Concert #687 - Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 12, 2013)

This was a rare weekday show at McCabe's, something that happens only on special occasions, and let me tell you: this show was special. Very special.

I went to McCabe's expecting to see two former glories of the British Invasion who certainly had the potential of disappointing us, if for no other reason than the wear-and-tear of two veteran rock-and-rollers with a combined age of 136. But, as proven many times in the past, age had nothing to do with the viability of the performance I had the privilege of attending last night at McCabe's.

My initial apprehensions were not limited only to the seniority of the protagonists - I had some reservations about the format of the show as well. Acoustic Zombies? How would that work? How would they approach, for instance, "Time Of The Season" and the psychedelic sound of the original recording?

As it turned out, the show was absolutely mesmerizing. Rod Argent went straight to the piano, sat down, and remained seated there for the entire duration of the concert. Colin Blunstone stood at the center of the stage, alone with a microphone stand.

Colin Blunstone (left) and Rod Argent at McCabe's

The show kicked off with "Tell Her No", the second big hit of the Zombies. What followed was an appealing mix of songs, old and new, interspersed with a healthy dose of story telling. Rod and Colin turned out to be exceptionally eloquent and quite funny. And they had plenty of stories to tell, some of which were in response to questions coming from the audience.

Colin and Rod having fun on the stage

Without a rhythm section in tow and with no one else on the stage, Colin's vocals were driven by Rod's exquisite piano playing, which infused new life into the hit songs we all heard so many times on the radio. All lead vocals were delivered by Colin, with Rod providing outstanding harmony backup. Colin hit all the high notes with power and precision - the quality of his voice surprised me and probably everyone else present. In spite of all my initial doubts, the stripped-down version of the Zombies' music turned out to be delightfully entertaining.

The acoustic versions of the hits of the Zombies - "She's Not There", "Time Of The Season" and "Tell Her No" - were definitely among the highlights of the show, but I also liked the newer songs, all of which were totally new to me. The newer numbers that stood out to these ears were "Breathe Out, Breathe In" and "Any Other Way".

Rod Argent sharing some stories with the crowd

Colin Blunstone at McCabe's

The interaction between these old friends was something to behold. Neither of them hogged the microphone, they treated each other as equals and they did it with humor, eloquence and professionalism.

Rod and Colin spoke about their first concerts in the States, their appearance on Murray The K's show in Brooklyn and the valuable help received from Al Kooper, without whom we would have never heard "Time Of The Season". Colin talked about his work with Alan Parsons, then he sang "Old And Wise", a song that Colin recorded in the early 80s for "Eye In The Sky", Alan's hugely successful album.

Usually I prefer more music and less talk, but listening to Rod and Colin deliver their stories gave me as much pleasure as the music they played.

The set ended with a rousing rendition of "She's Not There". Rod and Colin came back for two more songs. First they played an old Zombies tune, "The Way I Feel Inside", then they wrapped up the evening with Gershwin's "Summertime". Both sounded fabulous, especially the latter. When the lights went back on, I turned to my friend Steve and uttered two words: "Absolutely superb". No better way to capture my feelings about the performance of these two consummate professionals.

Colin & Rod at the end of the show

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 1

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 2

Et Tu Brucé, a British band of considerable talent, played a short opening set, six songs in all. Their all-acoustic performance was a notch or two less engaging than their mostly electric studio recordings I had previewed on the band's web site and YouTube. "Never Say Trevor Again" was the song that I liked the best.

Et Tu Brucé at McCabe's

The merch table

More merchandise

 

Concert #685 - Jill Sobule at McCabe's (September 6, 2013)

Jill Sobule's concert at McCabe's last week was not very different from her earlier appearances there and that's not a negative. Her formula works for me every time - great tunes, thought-provoking lyrics (Jill has plenty of those), good humor, a sweet singing voice, a couple of unannounced guests. And then there's that joyful look on her face - no one exudes good vibes quite like Jill and in the end, I don't see how anyone could walk away disappointed from her show.

Jill opened her set with "Palm Springs", followed by "When They Say We Want Our America Back", which quickly turned into a hilarious sing-along. Good songs kept coming in quick succession: "Houdini's Box", "Heroes", "Lucy At The Gym", "Wendell Lee", "Somewhere In New Mexico", "Margaret" and a few more. Somewhat surprisingly, we did not get to hear "Where Is Bobbie Gentry", in spite a few requests from the audience.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's

Jill's first guest of the evening was Tom Brosseau. His performance, albeit brief, made me regret my decision to skip his headlining appearance at McCabe's just a few weeks earlier. Tom played the acoustic guitar, sang backup vocals and then he knocked me out with his solo rendition of "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum", an old pre-WWII tune.

Tom Brosseau at McCabe's

Jill's second guest was Kate Micucci, who happens to be one half of the Garfunkel & Oates singing comedy duo that has achieved a decent level of popularity in Los Angeles. Her delivery of "Walking In Los Angeles", a song she wrote herself, was quite good.

Kate Micucci at McCabe's

For her one-song encore and in response to my request, Jill sang "Goof Life", a song that drives me crazy every time I hear it. Described as "a happy song about the end of the world", this little gem perfectly captures Jill's boundless joie-de-vivre and sense of humor.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's