Concert #692 - Garland Jeffreys at McCabe's Guitar Shop (November 9, 2013)

 

Writing about Garland Jeffreys' concert last night at McCabe's is a daunting task, if there ever was one. Simply put, I'll have a hard time describing the mind-blowing performance of this rock & roller, who, at the tender age of seventy, can run circles around musicians who are half his age. Or younger.

I saw Garland for the first time last year, also at McCabe's. I went to that show not knowing what to expect and he just blew my socks off. Different situation last night, one might think, as I knew exactly what to expect, yet in spite of my much raised expectations, Garland's live act managed to once again knock me out.  I can't think of too many musicians in the "over sixty" category who are as vibrant, energetic and still relevant as Garland. And he sounds great, too - the quality of his voice is something to behold.

No better way to describe the pace of the concert than quoting Garland himself, who - toward the end of the show - told us that "We don't do any ballads anymore, there's not enough time left in life, a ballad is like a waste of time", a statement that served as a signal for the band to launch into a rousing rendition of "96 Tears", possibly the only cover song of the evening. Many of the other songs we heard last night were high-tempo and high-energy songs, soulfully delivered by the indefatigable Garland with frequent shouts of "hey".

Garland Jeffreys at McCabe's

Garland's set consisted of songs from all five decades of his career as a recording artist. None of those songs sounded dated. My favorites were "35 Millimeter Dreams", "Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll" and "'Til John Lee Hooker Calls Me". From "Truth Serum", his latest album, Garland sang "Any Rain", "It's What I Am" and the title track, three songs that measure up favorably to his best material.

Garland Jeffreys at McCabe's

Garland Jeffreys singing "Truth Serum"

Garland brought with him the same band that delighted us last year. Just like then, these guys played their hearts out. While all four band members deserve kudos, I particularly liked Tom's drumming and Adam's guitar playing. Here's the line-up of the band:

GARLAND JEFFREYS' BAND

Adam Roth (electric guitar)

Charlie Roth (keyboards, mouth harmonica, backup vocals)

Tom Curiano (drums, backup vocals)

Brian Stanley (bass)

The set list

Just like last year, Garland told us how much he liked performing at McCabe's. "We love it here. Great place", he said. In return, the crowd gave Garland its full appreciation via an extended standing ovation and applause that went on and on. A couple of times during the show, while singing, Garland left the stage and walked into the crowd, shaking hands and hugging some of his fans.

The encore consisted of only one song, "Moonshine In The Cornfield", performed without the backing of the band.

Garland Jeffreys during his encore (with Tom Curiano standing by)

Adam Roth at McCabe's

An incredible moment took place in the venue's front room, after the show, when Garland duetted with a fan on "Christine", one of his songs from 1980's "Escape Artist". Following that, he signed autographs and mingled with his fans.

I went home totally happy, wishing and hoping that I'll get the chance to see Garland again sometime in 2014.

Garland and a fan singing "Christine" after the show

McCabe's Guitar Shop, minutes before show time

The stage

 

Concert #691 - Ben Harper at the Bridges Auditorium (November 6, 2013)

Sadly, there aren't too many world-class concerts happening close to where I live, so typically I have to drive fifty miles or so to get to where the action is. Ben Harper's Wednesday night's appearance at the Bridges Auditorium in Claremont was a welcome exception - being able to leave home at 7:40 PM in order to catch a show announced for 8:00 PM was something truly special.

The concert was a homecoming of sorts for Ben, who lived a considerable part of his life in Claremont. That may explain the surprisingly high turnout - although not officially confirmed as a sell-out, it appeared to me that all 2,500 seats of the venue were occupied. Visibly mixed in terms of age groups, the crowd can be described as loving and certainly knowledgeable.

The concert started at 8:15 PM and ended at 10:45 PM, so we all got our money's worth. There were two encores, which added about forty-five minutes to an already generously long first set. Ben played a variety of stringed instruments (lap steel guitar, banjo, guitars of the electric and acoustic kind, ukulele), and sat down at the piano as well.

Ben Harper at the Bridges Auditorium

Ben Harper at the Bridges Auditorium

To these ears, the unmistakeable star of the show was Ben's voice and I loved his singing style, too. Wednesday night I heard lots of old-school phrasing, but there was always something modern in the way he delivered his music. His diction was perfect - each and every word he said or sang came across loud and clear and yes, the acoustics of the concert hall were great, too.

To me, the best part of the concert was the first encore, which kicked off with stellar deliveries of "Trying Not To Fall In Love With You", "Trust You To Dig My Grave", "Steal Your Kisses" and "With My Own Two Hands", four outstanding songs written by Ben himself. Also during the first encore, Ben duetted with his mother, Claremont's own Ellen Chase-Verdries, a talented singer in her own right. According to Ben, the two songs they sang together - "City Of Dreams" and "Born To Love You" - will be released in 2014 on an album to be titled "Childhood Home".

Ben and Ellen singing "City Of Dreams"

Ben and Ellen singing "Born To Love You"

The song selection was very good overall, but I would have loved to hear a few more up-tempo numbers. As far as I can tell, the overwhelming majority of the songs were Ben's own, with two exceptions: "Fade Into You", and old songs from the repertoire of Mazzy Star, and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". 

 

Set List

The Long Road Home

Welcome To The Cruel World

Excuse Me Mr.

Fight Outta You

Roses From My Friends

Another Lonely Day

Diamonds On The Inside

Forever

Fade Into You

All My Heart Can Take

Lifeline

Don't Give Up On Me Now

Burn One Down

1st Encore

Trying Not To Fall In Love With You

Trust You To Dig My Grave

Steal My Kisses

With My Own Two Hands

City Of Dreams (with Ellen Chase-Verdries)

Born To Love You (with Ellen Chase-Verdries)

Suzie Blue

2nd Encore

Hallelujah

Waiting On An Angel

Ben Harper at the Bridges Auditorium

Ben Harper at the Bridges Auditorium

On the minus side, Ben spoke a bit too much, certainly during his first set. At one point, he went on for seventeen uninterrupted minutes, that was excessive.

Overall, the concert was a memorable event. The sound of Ben's soulful voice and passionate singing still rings in my ears and I have a strong desire to dig a bit deeper in Ben's body of work - I'm sure there are plenty of hidden gems there.

The stage

The facade of the Bridges Auditorium

The main lobby

Ben Harper merchandise

The Bridges Auditorium