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

Concert #801 - Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton at McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 12, 2017)

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton ... what a talent! It's hard to believe, but this musician is only twenty-eight years old, yet he can mesmerize a crowd with songs few folks have ever heard and may never hear again. What's his secret, one might ask? Well, he is a good singer and a top-notch multi-instrumentalist who also happens to be funny, warm and friendly. Being the embodiment of likeability will certainly help any musician, but ultimately it's the music that carries the day and that's where Jerron excels. I have seen many other multi-instrumentalists in action, but few have impressed me as much as Jerron did. It's not only that he switches from one instrument to another with the greatest of ease - this guy can make each of those instruments sound like they come from an era that predates his existence by many decades. Indeed, throughout his performance last weekend at McCabe's, Jerron exuded a sense of genuineness that one would not expect from someone of his age.

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton at McCabe's

Kicking off the evening with "Michigan Water Blues", Jerron delivered a generous set that clocked in at exactly two hours. There was no predetermined set list, but he knew exactly when to switch, back and forth, between his guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle and piano. I can't name too many of the songs he played, as they were mostly obscure blues and ragtime songs from, I suppose, the pre-World War II era. "The Very Thought Of You" and "Alabama Bound" were among the handful of numbers that I did recognize and they all sounded great.

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton at McCabe's

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton at McCabe's

Jerron is not endowed with a huge thunderous voice, but he can certainly add a lot of nuance to everything he sings, with the end result sounding truly genuine to these ears. Then there was the humor ... it was absolutely amazing to see how much laughter this young musician was able to generate from the very moment he took the stage. And he saved his best for last, the hilarious set-ending medley consisting of "When An Ugly Woman Tells You No" and "I Ain't Got Nobody", and old song I first heard with Louis Prima. Needless to say, Jerron received a warm and well-deserved standing ovation. I went home extremely happy and I know that I'll be back for more.

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton at McCabe's

The stage