September 10, 2012

Concert #649 - O'Brien Party Of Seven at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 9, 2012)


Last night's incarnation of "O'Brien Party Of Seven" featured a grand total of six musicians, yet - in spite of the shortfall - there was still plenty of talent on the stage and I don't think anyone in the audience at McCabe's felt shortchanged. The uncontested leaders of the gang were Grammy-winners Tim O'Brien and his sister Mollie, but everyone else held their own and the end result was a show with plenty of variety, great vocal harmonies, some stellar mandolin playing and an overall feeling of fun and joy.

Most of the folks on stage were from Mollie's side of the family. She introduced guitarist and singer Richard Moore as "my current husband". Lucy and Brigid, her two daughters, were also there, while Tim brought along his bass-playing son Jackson. The missing "party member" turned out to be Tim's other son, who apparently had decided to forgo folk music in order to pursue a higher education.

Mollie & Tim O'Brien at McCabe's
Richard Moore (left) with Jackson and Brigid
Tim O'Brien, flanked by Mollie and Lucy
It is quite unusual for a show to open and close with the same song, but that's what they chose to do and I'm glad they did, as I really enjoyed their two different renditions of "King Of The Road", Roger Miller's signature song. Most of the songs we heard last night came from their "Reincarnation" album which consists of nothing but Roger Miller tunes, most of them obscure.

The O'Briens and the Moores took turns at lead vocals. Tim soloed on Dylan's "Farewell Angelina" and Roger Miller's humorous "Hand For The Hog", among others. Mollie lead the way on the title track as well as Jesse Winchester's heart-warming "Lonely For A While", which was one of the evening's highlights for me. Brigid was the lead vocalist on "Swiss Maid", a minor Del Shannon hit penned by Roger Miller, who else. Jackson sang "Guv'ment", a song taken from "Big River", a musical with all songs written by, your guess is right again, Roger Miller. Lucy sang lead on "Tall Tall Trees" and she sounded quite good. I must also mention Lucy's piano playing skills.

Some of the evening's finest moments came when all six musicians were on the stage at the same time - their harmonizing was great. With so many vocalists taking turns, the whole evening was a dynamic affair further augmented by their mostly uptempo and decidedly catchy songs, with lots of good humor thrown in for good measure. Tim's mandolin playing was absolutely superb and his voice sounded pretty much like twenty years ago, when I first discovered him.

Other songs worth mentioning are "Shut De Do" and the evening's encore, "Sweet Sunny South", from the repertoire of the Carter Family, both songs featuring the entire clan.

The set list
Mollie & Tim saying goodbye
Tim O'Brien's instruments
All in all, last night's concert was pure delight, from start to finish. I enjoyed everything about it, even though I heard many of the songs for the first time. I will now start looking for the original versions of these songs and special kudos go to Tim and Mollie, without whom I would have probably never heard these Roger Miller hidden gems.

Concert poster in the window at McCabe's

September 9, 2012

Concert #648 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 8, 2012)



This was my 25th time to see the Boys From Cochtotan in a headlining role. Most reasonable folks would say that I'm insane and maybe I am, but this is the kind of insanity that's perfectly fine to leave as is. For me, watching Jackshit live remains an exhilarating experience unmatched by anything else I've ever seen. For those of you unfamiliar with the band, here's who the members are:

Pete Thomas (drums, vocals): Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer and long-time partner of Elvis Costello. As a session musician, has drummed for countless big names, such as Johnny Cash, The Corrs, Sheryl Crow, Neil Finn, Joe Jackson, Los Lobos, Joan Osborne, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt, Squeeze, Richard Thompson and Rufus Wainwright.

Dave Faragher (bass, vocals): One of Elvis Costello's Imposters and coveted session bassist. Has recorded and toured with the Monkees, David Crosby, John Phillips, Wanda Jackson, Dusty Springfield, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs, Joan Osborne, Ronnie Montrose, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, Willy DeVille, Elton John, Leon Russell and many others.
Val McCallum (electric guitar, vocals): Lead guitarist for Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, Gregg Allman and many others.
Last night's sold-out show was - what else is new? - exceptionally good, even though there were no surprise guests. Val and Dave were their usual funny selves, while the typically more reserved Pete was unusually smiley and talkative. Val's guitar playing was out of this world and so were Dave's two bass solos. Dave also outdid himself with a few soprano falsettos that were both powerful and comical. Pete's finest moments came during the singing of "Lazy Day" and the epic grand finale of Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home", a song that invariably brings the audience to its feet.

The Shit Horns reported to duty as they often do, making their entrance from the back of the room while playing the trumpet parts of "Ring Of Fire". They followed up with a rousing rendition of Herb Alpert's "The Lonely Bull", a song that appears as "Lonesome Bull" on the band's set list. The Shit Horns came back a few songs later to help with the playing of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and the "Theme From The Magnificent Seven", both new additions to the band's repertoire. There is a family connection between the latter song and Val McCallum, as Charles Bronson, Val's step-father, was one of the main protagonists of "The Magnificent Seven", the monumental film from the early 1960s.
 By the way, Jackshit's rendition of the song was particularly good.

There was one other new number last night, "Tulane", a song instantly recognizable as one of Chuck Berry's. Among the old favorites, "Pretty Polly" and "Ugly And Slouchy", complete with its fabulous rock & roll medley, received the best crowd response. Dave's vocal performance on "Jesus Is Just Alright" was yet another highlight in an evening that wasn't short of highlights. Playing a vibraslap, Charlie, Dave's son, made a brief appearance.

Val McCallum & Dave Faragher at McCabe's
The set list
The tongues are out during the playing of "The Lonely Bull"
Val, Dave and the Shit Horn Lady (name?)
Quite compulsively, I keep telling everyone about Jackshit's marvelous live shows and, modesty aside, I have results to show. Over the course of a few years, I have brought to McCabe's a grand total of one hundred and six friends to see the Boys from Cochtotan. Many of them have become "repeat customers" who in turn have spread the word further. Last night's newcomers were my coworkers Daniel and Chris, as well as Rachel, Chris' wife. They all had a blast.

From left: Manan, Saphire and newbie Daniel
From left: Alejandro, Veronica and Octavio
First-timers Rachel and Chris

Jackshit's next appearance at McCabe's will be their annual Christmas concert in mid-December, which is guaranteed to sell out.

The stage
Val McCallum's music stand
Val McCallum with fans after the show
Pete Thomas, chatting up the ladies
Concert poster