Concerts #417, 471 - Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 20, 2006 & June 21, 2008)

I don't think there's anyone on Planet Earth not to have heard "Wild Thing" and "Angel Of The Morning", but I bet very few know that these radically different pieces of music come from the pen of the very same songwriter. I didn't know it either at the time when McCabe's announced Chip and Carrie's joint concert in 2006, nor did I have a clue as to who Chip & Carrie were. With Google's help, I quickly became aware of Chip's impressive songwriting credentials and that was enough to make me buy my ticket for the show, while Carrie remained an unknown wild card.

My evening started with a close encounter with a true celebrity - the lights were still on when I bumped, in a physical sense, into Jon Voight, who was there to support his little brother Chip. Then the music started. The show was near-perfect - all at once, I discovered two exceptionally gifted musicians from two different generations who were nonetheless a great match. They played ballads, rockers, country pop, oldies, new songs, covers, original material, they told stories and had a famous on-stage guest in the person of the aforementioned Jon Voight.

Then there was John Platania, whom I had not known before. Introduced as Van Morrison's longtime guitarist, I paid extra attention to his playing and became an instant fan of the very distinctive sound of his electric guitar.

Chip Taylor & John Platania

Midway through the show, Jon Voight took the stage to sing one of Chip's earliest compositions, "Faded Blue", an outstanding song.

Jon Voight

The concert had many great moments,  but the highlight of the evening was definitely the "Wild Thing" sing-along, and yes, I knew the words from start to finish!

They also played Johnny Cash's "Big River" and Chip's own "Angel Of The Morning", which came complete with a hilarious story about Chip's meeting with Shaggy, the reggae artist who recorded a wildly successful version of the song.

Carrie's talents as a singer, songwriter and fiddler were extensively showcased. Her best song was "Never Gonna Be Your Bride".

Here's a YouTube video of one of Chip & Carrie's best songs, "Sweet Tequila Blues":

Two years later, in June 2008, I went back to McCabe's to reconnect with Chip Taylor's wonderful music. This concert was announced as Chip Taylor solo, so no Carrie Rodriguez this time. Sadly, John Platania couldn't be there either - he was on the road with Van Morrison and his "Astral Week" tour - now that's an unassailable excuse, if there ever was one. Chip came out with a worthy replacement, guitarist Mark Goldenberg, and together they put on a show that I enjoyed very much. Jon Voight popped in again to sing the same song, "Faded Blue", he performed in 2006.

To this day I remain a huge Chip Taylor fan. He has won me over for life not only with his superb songs and great delivery, but also with his humble demeanor and the obvious respect and appreciation he shows to his fans. Chip is a true class-act.

Concert #596 - Chip Taylor at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 19, 2011)

Chip Taylor is a class act. What makes me say that? Well, a classy musician would meet his fans before the show and shake a few hands. Chip Taylor did that. A class act would introduce his band before they played a single note. Chip did that, too. There.

Once again, Chip Taylor put on an outstanding show, with humor and great songs, new and old, and lots of captivating stories, mostly from his younger days. Yes, he did drop more than just a handful of names, but not in a self-aggrandizing way. Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Chet Atkins, Merle Haggard and even my beloved Bert Kaempfert got mentioned, but the night belonged to "Rock and Roll Joe", the generic name given by John Platania and Chip Taylor to the "unsung heroes of rock n' roll", the musicians whose guitar licks and drum beats have been heard by zillions, but remained anonymous behind the superstars they were supporting.

Concert announcement in the window at McCabe's

The bare-bone concert announcement posted in the window at McCabe's gave no clue as to the massive talent that was about to take the stage inside. Chip came out with John Platania, best known as Van Morrison's longest serving guitarist, bassist Tony Mercadante and - huge surprise !! - the young and gifted Kendel Carson. John, Kendel and Chip had just released their latest collaboration, an album titled "Rock And Roll Joe", so appropriately, they went on to play the album in its entirety. Except for "I Can't Let Go", the old Hollies hit from the 1960s, the album featured all new material, written primarily by John, Kendel and Chip. The whole thing sounded good from start to finish.

Chip Taylor's set list

With the new album behind them, it was time for Chip's biggest hits, "Angel Of The Morning" and "Wild Thing", played in quick succession, followed by Chip's more recent "Charcoal Sky". Next, Kendel took center stage (not literally) to perform "Ten Lost Men" and "Oh Baby Lie Down", both from "Alright Dynamite", her second album. The show ended with Chip's "I Wasn't Born In Tennessee".

The highlight of the show? Hard to tell. Maybe Kendel's beautiful voice. Or John's guitar playing. Or Chip's songs. Or all of the above.

After the show, I had once again the pleasure of shaking hands and chatting for a minute or two with Chip Taylor, who, stunningly, remembered me from over a year ago. Wow.

Chip Taylor shaking hands with fans before the show

John Platania, Chip Taylor & Kendel Carson at McCabe's (June 2011)

John Platania, Chip Taylor & Kendel Carson at McCabe's (June 2011)

Spotted among the crowd: guitar legend Albert Lee

Chip Taylor meeting Albert Lee, with John Platania also present

Chip Taylor and Albert Lee chatting up the ladies

Kendel Carson blending with the crowd after the show

My brand new CD, autographed by Chip Taylor

Concert #516 - Chip Taylor & Kendel Carson at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 11, 2009)

What a concert that was! Combine Chip's incredible songwriting and great delivery with Kendel Carson's youthful singing and fiddle playing, then throw in John Platania and his electric guitar and what you get is an unforgettable evening of music, the kind most of us could only experience at McCabe's.

A few months before the show I started listening to Kendel's excellent debut album, "Rearview Mirror Tears", then two weeks before the show I got to hear her equally good sophomore album, "Alright Dynamite". Chip, Kendel and John came out together and remained together on stage for the entire duration of the concert, with Tony Mercadante helping out on bass.

Wearing one of my McCabe's T-shirts, I sat in the front row, right in front of Kendel, who was sporting, somewhat surprisingly, a Dire Straits T-shirt.

One could clearly see how much Chip and Kendel enjoyed being up there on the stage. They played songs from both of Kendel's albums, plus some Chip Taylor numbers, both old and new. The highlights of the show were "Mercedes Benz" and "I Like Trucks", which quickly became a sing-along. And speaking of sing-alongs: we also got to hear "Wild Thing", complete with Chip telling the audience how he wrote it and who he first played it to: brother Jon Voight.

Here's an excellent live-in-studio clip featuring Chip Taylor, Kendel Carson and John Platania, plus two unidentified musicians on bass and improvised drums:

The second set started with a phone call placed by Chip to his brother, Jon Voight, who was supposed to appear, but was stuck in bed with the flu. Placing his cell phone against the microphone, we could all hear Jon's voice, it was fun.

Kendel's virtuoso fiddle playing took center stage during an instrumental interlude, an old Canadian sea-themed folk song whose title I do not know.

Chip had a couple of guests, Killer Hale & Chester from the Blood  Mountain Boys, an obscure band who had an underground hit called "Yellowstone Thyme". Chip co-wrote the song ages ago but still remembered the words. The final song of the evening was Chip's "I Wasn't Born In Tennessee".

After the show, the musicians mingled with the fans, which gave me the opportunity to shake hands and chat with both Kendel and Chip. To this day I treasure their autographs on Kendel's "Alright Dynamite" CD. What a night!

Chip Taylor and Yours Truly at McCabe's (July 2009)

Kendel Carson and Yours Truly at McCabe's (July 2009)

Chip Taylor and Kendel Carson autographs

Concert #527 - Chip Taylor at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 30, 2009)

Initially announced as a Chip Taylor-Kendel Carson double-bill, the evening started with a huge disappointment: Kendel had fallen ill and was unable to appear. Bummer ... but in the end, things worked out fine, thanks to Chip and his outstanding supporting cast, which included John Platania, best known as Van Morrison's lead guitarist, session-man-extraordinaire Greg Leisz and, last but not least, brother Jon Voight.

Jon sat in the audience, just like the rest of us, and took the stage twice, at the invitation of little brother Chip. Together, they sang Chip's first-ever song, "Faded Blue", a sad puppy-love song. The highlight of the show was Jon's pompously declamatory delivery of "Wild Thing" - we all laughed at the contrast between the hollow lyrics of the song and Jon's over-the-top interpretation.

Brothers Chip Taylor and Jon Voight at McCabe's

Chip played many songs from his then-current album, "Yonkers, NY". Most of these songs came with a story, and that may have been the show's only fault: there were too many long stories. But the songs were good, especially "Bastard Brothers", "Charcoal Sky" and "Hey Johnny, Did You Feel That Movie".

Chip's band was top-notch. I absolutely adored John Platania's guitar and Greg Leisz was great, too. I can't wait to see them again, hopefully with Kendel Carson.

John Platania

Chip Taylor on the stage, after the show

Right there at McCabe's, I bought Chip's "Yonkers, NY" CD, a beautifully designed small book that came with two CDs, selling for a paltry $10. The first CD has all the songs, complete with the aforementioned stories, narrated by Chip himself. The second CD has nothing but the songs, no narratives, and is a good one. John Platania, Greg Leisz and Kendel Carson are playing on all tracks,

Watch this HD video that, in addition to Chip Taylor, features John Platania and Kendel Carson as well: