The Problem with WAR (Mikey’s personal vendetta)

For the umpteenth time in recent years, we bring the band War to Pittsburgh in ‘23. When possible, I take album covers to shows. A recent triumph was having Booker T. sign “Soul Limbo,” the release that presented The Soul Show’s theme track. Not having seen War since 1975, I trudged up to Jergel’s in Pgh’s northern burbs 8 or so years ago to see them. Co-founder Lonnie Jordan signed my “Live” album.

That’s it…just Lonnie. The rest of the surviving founder were separated from the War brand in a legal dispute. The great news was that Howard, Harold, Lee and B.B. were intact in an outfit called Lowrider Band. (Bassist B.B. later suffered a debilitating stroke, and passed away recently). I zipped down to WV in 2015, and met Lee/Harold/Howard after a Lowrider performance that left me in musical happy tears. Howard and I communicated after that about a Lowrider show, but I just couldn’t get any local promoter traction.

Lonnie and his current lineup will cover the old band very nicely at Hartwood, but I really wish you could see Lowrider play the songs the way original owners do. There’s no comparison.

(lastly….Harold, I need to send this jacket down to N.O. for you to autograph. Somehow I didn’t hand you a pen in Weirton.)