aged lady who said that she could not see Thornton's character, Carl Childers from SlingBlade in BBT himself. She said, "You are very thin. I can't see Carl in you at all."

Thornton said, "I never do this anywhere because this character is sacred to me, but since I'm here in Alabama, I'll show you Carl."

And with that said, BBT turned his back to the crowd, got into character and turned and faced the audience. And there before our very eyes stood the SlingBlade hero Carl Childers himself. BBT did a little dialog from the movie in Carl's voice and the audience cheered wildly.

Near show's end, Thornton tossed some drumsticks out into the crowd and ended the show. But he and The Box Masters came back out for one last song due to a standing ovation encore.

As a Billy Bob Thornton music lover, I was blown away by the show. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of older original material being performed from his previous CD's but overall, it was the best $20 I've spent in a long time. If BBT comes to a town near you, get a ticket .... Take the ride.

Learn more about this author, Timothy Edward Jones.

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