WashingtonPost.com
Jason Ringenberg: Even Unplugged, Still Scorching
Jason Ringenberg, the sinewy, high-octane singer from the important 1980s country-punk band Jason and the Scorchers, has begun what he calls a "second career" as a solo artist. Recent tours of the States and Europe, as well as a well-received 2002 album of duets, "All Over Creation," have given Ringenberg and his music new life after several years of chicken farming in Tennessee.

Other solo singer/songwriters could learn a lesson from Ringenberg: Grow some charisma. Thursday night at Iota, Ringenberg charmed the hearty crowd that braved the snow with an acoustic showcase that was all unflagging, dynamic energy. It was inevitable that he and his guitar would end up on the bar of the club, leading a rousing singalong of "I Saw the Light."

Kicking off with a spirited version of the whimsical "Honky-Tonk Maniac From Mars," the lanky, lithe Ringenberg played as if he could hear the band in his head, stamping out the beat with his boots and rocking out to the solos; he managed to convey his unbridled enthusiasm for the music with each tune, from the fast ones - "James Dean's Car," "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" - to the slow ones, particularly the elegant "Erin's Seed."

Tommy Womack, who joined Ringenberg for a few songs, opened the show with a set of electric guitar ballads. Maybe it was the snow, but he didn't get warmed up until the end, with an homage to the Dead Boys' guitarist Cheetah Chrome.

Buzz McClain