Billy Joe Shaver Greatest Hits Release Show At Waterloo Records: Touched By The Hand Of Billy Joe

Waterloo Records is a fairly large record store, but makes for a cramped venue when you consider all of the floor space that merchandise takes up. Billy Joe Shaver and his band were perched on a miniature stage at the front window with fans crowded around and spilling over into the aisles. When I walked in I caught the tail end of “Honky Tonk Heroes” after which Billy Joe assumed the sturdy stance of a boxer, you could tell he’d held the pose many times before. The crowd clapped and the ladies professed their love for Shaver, he responded with his own “I love you, too.”

If I hadn’t read any articles earlier I would have never guessed that Billy Joe just posted bond and got out of jail a few hours earlier - the reason the show was pushed back to 6 PM.

Based on memory he played “Old Chunk of Coal,” “Where Angels Fly,” “That’s What She Said Last Night,” “When Fallen Angels Fly,” “Live Forever,” and “Hottest Thing in Town.” Before the last song he exclaimed “if you don’t love Jesus you can go to hell” and talked a little more about religion before closing with a moving version of “Try and Try Again.”

Someone had to remind Shaver to promote his new greatest hits album. He said “buy the CD, it’s more than worth whatever you’ll pay. I don’t even know how much they’re charging, but it’s worth it.” I thought so, too, as I shelled out the money to buy the album again after having already purchased it on iTunes earlier in the day. This time I’d have something tangible for Shaver to sign. While I was waiting I heard a man tell his friend that he was so inspired by Shaver that he had to go to choir practice.

Before I finally reached the front of the line a small, elderly lady in front of me was fitted with a microphone by the news crew on the scene, that’s when my hands started to get sweaty. When it was my turn I was pretty much star struck. I plopped the CD liner down and only muttered the words “thanks.” Shaver noticed my girlfriend’s son standing close by with his semi-shaved head. He said “that’s a haircut worth a rubbing” as he reached over the counter and ran his hand across his head. Maybe one day I’ll write a song about it, “Touched by the Hand of Billy Joe.”