Half a decade after Johnny Cashs’ first hits Def Americans tries to live up to the swing, spirit and rebelliousness of the legendary American outlaw and succeeds gracefully. The songs Johnny Cash brought to his audience with love and enthusiasm are taken up by Def Americans and transformed into astonishing contemporary versions.
The band from Eindhoven, like the Man in Back himself, effortlessly shift between the rebellious Folsom Prison and San Quentin albums, rockabilly Sun recordings and the fire and fragile comeback songs of the American recordings. Even the showmanship is recognizable when Def Americans come up on the stage. Johnny’s love for June Carter is a vibe that is felt all over again when Kim “Carter” comes on stage and recreates the muggy feeling on stage and off stage. The performance is brought to a climax when the most famous June and Johnny songs are sung.
