Concert #738 - Al Stewart & Peter White at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February 7, 2015)

It was an excruciatingly long wait, but it was worth it. Nearly twenty-four years have passed since I witnessed the unforgettable show put on by Al Stewart and Peter White at McCabe's in the summer of 1991. Since then, I'd been dreaming about reliving the event just once more, and last night it finally happened, albeit in an unexpected fashion. 

We all showed up expecting to see Dave Nachmanoff alongside Al, as indicated on Al's website. Dave is one heck of a guitar player and I would have been perfectly happy to see him play, but catching Peter and Al together yet once again was a whole different matter.

Al took the stage all by himself, kicked off the evening with a lively rendition of "House Of Clocks", then brought the house down by simply introducing Peter White. Without wasting any time, they launched into an epic rendition of "On The Border" and everything that followed was equally epic. 

Al Stewart (right) & Peter White at McCabe's

Al will turn seventy in September, yet his voice is in excellent shape - someone who hasn't heard him since the mid-seventies will have absolutely no trouble recognizing him. And what can I say about Peter ... his guitar playing was absolutely superb, especially on the Django Reinhardt-esque "Last Train To Munich", the song that also featured an outstanding upright bass solo played by Roberto Vally.

Al Stewart McCabe's

Peter White at McCabe's

The set list

Throughout the evening, Al was in his usual humorous mood and held nothing back when it came to historical references. As a matter of fact, he ended the show by re-introducing his two cohorts, Peter White and Roberto Vally, then said "My name is Woodrow Wilson, thank you very much and good night". Al and Peter came back for a one-song encore, namely "End Of The Day", a number they co-wrote in the late seventies.

Al Stewart & Peter White thanking the crowd

For me, the evening ended with two autographs and two handshakes that will be hard to forget:

Two priceless autographs

Al Stewart after the show

Peter White chatting with fans after the show

The stage

Concert #737 - Iain Matthews at McCabe's Guitar Shop (January 31, 2015)

This was my third time to see Iain Matthews perform live on stage. The concert was very good in all respects, but what impressed me the most was Iain's voice. In his sixty-ninth year of existence, Iain did look his age, while his voice remained pretty much unaffected by the passage of time. I was truly touched by his soulful and passionate delivery of his mostly delicate songs and I'm not exaggerating when I say that there aren't many singers out there, regardless of age, who possess voices as nuanced as Iain's.

Sadly, the show was attended by no more than fifty or sixty folks. I cannot explain why an artist as good as Iain Matthews cannot draw a larger crowd in the Los Angeles area.

Iain Matthews at McCabe's

Iain came out with Dutch pianist and composer Egbert Derix and what a fabulous addition he turned out to be. From my seat, I could clearly see Egbert's fingers and facial expressions, which only added to my enjoyment of the evening. With only minimal eye contact, Iain and Egbert played together in perfect sync and harmony, just like two twin brothers - Egbert's delicately played intros and solos were the perfect accompaniment to Iain's gentle vocals.

Egbert Derix at McCabe's

As expected, Iain's set list consisted of quite a few songs he co-wrote with Egbert: "Restless Wings", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "When Buddha Dials Your Number", the gorgeous "Pebbles In The Road", "1944", "When The Floyd Were On The Prowl" and "Waves".

We also got to hear four well-chosen covers, namely John Martyn's "The Man In The Station", Fairport Convention's "Sloth", Tom Waits' "Closing Time" and Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock", the latter serving as the evening's one-song encore. All covers sounded great.

The set list

Given Iain's consistently solid performance from start to finish, I will refrain from picking a show highlight.

Iain Matthews tuning his guitar

Iain Matthews addressing the crowd

Iain Matthews and Egbert Derix at the end of the show

The evening was kicked off by Brian Lopez, a Tucson-based singer-songwriter of considerable talent. Overall, he was good enough to keep my mind focused on his performance for the entire duration of his thirty-minute set. Brian has a decent voice and an interesting singing style, but I can't say that his melodic sense and mine are always in perfect alignment. 

Brian Lopez at McCabe's

The stage

 

Concert #736 - Albert Lee at McCabe's Guitar Shop (January 17, 2015)

At McCabe's, performers take the stage by coming down on a fairly steep flight of wooden stairs. I have seen many artists negotiating the stairs with extreme caution and insecurity, but last night, in his seventy-first year of existence, Albert Lee bounced down the stairs without even looking at the handrail. He then proceeded to deliver an exceptionally good set that once again defied his years - his youthful voice sounded as good as ever, while his fingers worked with high speed and precision, just like decades ago.

Albert Lee at McCabe's

This was my third time to see Albert in a headlining role. While the first two shows had virtually identical set lists, last night's outing came with a few welcome changes. Picking a highlight is no easy feat, but I would mention "Runaway Train", "Luxury Liner" and "Spellbound" as some of the evening's best. Needless to say, I also loved "Country Boy", "Tear It Up" and all his other high-tempo numbers.

Albert has always been very good at crediting the composers and original interpreters of the songs on his set list - names such as Emmylou Harris, Ray Charles, Don & Phil Everly, Johnny Burnette, John Stewart and Rodney Crowell were once again mentioned last night. The evening's two-song encore also included an outstanding Glen Campbell song, "A Better Place", from Glen's most recent and, sadly, final album. 

The set list

Indeed, Albert is a very special musician, but his show just wouldn't be the same without his outstanding band. Consisting of J.T. Thomas (keyboards, accordion), Will McGregor (bass guitar) and Jason Smith (drums), Albert's band provided quality support and drew repeated rounds of applause from the sellout crowd. From my seat, I had an unobstructed view of Jason's face and hands and that allowed me to focus quite often on his drumming. He is definitely one of the best drummers I have seen at McCabe's in my twenty-five years of attending concerts there.

Will McGregor (left), JT Thomas & Jason Smith leaving the stage

All-in-all, I had a great time and went home a satisfied customer. I will definitely be back to catch Albert again. Hopefully with the same band.

Albert Lee at McCabe's

The stage

Albert Lee's guitar

Concert poster

Sign in the window at McCabe's

Concert #735 - Midge Ure at McCabe's Guitar Shop (January 11, 2015)

As I was watching Midge Ure's performance Sunday night at McCabe's, a name kept popping up in my head: Iain Matthews. Not that there were stylistic similarities between the two, but I could definitely detect some commonalities in terms of their stage presence and artistry. Both have a witty sense of humor. Both are exceptionally eloquent. Both are perfectly capable of holding an audience captive with nothing but their music and personalities. Both are outstanding songwriters and soulful singers with superior phrasing. Both deliver their music with passion and conviction and their delightful accents don't hurt them either.

I caught the early show, the one that sold out. The late show was just a bit short of a sell-out. I liked the crowd - loud and loving between songs, but totally attentive while Midge was singing.

Midge Ure at McCabe's

Midge completed his entire show without any other musician stepping in. He talked between songs, but not excessively. I loved his song selection - he played a good mix of Ultravox and solo material, and there were no bad songs there, not a single one, and the ones from "Fragile", his new album, sounded great, too. Among all those self-penned tunes, we got to hear a cover song as well, namely David Bowie's "Lady Stardust".

The numbers I enjoyed the most were "Dear God", "Fade To Grey", "Cold, Cold Heart" and "If I Was". 

The set list

Midge Ure at McCabe's

Midge Ure at McCabe's

Concert #734 - Barry McGuire & P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery Backstage (January 8, 2015)

The above photo is dated 1965. It shows Barry McGuire and P.F. Sloan riding a motorbike. At that time, their careers were closely intertwined, but that closeness ended soon thereafter, when their career paths took them in totally different directions. I don't think the two have seen each other for fifty years or so, but I know for a fact that they have not performed together since 1965.

Thursday night's concert at the intimate Coffee Gallery in Altadena marked Barry and Phil's first time together on a stage in fifty years and I'm super-happy to say that I was there. Being part of such a historic event gave me a thrill that I will not forget anytime soon. Their joint effort consisted of lots of songs and stories, with lead vocals duties going back and forth between the two.

Barry McGuire (left) and P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

The concert kicked off with "Green, Green", "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Blowin' In The Wind", performed by Barry with competent support provided by John York. At that point, Barry introduced P.F. Sloan, who took the stage to a loud welcome. The Dylan-theme continued for one more song with the singing of "Mr. Tambourine Man", which then turned seamlessly into "Turn, Turn, Turn". Next came the immortal "Eve of Destruction", the song written by a teenage Phil and recorded by Barry in 1965.

The other four songs we heard before the intermission were "What's Exactly The Matter With Me", "California Dreamin'", "Where Were You When I Needed You" and "Secret Agent Man".

P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

The second set kicked off with CCR's "Proud Mary" and ended with Barry's barely whispered rendition of "Try To Remember". In addition to the songs listed in the photo below, we also got to hear "Blue Suede Shoes", which Phil dedicated to birthday-boy Elvis Presley.

The set list (second set)

The evening's one-song encore, Little Eva's "Locomotion" was, in my opinion, the best moment of the show, with Barry's strong voice and contagious joie-de-vivre taking over the concert room. In his eightieth year of existence, Barry continues to impress me with his seemingly unchanged voice, not to mention his boundless energy and charisma. His exuberance worked very well with Phil's more restrained stage presence.

Barry McGuire, John York & P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

 

 

The stage

Concert poster

Concert #733 - Cat Stevens at the Nokia Theatre (December 14, 2014)

Last week's Cat Stevens concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles is likely to be the last time I set foot in a large venue to attend a concert. Simply put, I can no longer put up with the loud morons who, time and time again, kill everyone else's chance of enjoying live music. What was supposed to be the Concert Of The Decade, turned out to be an utterly frustrating evening that I will remember not for the quality of the performance, but for the unruliness of the beer-drinking a-holes sitting behind me.

Those of you who follow this blog may have noticed how, over the years, I have gravitated more and more toward smaller venues, where no alcohol is served. Such places attract the true music fans, the ones who treat artists and the other spectators with civility and respect. That is where you will find me.

Cat Stevens took the stage at 8:30 PM, half and hour after the announced show time. His set list included most of his well-known gems from the sixties and seventies, as well as a few numbers from "An Other Cup" and "Tel 'Em I'm Gone", his recent come-back albums. Cat's voice sounded pretty much like it did years ago.

SET LIST

The Wind

Don't Be Shy

Blackness of the Night

The First Cut Is the Deepest

Here Comes My Baby 

Miles from Nowhere

Sitting

Thinking 'Bout You

Where Do the Children Play?

Roadsinger

        People Get Ready (Curtis Mayfield)

Maybe There's a World

        All You Need Is Love (The Beatles) 

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out

INTERMISSION

Big Boss Man (Jimmy Reed)

Trouble

Oh Very Young

Heaven/Where True Love Goes (Foreigner Suite)

(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard

Dying to Live (Edgar Winter)

Bitterblue

Another Saturday Night (Sam Cooke)

You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis) 

Moonshadow 

Editing Floor Blues

The Devil Came From Kansas (Procol Harum)

Wild World

Father and Son

ENCORE

Gold Digger

Peace Train 

Sad Lisa

Morning Has Broken

The set list included more covers than expected, the biggest surprise to me was the inclusion of "All You Need Is Love".

The support musicians were outstanding. I was familiar with two of them: long-time collaborator Alun Davies and guitarist Matt Sweeney, who joined Cat's band after the intermission for the playing of a few songs.

By the way, with this Nokia Theatre event, I have now attended concerts at one hundred different venues.

The stage

Cat Stevens at the Nokia Theatre

Cat Stevens at the Nokia Theatre

Cat Stevens at the Nokia Theatre

Cat Stevens T-shirts for sale

The Nokia Theatre

The Nokia Theatre