Concert #550 - Michelle Shocked at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 3, 2010)

What stands out the most in my mind when I think about this concert is that the undisputed highlight of the show happened during the intermission. Strange, but totally true. At the end of her first set, Michelle did not leave the stage. Instead, together with Jim Chayka (banjo) and fiddler Katy Rexford (if I'm not mistaken), they formed a tight circle and played a long version of "Arkansas Traveler", pretty much in the vein of her recorded version. During this unforgettable musical interlude, the lights were on and many people left the concert room. But not me - I just stood there mesmerized by the quality of the performance and the immense joy exhibited by the three musicians.

The show proper started with great promise, as Michelle announced that she would sing many of her older songs. So we all got to hear acoustic versions of "Anchorage", "Memories Of East Texas", "Graffiti Limbo" and a few others, but I would have preferred if she had stuck to the original vocal and instrumental arrangements. But you know Michelle: she is not bound by any rules and regulations, so she pumped new life into these old gems.

Otherwise it was a typical Michelle Shocked concert, with the usual excessive chatter, but with great vocals and good guitar playing. The band that backed her up, the Jim Chayka Trio, was top-notch, I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

 Watch the original "Anchorage"video - her newer music is not bad, but her earlier stuff is still the best.

Concert #551 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 10, 2010)

In order to maintain my sanity, I require a minimum of two Jackshit concerts a year, which may puzzle those who don't know Jackshit (the band). Seriously now, Jackshit is a trio that puts on phenomenally good shows, both musically and otherwise. You may call them a side-project, as Jackshit brings together three top-tier musicians with well-established separate careers:

- Pete Thomas (Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer who has drummed for countless big names)
- Dave Faragher (one of Elvis Costello's Imposters and coveted session bassist)
- Val McCallum (lead guitarist for Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, Gregg Allman and many others)

As you can tell, they earn their living by playing supporting roles and it's not hard to imagine the huge amount of frustration that builds up inside them while working for all those superstars. Now imagine all that frustration being unleashed when the stage is theirs and only theirs.

Once again I campaigned hard and managed to bring with me twenty-four friends. Everyone went home 100% happy.

The highlight of the evening actually came after the show, when I got to chat a little bit with Val:

Val McCallum (right) with yours truly

Here are a few more photos:

The set list (Pretty Polly made the list but wasn't played ...)

Jackshit gear

The Novaks

Rodica and Nick, first in line at McCabe's

Tony and Marcel

Canadian singer Tara Holloway was the guest of the evening, she sang "Ways To Be Wicked", one of her own songs, and the Beatles' "She's So Heavy". Tara is a decent singer, but had a bit too much fun on the stage - come to think of it, that was OK, as the whole show, like any other Jackshit show, had a casual air about it, more like buddies getting together to have a good time.

Watch this YouTube video showing Jackshit with guest Tara Holloway at McCabe's:

 

Concert #552 - Tracy Grammer at the Coffee Gallery Backstage (April 16, 2010}

Tracy Grammer is a talented, intelligent and accomplished artist who is right up my alley. So why did I walk away from her concert during the intermission? Let me explain.

The concert was advertised as "Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry". I can't claim that I was intimately familiar with their work, but in my case, the main attraction was Jim Henry, thanks to his outstanding rendition of Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", a version I had discovered by accident, while surfing the Internet. Many others had tried to cover this masterpiece, but other than Jim's version, nothing really worked for me. As far as Tracy was concerned, I was totally open to seeing her for the first time and discover, hopefully, great new music.

Here's Jim Henry's version of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", with Tracy Grammer helping out:

As soon as I walked into the tiny venue, I sensed that something was wrong - there was only one mike on the stage. Bob Stane, the concert organizer, told me that there would be no Jim Henry, only Tracy. Then Tracy took the stage, and started talking and talking and talking, but said nothing about Jim's absence. Then she talked some more, with an occasional song thrown in - well, it was a concert after all. The intermission came after only six songs and at that point it was time for me to get up and go home. Needless to say, I was very unhappy with the whole affair.

The funny thing is that I walked away from a truly talented folk singer, who writes good songs and has the gift of storytelling as well. But she definitely needs help when it comes to the right balance between talking and singing.

Concerts #553, 455, 412, 402, 346 - Steve Forbert at McCabe's Guitar Shop and The Getty (October 9, 2004 - April 17, 2010)

Look up "underrated" in any dictionary and chances are you will find Steve Forbert's portrait there. Not too many people know of him. Radio doesn't play him, TV likewise. He even went under my own radar for many years, until October 2004, when pushed by an irresistible "McCabe's itch", I went to my favorite venue to see Steve Forbert for the first time. Being a latecomer to Steve's music, I only knew "Romeo's Tune" at that time and that was one of the two songs I remember he played that night, the other one was "The Oil Song", complete with crowd participation. The concert was good, but Steve Forbert's talent was yet to hit me full blast.

On May 5, 2006, I went with my better half to the Getty Center's Harold M. Williams Auditorium, where Steve appeared in a concert that was free for the public. Once again, I liked his songs very much and at that point I started to actively look for more and more of his music - www.allofmp3.com was a good source, which at that time was Russia's best known and rather questionable download site. One after the other, I discovered dozens of incredibly good songs that, at least in my mind, placed Steve Forbert in the highest class of American singer-songwriters. Occasionally, I even called him a musical genius, possibly an exaggeration, but maybe no

Here's a true gem: Steve Forbert's "On The Streets Of This Town":

I went back to McCabe's to catch Steve in action a few more times, first on July 22, 2006, then on December 1, 2007 and again on April 17, 2010. Each of these shows were totally satisfying. Steve appeared solo every time, he never had a guest or even a back-up musician, it was always just him, with his acoustic guitar and a mouth harmonica. He delivered his songs with passion and abandonment and never forgot to thank the crowd for the applause.

A typical set had a few newer songs mixed with older gems, as well as requests shouted out by his fans - I don't recall Steve ever having had a predetermined song list.

Some of the songs I heard Steve sing live

Good Planets Are Hard To Find
Goin' Down To Laurel
Baghdad Dream
Miss the Mississippi and You
Baby Don't
The American In Me
What Kinda Guy
Romeo's Tune

There's Everybody Else (And Then There's You)
It Sure Was Better Back Then

The Oil Song

You Cannot Win (If You Do Not Play) 

In The Jailhouse Now

Steve mingles with his fans after every show, at least that's what he always does at McCabe's. After his December 2007 concert, I got to shake his hand and get his autograph as well.

Steve Forbert's autograph (McCabe's Guitar Shop, December 1, 2007)

Here's Steve Forbert in an HD video of "Thirty More Years":

Concert #554 - Joey Ryan & Kenneth Pattengale at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 24, 2010)

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are two LA-based singer-songwriters who gained some credibility in my eyes simply because they got booked to play McCabe's. I went to the show without having done my homework, i.e. I couldn't hum any of their tunes, nor could I name a single song of theirs.

The show was OK for about fifteen minutes, after which it became monotonous and quite boring. Maybe I was expecting something else, maybe I was in the wrong mood - the bottom line was that I left the venue unimpressed. Their songs seemed to lack any punch, there was nothing there to grab me and keep my mind from wandering away. Individually taken, their songs were not bad, but if you put them all together, all you get is more and more of the same.

Here's a sample, recorded at the very same show I attended:

Concert #555 - Peter Himmelman at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 25, 2010)

This was my 20th time to see Peter Himmelman in concert - you may say that I'm a fan. My friend Steve, whom I had talked into giving Peter a try, was there too. At his very first exposure to Peter's music, Steve became an instant fan and all Peter had to do was to perform his usual schtick. Peter was not in top vocal shape, he had a hard time hitting some high notes and later in the show he even avoided the high notes. Did he just have an off-night? Probably. On the other hand, there was nothing lacking on the intensity front - as always, Peter gave it all, and he did it with humor and great songs, among them "Mission Of My Soul" and "Seven Circles".

Here's a live in-studio version of "Seven Circles", one of the most powerful love songs you'll ever hear:

Peter received a helping hand from three musicians who had been working with him for decades: vocalist Kristin Mooney, bassist Al Wolovitch and drummer Andy Kamman.

Concert #556 - Neil Innes at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 30, 2010)

When the concert announcer told the crowd "And now I'd like to introduce an artist who has suffered for his art - now it's your turn. Ladies and gentlemen: Neil Innes", I knew that I was in for a great night. And a great night it was.

This was the Los Angeles area stop of Neil's "A People's Guide to World Domination" tour of the USA. I went to the show with Barry & Barbara, two US-based Brits who were quite familiar with Neil's work, and yes, I was wearing one of my Monty Python T-shirts, decorated with the Neil Innes pin I bought in 2006.

Neil was fantastic. With humor and class, he shared stories and sang songs from all the different phases of his long career, from the "Urban Spaceman" and "How Sweet To Be An Idiot" to the newer "Ego Warrior". I enjoyed very much his typically British humorous songs that he used to sing early in his career - "I'm Going To Bring A Watermelon To My Girl Tonight", "My Brother Makes The Noises For The Talkies" and "On Her Doorstep Last Night".

I particularly liked the "Ego Warrior" bit. If you don't feel like watching the whole video, go directly to the 3:20 mark to see the best part:

 

The highlight of the show was, without a doubt, "The Philosopher's Song", which quickly turned into a sing-along - I was surprised how many people knew the words.

Just announced: Neil Innes will be back at McCabe's on June 5, 2011. I'll be there.

Concert #557 - Bonnie "Prince" Billy & The Cairo Gang at McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 8, 2010)

I first saw Bonnie "Prince" Billy at McCabe's 50th Anniversary Concert held at UCLA's Royce Hall in 2008. I liked him there and I made a mental note to see him as a headliner sometime in the future. Well, his headlining engagement at McCabe's wasn't as good as my introduction to him.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy had just released an album together with Emmett Kelly, a.k.a. "The Cairo Gang", and were touring the nation in support of their album. I went to the concert by myself and sat in the front row. They played a short set, just about an hour, and left somewhat unexpectedly, without a grand finale. Their three-song encore included "Easy Does It". I was rather unfamiliar with their material and there wasn't much there that caught my ear. Emmett is a good guitar player and a decent singer, and so is Bonnie "Prince" Billy, but again, their show was pretty flat, without any memorable highs. But in my mind, I can still see Bonnie's theatrical moves, jumps and gestures.

Concert #558 - Vienna Teng @ McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 21, 2010)

This was Vienna's second appearance at McCabe's, also my second time to see her live. She came out with her musical collaborator Alex Wong and I wish she didn't. Not that there was anything wrong with Alex - he is a fine musician in all respects. The problem resided with me: I wanted pure Vienna, I wanted nothing but her voice, her piano and her songs. I did not want percussion sounds, electronic effects and back-up vocals interfering with her singing, but unfortunately, there was plenty of such interference.

The highlight of the show was "Homecoming", Vienna's absolutely stunning song written not from the point of view of a Chinese-American young lady, but from the perspective of an older Caucasian truck driver. I have listened to this song dozens and dozens of times and every time I end up saying the same words: "Stunning. Absolutely stunning".

Here's a live version of "Homecoming":

Vienna Teng with Alex Wong

The evening kicked-off with Sara Watkins, formerly of Nickel Creek. Lending a helping hand were brother Sean Watkins and Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, who produced Sara's first solo album. Wow, what a line-up! Benmont played the piano and kept a relatively low profile, but it was a thrill seeing him in action from my front row seat. I liked Sean, too. Sara is an OK singer, a good fiddler, she gives it all on the stage and as a result, comes across as a very likable musician who deserves our support.

Benmont Tench

Sara Watkins

Concert #559 - Creed Bratton at McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 23, 2010)

I first became aware of Creed Bratton in 2001, when he was one of P.F. Sloan's special guests at McCabe's Guitar Shop. Creed's association with P.F. dates back to the days when Creed played guitar for the Grass Roots, a band whose repertoire included quite a few songs written by P.F. Sloan.

But Creed Bratton wasn't the only reason why I drove out to McCabe's - I also happened to know that guitarist extraordinaire Val McCallum was going to play with Creed. Moreover, I was also hoping that P.F. Sloan would return the favor and join Creed on stage for a song or two. Well, that didn't happen, but I still got to see P.F. Sloan - he arrived early, when McCabe's was still closed, so he stood in line, like everyone else, until they started letting people in.

A few weeks before the show I started looking for Creed's music on YouTube and that is how I found "Rubber Tree", Creed's excellent single from his just-released CD:

I sat in the front row, together with my friend Steve. The concert was decent, not earth-shattering, but definitely worth the drive (102 miles round trip). Creed played many good songs, all written by himself, but none were quite as good as "Rubber Tree". Unfortunately, his set did not include a single Grass Roots song, which is hard to fathom.

The stage, just before show time

P.F. Sloan (right), before the show

P.F. Sloan (with shoulder bag), after the show

Concert #560 - Jim Lauderdale at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 18, 2010)

Country and bluegrass artist Jim Lauderdale has two Grammys under his belt, receives great reviews from music critics, has written songs for countless others, has played with many of the biggest names in the music business, yet his show at McCabe's left me a bit disappointed. In a way, his live show was no better than his last few albums - a bit boring and without standout tracks.

Jim played a long solo set with many songs from "Patchwork River", "The Bluegrass Diaries" and "Head For The Hills". There were lots of stories in between songs, and yes, he dropped quite a few names. I was hoping to see some famous unannounced guests, but there were none.


Toward the end of the show, Jim acknowledged Pamela Des Barres' presence in the house. You know Pamela, she used to be the world's most famous rock & roll groupie, also the author of her best-selling memoirs, "I'm With The Band".

Concert #561 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 19, 2010)

The Boys from Cochtotan played yet another great show at McCabe's. As always, they started with "Hi, How Are You", followed by "Christine's Tune", "Big River", a couple of murder ballads and so on.

There were no guests, but the Shit Horns popped out of nowhere to play "Ring Of Fire" and Herb Alpert's "The Lonely Bull". The show ended with Johnny Horton's epic "I'm Comming Home", featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Pete Thomas' blistering drum playing. They came back for a one-song encore.

Here are a few photos taken before, during and after the show:

The stage just before the show

Beau and Pete

Pete and Shorty watching Beau

Beau and Shorty (partially hidden) with the Shit Horns

After the show: Concert Director Lincoln Myerson and Pete Thomas

My friend Steve and Beau, after the show

Concert #562 - Mary Gauthier at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 10, 2010)

Mary Gauthier (pronounced go-shay) is yet another fabulous singer-songwriter who, sadly, remains unknown to the general public, in spite of the raving reviews she regularly receives. This was my third time to see her live in concert, all three at McCabe's. This show was part of her world tour in support of her just-released album titled "The Foundling". The album is not bad, but not her best either, in my opinion.

Mary came out with Canadian fiddler Tania Elizabeth, a member of the Grammy-nominated band the Duhks. We got to hear most of the songs from "The Foundling". Mary had always been writing powerful songs based on her own stormy life, but nothing quite like "March 11, 1962", a super-powerful and super-personal song about her natural mother who placed Mary in an orphanage soon after giving birth to her.

We also heard a few older gems, among them "Mercy Now" and "I Drink". Overall, the show was excellent, but rather then fiddle, I would have preferred guitar accompaniment, just like in her earlier two shows that I caught.

My friend Steve, at his first Mary Gauthier concert, was quite impressed with her performance. 

The concert hall just before show time

Concert director Lincoln Myerson doing his part

Mary Gauthier (left) and Tania Elizabeth at the end of the show

Mary Gauthier (left) selling merch and signing autographs

Concert #563 - Shelby Lynne at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 17, 2010)

Surprisingly, it took a few weeks for the show to sell out, and that has only one possible explanation - her earlier show at the Roxy, just a few weeks before her gig at McCabe's.

Shelby reached McCabe's just minutes before show time, so she took the stage without a proper sound check. But veteran sound engineer Wayne Griffith took care of business, as usual, and the sound was just fine. Also as usual, I sat in the front row, a spot I typically earn by arriving early and standing in line. My four guests were not thrilled about the waiting part, but in the end it was all forgotten, thanks to yet another perfect concert at McCabe's.

Shelby's voice is divine. As pure and sweet as Patsy Cline's. Also full of feeling, passion, sadness, or whatever else she sings about. Her set consisted primarily of songs from her latest album, "Tears, Lies and Albis", in my opinion her best album ever, better even than "Just A Little Lovin'", her album of Dusty Springfield covers. Shelby was not only the producer of her new album - she also wrote every song, wrote all the words, sang every song, played some guitar, then released the finished product on her own record label. Enough said.

Shelby was accompanied on acoustic guitar by Val McCallum, whom I had seen many times before, but never in an all-acoustic show. The Shelby-Val combination worked to perfection, as one would expect from professionals who are not only musical collaborators, but also personal friends.

Val McCallum

Picking the highlights of the show is no easy task, but if pressed, I'd pick "Family Tree", "Old #7" and "Old Dog".

The stage just before showtime