Concert #802 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 21, 2017)

Even though this was my thirty-seventh time to see Jackshit in concert, I'm a totally normal person (or so I think), but clearly, I'm not able to control this primal instinct of mine, this inner voice that keeps telling me "Go, Gabe go" every time my favorite band is announced to play at McCabe's. So Sunday evening I went again and I'm super-happy that I did, as the Boys from Cochtotan delivered a set that was two-hours long, possibly their longest set ever at McCabe's and once again I was amazed by the talents of these incredible musicians.

Sunday's show was not radically different from the many others I have covered on this blog, so let me just throw out a few random thoughts that, I hope, summarize the show:

• The band played many of the songs that form the backbone of their repertoire: "Christine's Tune", "Ghost Riders In The Sky", "Drinkin' Or Drivin'", "Long Black Veil", "2x4", "Pretty Polly", etc.

• There was no "Bull Rider"

• For the first time ever, Johnny Horton's "I'm Comin' Home" was not the closing number of the set, but we still got to hear it, as the band's one-song encore.

• Recent additions to the band's repertoire: David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes", The Sweet Inspirations' "Chained", Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", Wynn Stewart's "Big, Big Love", the Band's "Time To Kill" and "Goddamn Lonely Love" from the repertoire of the Drive-By Truckers.
  

• Shorty's bird-calling skills have remained undiminished over the years.

• Beau's guitar playing on "You'd Better Get Right" was out of this world.

• "Ugly And Slouchy" and its incredible Rock & Roll Medley is the embodiment of what Jackshit is all about: variety, intensity, humor and most of all, fantastic musicianship.

• The band did not bring out any unannounced guests, which they quite often do. 

• Courtesy of Wayne Griffith, the veteran sound engineer at McCabe's, we once again enjoyed the perfect sound my favorite venue is known for.

Val McCallum at McCabe's

Davey Faragher at McCabe's

Pete Thomas at McCabe's

The set list

Val McCallum feeling the music at McCabe's

One of the many pleasures of attending concerts at McCabe's is meeting folks with whom I share common musical interests. Sunday night I bumped again into Stacey and Cindy, two exceptionally friendly ladies, whom I had met once before, also at McCabe's.

Music fans Stacey & Cindy

The stage

Val's guitars