Concert #655 - Shannon McNally & Amy LaVere at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 14, 2012)

This was my second time to see Shannon McNally in concert and my first-ever encounter with Amy LaVere. The concert was the third stop on their "Chasing The Ghost" tour. The two ladies came out with a band that included Robert Mache on electric guitar and mandolin, Shawn Zorn on drums and a fiddler whose name I did not catch. The format of the show was spectator-friendly, as Shannon and Amy alternated as lead singers, with Shannon delivering just a few more songs than Amy. That suited me just fine, as her voice and singing style touched me a little more. Not that I disliked Amy's vocals, she sounded great, especially on "Sentimental Blues".

Armed with an acoustic guitar and an upright bass, respectively, Shannon and Amy sang six of the seven songs of their brand new release titled "Chasing The Ghost Rehearsal Sessions". Although new to me, most of those songs were pleasant to listen to, especially "Good Ole Time", "This Never Happened" and "Never Been Sadder".

Amy LaVere (left) and Shannon McNally at McCabe's

In line with Shannon's interest in cover songs, we also got to hear a few well-known oldies, such as "Mr. Spaceman", a song made famous by the Byrds, and Kris Kristofferson's "Loving Him Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again". The show ended with yet another cover, "Wang Dang Doodle", the classic blues gem I first heard with Koko Taylor many years ago.

Amy LaVere (left) and Shannon McNally at McCabe's

The three accompanists were outstanding. The guitar and fiddle solos were all great and Shawn's drumming was equally good, in spite of its deliberate low profile. At times, they rocked real hard and those moments were highly enjoyable. Overall, the concert was consistently good, from start to finish.

The set list ("A" stands for Amy, "S" for Shannon)

The evening kicked off with an impromptu opening set delivered by Will Hutchinson, a young singer-songwriter of some talent. His low-energy six-song set included original songs as well as a couple of covers. The highlight of Will's set was M. Ward's "Here Comes The Sun Again". Drummer Steve Mugalian helped out on one song.

Will Hutchinson at McCabe's

Shannon McNally mingling with fans

The stage

Concert poster

Concert #654 - The Dustbowl Revival in Pasadena (Taste of South Lake) - October 13, 2012

Many days after last week's appearance of the Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's, their sights and sounds kept lingering on in my head to such an extent that I had to do something about it. So yesterday I drove to Pasadena to attend a free concert that featured the revivalists, among other musicians. Organized by the merchants and restaurateurs of South Lake Avenue and named "Taste Of South Lake", the event attracted a large crowd and the folks who left the food booths behind and got closer to the stage were given a good sampling of what the Dustbowl Revival can do.

The Dustbowl Revival in Pasadena

The outdoor incarnation of the band consisted of eight musicians, as opposed to the ten who took the stage at McCabe's last week. Still, the overall sound was pretty much the same and so was the energy and joy they exuded. Band leader Zach Lupetin, vocalist Caitlin Doyle, mandolin player Daniel Mark, fiddler Connor Vance and trombone player Ulf Bjorlin were among the players who were also at McCabe's last week.

They opened with "Shine", followed by "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" and a rousing rendition of "Minor Swing", the old Django Reindardt classic. The always attractive Caitlin Doyle sang "What You're Doing To Me". The catchy "Western Passage" generated a vigorous response from the crowd, while Zach's call for crowd participation during the playing of "Le Bataillon" remained largely unanswered. The band followed up with "Soldier's Joy", before the grand finale that consisted of "Dan's Jam" and "Orange Blossom Special", played in quick succession with high intensity.

Caitlin Doyle and Ron Sewer, the band's outstanding trumpet player

The concert lasted fifty minutes, not bad for a free event, and needless to say, I had a blast. I have now seen the revivalists three times and I'm amazed by the talent of these musicians. I have also seen a few line-up changes, but regardless of who showed up, the music has invariably been great.

Zack Lupetin (left), with Daniel Mark and Connor Vance

Zack Lupetin (right), with Ulf Bjorlin and Caitlin Doyle

Connor Vance soloing on "Orange Blossom Special"

Zack Lupetin at the merchandise table

The event poster, describing the band as "A rowdy Venice-based roots collective that skillfully mixes New Orleans swing, mountain bluegrass and jug-blues into a lethal Americana cocktail"

Booths and people