Concerts #231 & 679 - Junior Brown at the Grove of Anaheim (October 5, 2000) & McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 16, 2013)

This write-up covers the two Junior Brown concerts I have had the pleasure of attending. The first one took place in October 2000 at the Grove of Anaheim, just a stone throw from the Angels Stadium. The Grove is an OK venue, but not a great one, as it brings together people with different interests - some are there for the music, others care more for the food, booze and socializing. The second show took place last Sunday, in the intimate back room of my favorite venue.

Let me start with the more recent concert. Last Sunday's show started at 8:00 PM, which seems to be the new law of the land for the guitar shop's Sunday night concerts. That's a bit late for most of us and we hope that the organizers will soon switch back to the traditional 7:00 PM start time.

Accompanied by wife Tanya Rae (acoustic guitar and vocals), a drummer and a bass player, Junior Brown opened his show with "Broke Down South Of Dallas", an outstanding song that got everyone going. His deep baritone voice has not changed much over the years and neither has his show. Not that a change was in order.

I sat in the front row, so I had a perfect vantage point for observing JB's finger work on his "guit-steel", as he calls his double-neck guitar. In his capable hands, this unique instrument - half electric guitar and half lap steel guitar - produced an incredible array of sounds, among which my favorite was the low-pitched twang that sounded pretty much like Duane Eddy's guitar.

Junior Brown at McCabe's (June 2013)

Throughout the evening, JB was all business, cranking out song after song, with practically nothing said in between. Most artists deliver sets that are about ninety minutes long, but few can squeeze in as many songs as JB. 

Partial set list

I Hung It Up

Party Lights

The Phantom Of The Opry

24/7 

Highway Patrol

My Wife Thinks You're Dead

Oldies Medley (Walk Don't Run, Apache, Secret Agent Man)

Yakety Axe

Apathy Waltz

Hang Up And Drive

Steel Guitar Rag

Trust Me

Mouth To Mouth Resuscitation

Old Fashioned Love (sung by Tanya Rae Brown)

Gal From Oklahoma

Long Walk Back To San Antone

Broke Down South Of Dallas

Freedom Machine  

 

Junior and Tanya Rae Brown at McCabe's

Some say that Junior Brown's vocal range is limited, but Sunday night he did cover quite a range, from ridiculously low notes to high falsettos and even some yodeling. Not bad at all. And his guitar playing was phenomenal. I loved the instrumentals, and come to think of it, I loved most everything he did, as most everything he did was high tempo, intense and humorous. There were a few slower moments though, when JB "went acoustic" for a couple of songs. Tanya Rae did very well as the lead vocalist on "Old Fashioned Love", her only lead vocal contribution of the evening.

All in all, the concert had all the elements of a fun evening: a unique artist, an uncommon voice, an unusual instrument, quality songs, high energy, good humor and full focus on music. Getting all this right in front of your eyes was quite special.

Junior Brown playing acoustic at McCabe's

Junior Brown waving goodbye

The McCabe's stage

Concert poster

A few words about my introduction to Junior Brown's music, which took place in October 2000 at the Grove of Anaheim. I sat about seventy feet from the stage, surrounded by folks with limited interest in the musical part of their evening. JB came out with a rhythm section, but wife Tanya Rae was not there.To me, the highlight of the evening was the so-called "Surf Medley", which went on for almost ten minutes and included bits from a few non-surf songs such as "Apache", "Secret Agent Man" and "You Really Got Me".

I kinda liked most of the other songs performed that night, among them "I Hung It Up", "I Want To Hear It From You", "Gotta Get Up Every Morning" and "Highway Patrol", but everything I heard was new to me, so I needed more time to allow JB's quirky music to grow on me. Overall, the concert was good, a bit short of very good, but it did open an appetite for JB's music, an appetite that has been steadily growing ever since.

Junior Brown's opening act was the Del McCoury Band, a bluegrass ensemble that was good enough to headline. They played a fairly long set, about fifty minutes, and no one minded. I liked the way they huddled around the microphone and took turns to strut their stuff.

The Del McCoury Band

The Grove of Anaheim

Dinner time at the Grove of Anaheim

Concert #678 - Ruthie Foster at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 14, 2013)

Without exaggeration, the show put on by Ruthie Foster at McCabe's last Friday was one of the finest musical displays I've ever seen on any stage, in any decade. Two days after the show, the spell she cast upon me keeps lingering on. Her disarming smile and the sound of her voice are still here with me, as vivid as they were during the concert.

Ruthie came out without a band and completed the whole show without anyone else joining her. Not that it mattered - she is a strong performer, perfectly capable of holding a crowd captive all by herself, from start to finish, without ever losing anyone. It was a joy observing Ruthie's body language. What I saw there was energy, confidence, a sense of freedom and a healthy dose of humility. Then there's her voice. And her old-school singing style. And guitar playing. And storytelling. And humor. And her songwriting. And her uncanny ability to make my secular self belt out "hallelujah" with the conviction of a church-goer. Well, I could go on and on praising Ruthie and I would probably still fall short of an accurate depiction of her artistry and persona.

Ruthie Foster at McCabe's

Accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar and with due credit given to her early musical influences - Sam Cooke, the Soul Stirrers and Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Ruthie delivered a set that included many of my favorites, such as Terri Hendrix's gorgeous "Hole In My Pocket" and the traditional "Woke Up This Mornin'". One of the evening's most rapturous moments came when Ruthie put down her guitar, left the stage and walked deep into the concert room to sing "People Grinning In Your Face", a cappella style.

Ruthie Foster heading into the audience at McCabe's

I enjoyed watching Ruthie's expressive body language put on display during her a cappella moments. Here are a few photos illustrating what I mean:

Ruthie Foster singing a cappella at McCabe's

Ruthie Foster singing a cappella at McCabe's

Ruthie Foster singing a cappella at McCabe's

Ruthie Foster singing a cappella at McCabe's

The evening's set list included many covers, as well as a few outstanding songs penned by Ruthie herself, such as "Full Circle", "Another Rain Song" and "Smalltown Blues". The covers came from sources as varied as Lucinda Williams, June Carter Cash and Mississippi John Hurt, whose "Richland Women Blues" was a special treat. I also enjoyed Ruthie's much-changed treatment of "Ring Of Fire" as well as her gentle interpretation of Steven Foster's "Oh Susannah".

Ruthie Foster's set list (not fully followed)

The set-ending "Travellin' Shoes" was yet another highlight, delivered by Ruthie with full vocal power and total abandonment. The sell-out crowd went absolutely crazy. Ruthie then returned for one final epic delivery, the traditional "Titanic", a performance that still haunts me.

Overall, Ruthie Foster's performance was one of the finest I have ever seen. Everything she did was at the highest level. The way she blends blues, gospel, soul and folk is nothing short of masterful. Throw into the mix her exceptionally likeable personality and what you get is a unique artist whom I will continue to follow with devotion.

Ruthie Foster's final bow

The evening kicked off with a decent set delivered by Australia's Jordie Lane. Endowed with a great voice, good guitar-playing skills and a nice personality, he kept me interested for the entire duration of his forty-minute set. Jordie received part-time support from back-up singer Clare Reynolds, introduced by Jordie as "his partner in crime". The song I liked the best was "Black Diamond".

Jordie Lane & Clare Reynolds at McCabe's

Jordie Lane's set list

Concert Director Lincoln Myerson letting Jordie Lane in

The McCabe's crowd