March 30, 2012

Concerts #118, 125, 129, 153, 170, 175, 186, 199, 251, 296, 329, 461, 555 - Peter Himmelman at McCabe's Guitar Shop (1993 - 2010)


My concert database shows that, so far, I've seen Peter Himmelman in concert exactly twenty times. To some, this may indicate obsessive lunacy. To me, this only proves my immense love for Peter's music and the tremendous enjoyment I get out of his inimitable live performances.

Funny thing, though - Peter's beginnings with me were decidedly rocky. It was November 23, 1987. I had tickets to see Joe Cocker at the Wiltern Theater. The opening act was one Peter Himmelman, someone no one knew, I certainly didn't. Before the show, I stopped at a record store and, right there in the bargain bin, was a Himmelman LP with an asking price of 99 cents. I bought it.

Peter came out with an acoustic guitar, all by himself, started to play, but few paid any attention - people were chatting, going in and out - they were there to see Joe, not some lowly singer they would never see or hear again. In spite of my best efforts to like his music, I was not taken by anything I heard and, after three or four songs, I remember thinking "enough of this now". As far as I was concerned, Peter was toast. A few days later I traded in his LP for a dime, as I had no room in my music room for discs I didn't want.

Fast forward a few years to my second encounter with Peter. It's 1991, I'm at the Rhino Records in Claremont and - where else but in the cut-outs section - I see a Peter Himmelman CD with a $2.99 sticker on it ... I thought, hmmm ... isn't he the hapless singer I saw opening for Joe Cocker a few years back? ... yeah, that's him, right where he belongs, in the section with music they can't sell.

Then, a few months later, I was home listening to KCRW, Santa Monica's outstanding public radio station, when a song caught my full attention - the melody, the voice, the rhythm, everything just hit me like a train and I absolutely needed to know, right there and then, who the artist was. My jaw dropped when the announcer said "Peter Himmelman". The very next day I went straight to Rhino Records, where for the princely sum of $2.99 plus tax, I became the owner of Peter's then-current album, "From Strength To Strength" and, as I was hoping, the ear-opening song, "Impermanent Things", was right there on the album.

"From Strength To Strength", Peter Himmelman's 1991 album
Almost instantly, "From Strength To Strength" became an insatiable listening necessity of mine - everything about the album screamed quality - the tunes, the lyrics, the band, Peter's voice - you name it, I loved it.

When I first went to McCabe's to see Peter live, I found myself wondering whether anyone else would show up - it was the summer of 1993, the Internet was still in its infancy, so lacking any information on Peter's career, I had no way of gaging his popularity. Well, plenty of people showed up, many of them with previous Himmelman experience.

Not in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated the ride I was in for. Right there at McCabe's, sitting unsuspectingly in the second row with my Better Half, I got hit by yet another train, a train called "Peter Himmelman Live". Come to think of it, there's no live show quite like Peter's, take it from someone who has been to a few concerts in his life. His songwriting is rock solid and few can deliver with his intensity and conviction. Other than Loudon Wainwright, I can't think of any other singer-songwriter capable of mixing with such ease the utterly humorous with the dead serious.

Peter's live act is a mix of humor and great music. The humor is entirely ad-libbed, mostly the result of his endless interaction with the crowd - he can chat up a fan, then seconds later out comes a clever little song that builds on their conversation. It's pure genius and I'm not using this word lightly. I have seen Peter's improvisational skills in action dozens of times and there's no one in the world with a shtick quite like his.

Peter is a master in using various regional accents as well as different musical styles to comedic effects. One minute he could be a Minnesota grandmother, then in a flash he could turn into an Israeli tourist. Or switch in a heartbeat from acoustic music to funk, hard rock or reggae. Amazing stuff.

OK, so the humor was great, but what really drew me back, time and time again, was the music, all of it written by Peter himself. Let me list a few highlights:
  • "Mission Of My Soul", arguably Peter's signature song, a true gem
  • "Untitled", one of the most powerful songs one would ever hear, something truly epic
  • "Dixie The Tiny Dog", a funny song that I hope to hear again
  • "Beneath Your Watching Eyes", a song with religious meanings that could touch anyone
  • "Tremble", a moving song about the passing of Peter's father
  • "Raina", the gorgeous ballad written by Peter for his new born baby daughter
  • "Josiah", the equally gorgeous tune written for his youngest son
  • "Measure", yet another song written for one of his kids
  • "Beneath The Damage And Dust", a powerful song that decries homelessness
  • "Been Set Free", another epic piece of music
  • "Seven Circles", the way a love song is supposed to sound
  • "One Shot At Love", one of his early songs, from his Sussman Lawrence days
I could go on and on listing the songs that have affected me in some way, but the list would be exceedingly long.

Here are the Peter Himmelman concerts I have attended at McCabe's over the years:
  • Concert #118:  Summer of 1993
  • Concert #125:  Late 1993
  • Concert #129:  February 7, 1994
  • Concert #153:  October 14, 1995
  • Concert #170:  May 4, 1996
  • Concert #175:  January 18, 1997
  • Concert #186:  February 7, 1998
  • Concert #199:  December 6, 1998
  • Concert #251:  July 15, 2001
  • Concert #296:  February 9, 2003
  • Concert #329:  February 22, 2004
  • Concert #461:  March 9, 2008
  • Concert #555:  April 25, 2010
In a separate blog entry I will say a few words about the Peter Himmelman concerts I have attended at venues other than McCabe's.

Peter seldom performs alone. His old musical pals Al Wolovitch (bass) and Andy Kamman (drums) have accompanied him many times at McCabe's, and so did vocalist Kristin Mooney - they have been making music together for many decades now. Percussionist Hani Nasser played with Peter once. A couple of times, in recent years, Peter brought along guitarist Willie Aron, a great player whom I have also seen playing with Syd Straw. In 2008, Peter came out with Isaac, his oldest son, and together they played a song or two.

I've been listening to Peter's music for twenty years now and I'm not done. On April 29, 2012, I'll see him again. Where? At McCabe's, where else?


March 25, 2012

Concert #630 - Janiva Magness at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 17, 2012)


This was my fifth time to see Janiva Magness at McCabe's in less than four years, a clear sign that I'm a fan. I can't say that she is a "typical McCabe's act", she is definitely not, but that only adds to her attraction - the power of Janiva's voice and strength of her electric band are a refreshing counterpoint to the acoustic guitars I often see in action there.

Janiva's live shows follow the same formula every time, so no surprises there. First the band comes out to warm up the crowd with two uptempo blues numbers. After the second song, an awe-struck Zach Zunis, Janiva's long-time guitarist, takes the microphone to announce Janiva's latest awards and accomplishments. Then Janiva takes the stage and delivers her first set. A twenty-minute intermission allows the musicians to mingle with the crowd, mostly around the merchandise table. Then the same crowd takes their seats for the second set. The band returns to the stage and delivers two more great instrumentals, with Janiva still out of sight. Now it's time to bring her out - assuming that there are new folks within the audience, which is never the case at McCabe's, Zach Zunis once again yells out Janiva's awards. Janiva comes back for her second set, during which she proudly announces her age. Finally, an encore, then we all go home.

Janiva is a great performer, but her concerts just wouldn't be the same without the outstanding musicians she brings along. Here's the line-up of her current band:

Zach Zunis - Guitar
Jim Alfredson - Keyboards
Dave Davenport - Bass
Matt Tecu - Drums

Individually and collectively, these guys were great. The four songs they played without Janiva were definitely some of the best of the evening.

The first set consisted mostly of songs from "Stronger For It", her brand new album. I liked the new material, there weren't any weak songs there. The best numbers, I thought, were "I Won't Cry" and "Make It Rain". 

Janiva's song list (first set)
With most of the new material out of the way, Janiva's second set featured a few songs from "The Devil Is An Angel Too", among them "Walkin' In The Sun", "Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love", "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", Nina Simone's "I'm Feelin' Good" as well as the title track.

Janiva Magness belting it out at McCabe's
One of the highlights of the second set was Janiva's delivery of  "Ragged Company", a song from her new album. Simply outstanding. And no Janiva Magness concert would be complete without Delbert McClinton's "You Were Never Mine", which came with a few slight detours from her earlier renditions of the song.

Janiva Magness at McCabe's

Janiva Magness enjoying Zach Zunis' guitar solo at McCabe's
Janiva Magness and her new box guitar
Janiva looked and sounded as good as ever. Age does not seem to affect her, not in the least. Her voice is something to behold and, year after year, she comes up with new material that is strong and seemingly custom-made for her. My personal preference is for the slower numbers in the vein of "You Were Never Mine", but she is equally good when it comes to belting it out. Needless to say, I'll be there the next time Janiva's in town.

During her encore, Janiva acknowledged the presence in the room of Ann The Raven, a public radio personality who has been delighting me with her late evening blues shows for many years. The lights went on for a few seconds, so I had the pleasure of seeing Ann for the first time.

Ann The Raven
After the show - Janiva Magness at McCabe's