Concert #384 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (November 12, 2005)

With hundreds of concert listings to peruse everyday, normally I wouldn't even notice a band name such as Jackshit, nor would I pay much attention if told that they've been voted the best bar band in LA. But when Lincoln Myerson, the Concert Director at McCabe's, told me in October 2005 that he had just booked an allegedly fabulous band named Jackshit for their first-ever gig at McCabe's, I listened.

Accompanied by my friend Art, I went to McCabe's not knowing what to expect. As people were filing in, I noticed  that nobody rushed to sit in the first few rows. These guys must be playing real loud, I said to myself, and what are they doing here anyway, don't they know that McCabe's is an acoustic folk music venue?

First song - "Hi, How Are You". Great guitar work. Second song - "Christine's Tune", an old Flying Burrito Brothers gem. Wow, these guys are good.  By the time they finished their third song - "Big River", the Johnny Cash classic - I was a fan.

There wasn't a single bad number in their set, which included mostly classic country songs, some familiar, others obscure, all masterfully played with power and lots of fun. Among the songs they played: "Bull Rider", "Dangerous Crossings", "Down In The Willow Garden" and "Older Guys". They also played "Ugly And Slouchy", which quickly turned into an extended rock & roll medley that included bits of "Green Eyed Lady", "And When I Die" and other well-known songs, it was a riot.

Electric shows are fairly rare at McCabe's, and after countless acoustic shows I had attended there, I really enjoyed the loud, plugged-in sounds of the band. Yes, it was loud, but definitely within the limits of acceptability. 

Guitarist Val McCallum

Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Pete Thomas (drums)

Bassist Dave Faragher

Ron Sexsmith was their unannounced guest, they played together three songs, but I can't say that I was taken by Ron's performance.

The show ended with an epic version of Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home". For their encore, they played "Hold That Critter Down", featuring drummer Pete Thomas on acoustic guitar. He did well.

My friends know me for my frequent verbal exaggerations, so here's another one: This was a life-changing event. But am I really exaggerating? Not if you consider that, out of the blue, I discovered three musicians of the highest caliber, playing some of the best music I'd ever heard, all this for $15 and a front row seat. How do you beat that?

Concert #501 - J.J. Cale at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 28, 2009)

This was the second of two sold-out shows at McCabe's, part of a small-scale national tour. Why I had skipped J.J. Cale's earlier appearances at McCabe's is a mystery to me, but I finally got the wake-up call in the form of his "Roll On" album, an exceptionally listenable release featuring J.J.'s trademark sound and rhythms. I got to McCabe's early, so I was among the first ones in line. Parked directly in front of the guitar shop was J.J. Cale's huge tour bus, an unusual sight for what primarily is a folk music venue. I managed to grab a seat in the front row. The best was yet to come.

Throughout the show, J.J.'s voice was somewhat weak, but his guitar work was superb, and so was his band, consisting of Bill Raffensperger on bass, Walt Richmond on keyboards, David Teegarden (electronic synth) and James Cruce on drums. Keyboardist Skip Knape joined them later for a song or two. The song selection could not have been better.

After the ninth song, J.J. told the crowd that two guests would be joining him. "I don't have to tell you their names, you'll know who they are", said J.J. and out came Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. The crowd responded accordingly.

J.J. Cale (center), flanked by Mike Campbell and Tom Petty

Tom kept a relatively low profile, playing guitar just like a regular band member would do. He sang only one song, J.J. Cale's "I'd Like to Love You Baby". Playing his electric guitar, Mike Campbell was far more visible, delivering a few out-of-this-world solos. Surprisingly, Tom and Mike stayed on to the end of the show, then they came out again for the three-song encore as well, to our collective delight.

COMPLETE SET LIST

 King City
Out Of Style
Low Down
Don't Cry Sister
Since You Said Goodbye
Magnolia
Walt's Boogie
Roll On
Instrumental by T-Bone Walker

Crazy Mama
After Midnight
I'd Like To Love You Baby (Petty - vocals)
Thirteen Days
Tijuana
Cocaine
Call Me The Breeze
I'll Make Love To You Anytime
Travelin' Light

L to R: J.J. Cale and Tom Petty at McCabe's

L to R: Mike Campbell, J.J. Cale and Tom Petty at McCabe's

Most songs featured extended laid-back instrumental jams of stunning beauty and being there, just one step away, was priceless. A bootleg recording of the concert is available on the Internet. 

The show was opened by Pieta Brown and husband Bo Ramsey, assisted by the legendary Don Was on upright bass. Their set was very good - I liked Pieta's songwriting, voice and singing style and I enjoyed Bo Ramsey's guitar playing.

Bo Ramsey, Pieta Brown and Don Was (photo by Roman Cho)

Bo Ramsey and Mike Campbell upstairs at McCabe's (photo by Roman Cho)

Pieta Brown & Don Was at McCabe's

Concert #502 - Loudon Wainwright & Friends (Peter Case Benefit) at McCabe's Guitar Shop

This was the first of three sold-out concerts organized at McCabe's to benefit Peter Case, whose medical expenses had amounted to much more than his wallet could bear. Tickets cost $50 per night, a small amount to pay for a good cause, not to mention the chance to see a plethora of great musicians who offered their time and talent to help out a fellow musician in need.

Announced as "Loudon Wainwright III & Friends", the evening sold out ina couple of days.

LIST OF PERFORMERS

Loudon Wainwright III

Van Dyke Parks

Inara George

Phranc

George Gerdes

Peter Case

Leland Sklar

Grant Geissman

The concert kicked off with Van Dyke Parks and Inara George, who played a few songs from their earlier collaborative effort, Inara's "An Invitation" album. Not bad for a short set, but not my cup of tea for a full evening.

Inara George & Van Dyke Parks

Phranc's set was short, but quite good. She sang one of my favorite Phranc songs, "I Like You", then she followed up with "I'm A Peter Case Lover", a paraphrase of her own "Live Lover".

Phranc

Loudon Wainwright brought out a somewhat reluctant Peter Case, at his first public appearance after his open heart surgery in January 2009. Looking understandably weak and out of shape, Peter brought the house down with his version of Blind Willie McTell's "Broke Down Engine Blues".

Peter Case

Loudon's long-time friend and collaborator George Gerdes popped in for a couple of songs, while the legendary Leland Sklar and guitarist Grant Geissman provided accompaniment during much of the evening.

Leland Sklar

The show was closed, as expected, by Loudon Wainwright. It was my seventeenth time to see him live in concert, which probably explains why I can't remember a single song he played that night. But he was his usual good self, that I know.

All-in-all, it was a fun evening, with a few great artists coming and going in quick succession, which kept all of us fully engaged until the lights went on.

Concert poster in the window at McCabe's (with unwanted street reflections)