Concert #657 - Robbie Fulks at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 21, 2012)

My Sunday night's encounter with Robbie Fulks embodied everything that makes McCabe's the finest concert venue in our galaxy. Sadly, only about 120 people attended and I don't believe there was a single unhappy customer among them. As far as all the others are concerned ... well, it was their loss.

I seldom start a blog entry by talking about the opening act, but Greg Trooper definitely deserves this special treatment. Although totally new to his music, I loved everything he did. On the musical front, he impressed me with six outstanding songs and I believe he wrote each and every one of them. The set-closing "Time For Love" generated the loudest crowd response, but any of the other songs could easily qualify to be called a highlight. Here's his nearly-complete set list:

Steel deck bridge
Green eyed girl
This I'll do
They Call Me Hank
Time For Love

Greg Trooper at McCabe's

I loved Greg's chatter - without using a lot of words, he managed to be both thought-provoking and utterly funny. After the show, I was ready to buy his most recent CD, but was turned away by the $20 price tag.  

Just like in July 2011, Robbie Fulks came out with Robbie Gjersoe, his sidekick of many years. Together, they provided entertainment at its best: great songs, excellent vocals, some power picking and lots of good humor. There were lots of original songs and also plenty of covers, such as  Bill Anderson's "Cocktails" and the obscure "I Wanna Be Mama'd" by the equally obscure Jimmie Logsdon.

Robbie Fulks (right), with Robbbie Gjersoe at McCabe's

The two Robbies did not have a set list and, as a result, the show had an air of "let's play what feels good", which suited me just fine. A few humorous songs "felt good" to them, so I got to hear one of my favorites, "I Told Her Lies".

The crowd shouted out a few requests and Robbie obliged with the singing of "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)", one of his more popular numbers. I also enjoyed hearing  "Georgia Hard", "Tears Only Run One Way" and "Cigarette State". John Calacci, a close associate of Susanna Hoffs, happened to be in the house, so Robbie sang "That Bangle Girl" and offered himself to Susanna, just in case she had an interest in a forty-nine year old married man. "Let's Kill Saturday Night" and "The Buck Starts Here" were also well-received by the crowd.

This was my third time to see Robbie Fulks in concert and I can say that he's getting better every time I see him. Or maybe I just like him more every time I see him, but either way, I will continue to catch him every time he comes to town.

Robbie Fulks at McCabe's

Robbie's final bow

 

Concert #656 - Tift Merritt at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 20, 2012)

 Last night's Tift Merritt appearance at McCabe's was a somewhat unusual event, as it offered not one, but two worthy warm-up acts: Amy Cook and Tyler Lyle. They were both very good, yet when Tift came out, one could immediately tell why she got the headlining job.

Based on what I saw last night at McCabe's, there are three words that best describe Tift, the musician: talent, talent and talent. She writes intelligent songs that have enough hooks to grab one's attention, are lively enough not to put anyone to sleep and are far more tuneful than the average singer-songwriter fare I hear nowadays. And to these ears, she sings better now than ever before. Her brand new album, "Traveling Alone", is full of gems and we got to hear each and every one of them, starting with the gorgeous "Sweet Spot". There were no weak songs last night and that made it easier for me to accept the absence of "Good Hearted Man" from her set.

Tift Merritt at McCabe's

Tift Merritt's band included long-time collaborator Jay Brown on bass, Eric Heywood on various string instruments and a drummer whose name I do not know. They sounded great together, although the drummer's overzealous play at times was a bit too loud for me and everyone else sitting, just like I was, seven or eight feet from the drum set - mea culpa, one might say. Tift accompanied herself on piano for the playing of three songs, the best of which was "Small Talk Relations". Other songs that I liked were "Too Soon To Go", "Still Not Home", "Drifted Apart" and "Traveling Alone", the new album's title track.

Tift Merrit playing the piano at McCabe's

Tift Merritt's set list

Tift Merritt introducing the band

Tift Merritt and Jay Brown at the end of show

The evening started with a five-song set delivered by Tyler Lyle, a young LA-based Southerner who can definitely write and sing. His songs and performance cannot be characterized as "high-energy", yet he manage to draw everyone into his music, hence the crowd's strong response. His best numbers were "Young Men" and "Never Reach My Destination". Tyler is someone I will meet again in the future, I'm convinced.

Tyler Lyle picking up his belongings at the end of his set

Tyler Lyle's set list

Immediately following Tyler Lyle, singer-songwriter Amy Cook delivered a seven-song set that was exceptionally good, one of the best opening sets I have ever heard at McCabe's. Despite her claim of nervousness, she appeared to be quite self-confident as she sang six self-penned songs, plus "Dreaming", a Blondie cover. While her guitar playing was very effective in grabbing my attention, her strongest assets were her songwriting and voice. The highlights of her set were "It's Gonna Rain" and the set-ending "When I Wake Up", both found on her recent album titled "Summer Skin".

Amy Cook at McCabe's

Amy Cook's set list

Amy Cook's concert poster

First in line at McCabe's: Bill and Paula

The left side of the stage

The right side of the stage

The merch table