Concert #501 - J.J. Cale at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 28, 2009)

This was the second of two sold-out shows at McCabe's, part of a small-scale national tour. Why I had skipped J.J. Cale's earlier appearances at McCabe's is a mystery to me, but I finally got the wake-up call in the form of his "Roll On" album, an exceptionally listenable release featuring J.J.'s trademark sound and rhythms. I got to McCabe's early, so I was among the first ones in line. Parked directly in front of the guitar shop was J.J. Cale's huge tour bus, an unusual sight for what primarily is a folk music venue. I managed to grab a seat in the front row. The best was yet to come.

Throughout the show, J.J.'s voice was somewhat weak, but his guitar work was superb, and so was his band, consisting of Bill Raffensperger on bass, Walt Richmond on keyboards, David Teegarden (electronic synth) and James Cruce on drums. Keyboardist Skip Knape joined them later for a song or two. The song selection could not have been better.

After the ninth song, J.J. told the crowd that two guests would be joining him. "I don't have to tell you their names, you'll know who they are", said J.J. and out came Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. The crowd responded accordingly.

J.J. Cale (center), flanked by Mike Campbell and Tom Petty

Tom kept a relatively low profile, playing guitar just like a regular band member would do. He sang only one song, J.J. Cale's "I'd Like to Love You Baby". Playing his electric guitar, Mike Campbell was far more visible, delivering a few out-of-this-world solos. Surprisingly, Tom and Mike stayed on to the end of the show, then they came out again for the three-song encore as well, to our collective delight.

COMPLETE SET LIST

 King City
Out Of Style
Low Down
Don't Cry Sister
Since You Said Goodbye
Magnolia
Walt's Boogie
Roll On
Instrumental by T-Bone Walker

Crazy Mama
After Midnight
I'd Like To Love You Baby (Petty - vocals)
Thirteen Days
Tijuana
Cocaine
Call Me The Breeze
I'll Make Love To You Anytime
Travelin' Light

L to R: J.J. Cale and Tom Petty at McCabe's

L to R: Mike Campbell, J.J. Cale and Tom Petty at McCabe's

Most songs featured extended laid-back instrumental jams of stunning beauty and being there, just one step away, was priceless. A bootleg recording of the concert is available on the Internet. 

The show was opened by Pieta Brown and husband Bo Ramsey, assisted by the legendary Don Was on upright bass. Their set was very good - I liked Pieta's songwriting, voice and singing style and I enjoyed Bo Ramsey's guitar playing.

Bo Ramsey, Pieta Brown and Don Was (photo by Roman Cho)

Bo Ramsey and Mike Campbell upstairs at McCabe's (photo by Roman Cho)

Pieta Brown & Don Was at McCabe's

Concert #50 - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the Universal Amphitheater (July 30, 1989)

My second encounter with TP, also at the Universal Amphitheater, two years after the first one. They had been touring with Bob Dylan, which gave Tom a huge credibility boost in my eyes.

This time I sat closer to the stage, on the main floor, which they call "orchestra". Just like the first time, I was impressed by the quality of the band. Since then, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench remained some of my favorite "unsung" musicians and it was a thrill to see them perform, many years later, on separate occasions, in the intimate confines of McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica.

The opening act was an old favorite of mine, Dion DiMucci, better known as Dion. His "Ruby Baby" was one of the earliest songs I remember listening to as a young kid. On stage, he wore a beret, just like the one in the picture. Sadly, I can't remember any of the songs he played that night and the Internet wasn't helpful either.

Concert #28 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at the Universal Amphitheater (June 9, 1987)

Other than his radio hits, I had not been exceedingly familiar with Tom Petty's music, nor had I thought too highly of him. All this changed forever on June 9, when I got to fully appreciate the quality of his music, and most of all, the tightness of his band, the Heartbreakers.

It was the first of four consecutive nights at the Universal Amphitheater. I sat at the mezzanine, not too good, but not bad either. The opening acts were OK. The Georgia Satellites played their only major hit, "Keep Your Hands To Yourself", while the Del Fuegos were forgettable.

"The Waiting" was the highlight of the show. I also liked "Let Me Up, I've Had Enough". At one point, Tom talked about the loss of his Encino house to fire, a crime committed by an arsonist. "But he didn't burn this down" said Tom, raising his guitar high in the air.