Concert #816 - Vonda Shepard at McCabe's Guitar Shop (December 9, 2017)

This is a brief write-up on a concert that I attended in December 2017.

I went to the show with two Canadian friends who were visiting us. I was hoping to offer them a top-notch concert at my favorite venue, but things did not work out quite the way I wanted. First, Vonda may have been a bit under the weather, so she did not have a good vocal day. Then there was her set list. While I absolutely love the way Vonda covers other people's songs, I have always had a harder time embracing her original music and, in that respect, my hopes of hearing one cover after another were not fulfilled

Vonda came out with an outstanding band consisting of Andrew Raiher (guitar), Jim Hanson (bass) and Fritz Lewak (drums). Later in the show, Vonda invited to stage three other musical guests: guitar ace Val McCallum, bassist/vocalist Davey Faragher and keyboardist Jeff Young. They were all good.

My guests liked the show and that is what really mattered.

Vonda Shepard & Jim Hanson at McCabe's

Vonda Shepard at McCabe's

Val McCallum at McCabe's

Davey Faragher & Fritz Lewak at McCabe's

The set list - Page 1

The set list - Page 2

L to R: Jim, Andrew, Fritz, Vonda, Jeff & Val after the show

Vonda Shepard merchandise

 

Concert #651 - Val McCallum at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 29, 2012)

Last night I attended another one of those concerts that keep bringing me back to McCabe's time and time again. Guitarist extraordinaire Val McCallum, accompanied by a few friends, put on a fabulous two-hour-long show that was filled with lots of musical joy and laughter.

Last night, Val's guests were two singers whose voices have been heard by millions around the world, namely Jackson Browne and Colin Hay of Men At Work fame. The appearance of the former was somewhat predictable, but everyone in the room was thoroughly surprised when Val brought out Colin Hay. I myself was unaware of any earlier connection between the two.

The evening coincided with the release of "At The End Of The Day", Val's debut album. The concert kicked-off with Val singing the title song, the very same number he picked to end his first-ever solo show three months ago. The first song of the evening was also the only time we saw Val unaccompanied on the stage. First, he was joined by the lovely Cindy Wasserman for the singing of five slower songs of a personal nature, all taken from the new album. "Digging For Gold" and "Tokyo Girl" were my favorites. Jackson Browne dropped in to sing backup vocals on "Tokyo Girl", a song written by Val for Shelli, his wife of many years. The pace picked up considerably when Val swapped his acoustic guitar for an electric one to sing and play one of the album's strongest songs, "Ghost Town".

For years I had been fantasizing about seeing Colin Hay live at McCabe's, so I screamed with excitement when Val brought him out. Colin made us laugh with his unique sense of humor and his heavy Scottish accent only helped matters. Sadly, he only sang two songs, "Don't Wait Up", from his solo years, and "Overkill", the mega-hit from his days with Men At Work. Both songs were received very warmly by the crowd. Colin's easy-to-recognize voice was as strong as ever and his confident stage presence was a sight to see. Cecilia Noel, Colin's Peruvian wife, sang backup vocals on "Overkill".

Val McCallum with his guest Colin Hay at McCabe's

The arrival of drummer Fritz Lewak and bassist Tyler Chester brought another jolt of energy to the stage, so by the time Jackson Browne took the stage, the place was ready to rock. Jackson sat down behind his keyboards and went on to deliver a good size set of six songs, all taken from his vast back catalog. "Rock Me On The Water", "The Pretender" and especially "Doctor My Eyes" were out of this world, with the band working as a well-oiled machine, playing loud and rocking the house with power and precision. Val McCallum's solos on electric guitar were some of the best I've ever heard at McCabe's or anywhere else, for that matter.

Jackson Browne and Chavonne Stewart at McCabe's

Jackson Browne's set benefited tremendously from the presence of his recent backup vocalists, Alethea Mills and Chavonne Stewart. I enjoyed very much watching their moves and I certainly liked their voices.

Val McCallum, Alethea Mills & Chavonne Stewart

Val McCallum, Alethea Mills & Chavonne Stewart

The concert continued with Val and Cindy Wasserman. They performed Val's own "Rarebird" and a few great covers, such as Neil Young's "Pocahontas" and John Doe's "Burning House Of Love". Again, Val's electric guitar took center stage with a few blistering solos.

The set list

Another set list

For the encore, Val came out wearing a cowboy hat and talking pretty much like Beau Shit, his Cochtotan-based alter-ego. Together with Cindy and the band, he delivered a fast-paced version of "Wrecking Ball", a song I first heard with the Knitters a few years back.

Val McCallum as Beau Shit, with Cindy Wasserman

All-in-all, it was a wonderful concert that offered quite a variety of musical styles, from slow ballads to fast and loud rock & roll. With so many great musicians coming and going, the show was thoroughly entertaining. Special kudos go to Val McCallum, a musician I learned of only in 2005, but who since then has given me tons of musical pleasures.

Jackson Browne saying goodbye

Val McCallum signing autographs after the show

Shelli McCallum, aka the Tokyo Girl

Mikki Itzigsohn kicking off the proceedings

The stage before the show

Val McCallum's autograph on my new CD

 

Concert #640 - Val McCallum at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 10, 2012)

This was Val McCallum's first-ever solo show, as far as I know. Come to think of it, it wasn't really a solo show. "Val McCallum & Friends" would have been a more appropriate description of  what took place at McCabe's last Sunday, as the only song performed by Val with no one else on the stage happened to be the very last song of the encore!

After my many previous encounters with Val, whether as a member of Jackshit or backing up performers such as Shelby Lynne, Freedy Johnston, Creed Bratton and Susanna Hoffs, I could safely say that I knew him better than most any other musician. But when it came to the concept of "Val solo", I just did not know what to expect.

Well, the verdict is in: Val and his friends put on an exceptionally good show, complete with a few high-caliber guests, some announced in advance, others not. It all started with Val singing four of his own compositions, with a young lady singer who goes by the name of Z Berg providing backup vocals. The songs were of the "kinder and gentler" variety, their quality was remarkably good. In two separate songs, Val sang lovingly about his daughter Stella and wife Shelli, the latter being the "Tokyo Girl" Val sang about in the song of the same title. Now that's quite a departure from Beau Shit, Val's alter ego, who often sings about young ladies being murdered (Pretty Polly, Rose Connelly and others).

Then Z Berg took over the lead singer role and what a pleasant surprise that was. She possesses a wonderful voice and a singing style that appealed to me very much. As far as I know, the four songs she sang lead on were her own compositions and they were all stunningly good, especially the one titled "Charades". Add her extremely relaxed and self-confident stage demeanor and what you get is a rare talent who, at least from my vantage point, came out of nowhere. I will now start looking for her work as a member of the Like, her earlier little-known band.

Next in line was up-and-coming singer and guitarist Blake Mills, introduced in a highly complimentary manner by Val. Blake's guitar playing was superb and he can sing, too. His extended guitar jams with Val were a beauty - Neil Young's "Pocohantas" was a highlight. They received support from drummer Danielle Haims and a bassist whose name I cannot recall.

Val McCallum at McCabe's (June 2012)

Jackson Browne and drummer Steve Mugalian took the stage for the playing of "Jesus On The Mainline", which turned into a delightful extended jam, complete with crowd participation.

Jackson Browne stayed on to sing two songs of his own, namely "Miracle Mile" and "Rarebird". For many years, even decades, I did not count myself among Jackson's most ardent fans, but now, after having witnessed a few a his guest appearances at various venues, I am a lot more appreciative of what he does.

The set list, where JB stands for Jackson Browne

The stage got real crowded when Val and Jackson brought out Spanish guitarist Javier Mas and Moldavian violinist Alex Bublitchi, two musicians from Leonard Cohen's current touring band. Out of courtesy, Blake Mills sat on the stage floor after giving his chair to the more senior Javier. What followed was pure magic. Their rendition of Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep", sung by Jackson with the full participation of all other musicians, ranks among the finest performances I have ever witnessed. Just imagine - the lead guitar role shifting seamlessly between the three devilishly great guitar players present on the stage - from Val to Blake to Javier and so on, it was divine, and so was Jackson's singing, and when the song ended, the crowd was on its feet to give the musicians a rarely seen mid-concert standing ovation. Funny thing - the best song of the evening does not appear on the set list.

The set ended with Z Berg coming out yet again for a couple of more songs which were as good as the first ones she sang. Val then came back all by himself for a one-song encore, his own "The End Of The Day", then it was all over. In my book, the concert was a "Perfect 10". 

Val McCallum remained on the stage for the entire duration of the show and acted as a gracious host who allowed his guests to shine. As a long-time follower of Jackshit, I was happy to see his non-Beau side and I liked what I saw.

I just hope that there will be many more such episodes of "Val & Friends".

Jackson Browne and Javier Mas tuning up

Val McCallum thanking the audience

The hugely talented Z Berg, after the concert

Val McCallum (left) chatting after the concert

Guitarist-extraordinaire Blake Mills (left) after the show

Drummer and McCabe's employee Steve Mugalian

The stage

Concert #634 - Susanna Hoffs at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 28, 2012)

At the grandmotherly age of fifty-three, Susanna Hoffs looked and sounded last night at McCabe's as un-grandmotherly as it gets. Wearing a short dress, lots of smiles and no extra pounds, she delivered a pleasant set that included new songs, old Bangles gems, as well as a few well-chosen covers. The whole affair was quite casual, one might say exceedingly casual, which prompted my friend Bill to describe the show as a "paid rehearsal", a statement I suspect he made half in jest, half serious. I had no problem with the loose format of the evening, something that is not at all uncommon when a larger group of musicians assemble with little notice before a one-off event.

Susanna's band included guitarist-extraordinaire Val McCallum on acoustic and electric guitars, bassist Derrick Anderson, drummer Jim Laspesa, percussionist John Calacci and guitarist Andrew Brassell, her new Nashville-based musical collaborator. Guitarist Dennis Taylor joined the band toward the end of the show, he sounded great and so did everyone else.

I liked most of Susanna's new songs, which I believe will be on her soon-to-be-released third solo album titled "Someday". Mitchell Froom, the album producer, was also present last night, but did not take the stage.

Age has done little to change Susanna's vocal abilities. Her still-Banglesque voice was the unmistakable star of the evening and so was her cheerfulness and charm. Exceptionally good was her song selection, too. Unlike other artists, Susanna did not deliver her new songs all at once. Instead, she combined them with well-known oldies and old Bangles tunes - this added color to her show and kept everyone sprinting along. Here's one of the two set lists that were left on the stage floor after the show:

Note the presence of "All I've Got To Do" and "Rain", two Lennon-McCartney songs, the former sounding the best. I also liked the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning", Rockpile's catchy "Teacher, Teacher" and "All I Want", the semi-hit of the Lightning Seeds.

Susanna Hoffs at McCabe's

Susanna Hoffs & Andrew Brassell at McCabe's

Susanna Hoffs, with Derrick Anderson and Jim Laspesa

Quite predictably, longtime collaborator Matthew Sweet took the stage at the end of the show to lend his voice to the singing of "Rain" and Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl".

Matthew Sweet

 Here's the other set list I was able to photograph after the show:

An alternate set list left on stage after the show

The show was opened by Englishman John Wicks, formerly of the Records. Surprisingly, he did not sing "Starry Eyes", the song that brought the Records their only hit. John's five-song set was just right in terms of length. The song that I liked the best was the set-closing "Chasing Angels".

John Wicks at McCabe's

Autographed Susanna Hoffs posters ($25 each)

Hiroshi and Paul, frequent McCabe's concert goers

People lining up for Susanna's second show (10 PM)