Concerts #118, 125, 129, 153, 170, 175, 186, 199, 251, 296, 329, 461, 555 - Peter Himmelman at McCabe's Guitar Shop (1993 - 2010)

My concert database shows that, so far, I've seen Peter Himmelman in concert exactly twenty times. To some, this may indicate obsessive lunacy. To me, this only proves my immense love for Peter's music and the tremendous enjoyment I get out of his inimitable live performances.

Funny thing, though - Peter's beginnings with me were decidedly rocky. It was November 23, 1987. I had tickets to see Joe Cocker at the Wiltern Theater. The opening act was one Peter Himmelman, someone no one knew, I certainly didn't. Before the show, I stopped at a record store and, right there in the bargain bin, was a Himmelman LP with an asking price of 99 cents. I bought it.

Peter came out with an acoustic guitar, all by himself, started to play, but few paid any attention - people were chatting, going in and out - they were there to see Joe, not some lowly singer they would never see or hear again. In spite of my best efforts to like his music, I was not taken by anything I heard and, after three or four songs, I remember thinking "enough of this now". As far as I was concerned, Peter was toast. A few days later I traded in his LP for a dime, as I had no room in my music room for discs I didn't want.

Fast forward a few years to my second encounter with Peter. It's 1991, I'm at the Rhino Records in Claremont and - where else but in the cut-outs section - I see a Peter Himmelman CD with a $2.99 sticker on it ... I thought, hmmm ... isn't he the hapless singer I saw opening for Joe Cocker a few years back? ... yeah, that's him, right where he belongs, in the section with music they can't sell.

Then, a few months later, I was home listening to KCRW, Santa Monica's outstanding public radio station, when a song caught my full attention - the melody, the voice, the rhythm, everything just hit me like a train and I absolutely needed to know, right there and then, who the artist was. My jaw dropped when the announcer said "Peter Himmelman". The very next day I went straight to Rhino Records, where for the princely sum of $2.99 plus tax, I became the owner of Peter's then-current album, "From Strength To Strength" and, as I was hoping, the ear-opening song, "Impermanent Things", was right there on the album.

"From Strength To Strength", Peter Himmelman's 1991 album

Almost instantly, "From Strength To Strength" became an insatiable listening necessity of mine - everything about the album screamed quality - the tunes, the lyrics, the band, Peter's voice - you name it, I loved it.

When I first went to McCabe's to see Peter live, I found myself wondering whether anyone else would show up - it was the summer of 1993, the Internet was still in its infancy, so lacking any information on Peter's career, I had no way of gaging his popularity. Well, plenty of people showed up, many of them with previous Himmelman experience.

Not in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated the ride I was in for. Right there at McCabe's, sitting unsuspectingly in the second row with my Better Half, I got hit by yet another train, a train called "Peter Himmelman Live". Come to think of it, there's no live show quite like Peter's, take it from someone who has been to a few concerts in his life. His songwriting is rock solid and few can deliver with his intensity and conviction. Other than Loudon Wainwright, I can't think of any other singer-songwriter capable of mixing with such ease the utterly humorous with the dead serious.

Peter's live act is a mix of humor and great music. The humor is entirely ad-libbed, mostly the result of his endless interaction with the crowd - he can chat up a fan, then seconds later out comes a clever little song that builds on their conversation. It's pure genius and I'm not using this word lightly. I have seen Peter's improvisational skills in action dozens of times and there's no one in the world with a shtick quite like his.

Peter is a master in using various regional accents as well as different musical styles to comedic effects. One minute he could be a Minnesota grandmother, then in a flash he could turn into an Israeli tourist. Or switch in a heartbeat from acoustic music to funk, hard rock or reggae. Amazing stuff.

OK, so the humor was great, but what really drew me back, time and time again, was the music, all of it written by Peter himself. Let me list a few highlights:

• "Mission Of My Soul", arguably Peter's signature song, a true gem
• "Untitled", one of the most powerful songs one would ever hear, something truly epic
• "Dixie The Tiny Dog", a funny song that I hope to hear again
• "Beneath Your Watching Eyes", a song with religious meanings that could touch anyone
• "Tremble", a moving song about the passing of Peter's father
• "Raina", the gorgeous ballad written by Peter for his new born baby daughter
• "Josiah", the equally gorgeous tune written for his youngest son
• "Measure", yet another song written for one of his kids
• "Beneath The Damage And Dust", a powerful song that decries homelessness
• "Been Set Free", another epic piece of music
• "Seven Circles", the way a love song is supposed to sound
• "One Shot At Love", one of his early songs, from his Sussman Lawrence days

I could go on and on listing the songs that have affected me in some way, but the list would be exceedingly long.

Here are the Peter Himmelman concerts I have attended at McCabe's over the years:

• Concert #118:  Summer of 1993
• Concert #125:  Late 1993
• Concert #129:  February 7, 1994
• Concert #153:  October 14, 1995
• Concert #170:  May 4, 1996
• Concert #175:  January 18, 1997
  
• Concert #186:  February 7, 1998
• Concert #199:  December 6, 1998
  
• Concert #251:  July 15, 2001
• Concert #296:  February 9, 2003
  
• Concert #329:  February 22, 2004
• Concert #461:  March 9, 2008
• Concert #555:  April 25, 2010

In a separate blog entry I will say a few words about the Peter Himmelman concerts I have attended at venues other than McCabe's.

Peter seldom performs alone. His old musical pals Al Wolovitch (bass) and Andy Kamman (drums) have accompanied him many times at McCabe's, and so did vocalist Kristin Mooney - they have been making music together for many decades now. Percussionist Hani Nasser played with Peter once. A couple of times, in recent years, Peter brought along guitarist Willie Aron, a great player whom I have also seen playing with Syd Straw. In 2008, Peter came out with Isaac, his oldest son, and together they played a song or two.

I've been listening to Peter's music for twenty years now and I'm not done. On April 29, 2012, I'll see him again. Where? At McCabe's, where else?

Concert #630 - Janiva Magness at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 17, 2012)

This was my fifth time to see Janiva Magness at McCabe's in less than four years, a clear sign that I'm a fan. I can't say that she is a "typical McCabe's act", she is definitely not, but that only adds to her attraction - the power of Janiva's voice and strength of her electric band are a refreshing counterpoint to the acoustic guitars I often see in action there.

Janiva's live shows follow the same formula every time, so no surprises there. First the band comes out to warm up the crowd with two uptempo blues numbers. After the second song, an awe-struck Zach Zunis, Janiva's long-time guitarist, takes the microphone to announce Janiva's latest awards and accomplishments. Then Janiva takes the stage and delivers her first set. A twenty-minute intermission allows the musicians to mingle with the crowd, mostly around the merchandise table. Then the same crowd takes their seats for the second set. The band returns to the stage and delivers two more great instrumentals, with Janiva still out of sight. Now it's time to bring her out - assuming that there are new folks within the audience, which is never the case at McCabe's, Zach Zunis once again yells out Janiva's awards. Janiva comes back for her second set, during which she proudly announces her age. Finally, an encore, then we all go home.

Janiva is a great performer, but her concerts just wouldn't be the same without the outstanding musicians she brings along. Here's the line-up of her current band:

Zach Zunis - Guitar

Jim Alfredson - Keyboards

Dave Davenport - Bass

Matt Tecu - Drums

Individually and collectively, these guys were great. The four songs they played without Janiva were definitely some of the best of the evening.

The first set consisted mostly of songs from "Stronger For It", her brand new album. I liked the new material, there weren't any weak songs there. The best numbers, I thought, were "I Won't Cry" and "Make It Rain". 

Janiva's song list (first set)

With most of the new material out of the way, Janiva's second set featured a few songs from "The Devil Is An Angel Too", among them "Walkin' In The Sun", "Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love", "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", Nina Simone's "I'm Feelin' Good" as well as the title track.

Janiva Magness belting it out at McCabe's

One of the highlights of the second set was Janiva's delivery of  "Ragged Company", a song from her new album. Simply outstanding. And no Janiva Magness concert would be complete without Delbert McClinton's "You Were Never Mine", which came with a few slight detours from her earlier renditions of the song.

Janiva Magness at McCabe's

Janiva Magness enjoying Zach Zunis' guitar solo at McCabe's

Janiva Magness and her new box guitar

Janiva looked and sounded as good as ever. Age does not seem to affect her, not in the least. Her voice is something to behold and, year after year, she comes up with new material that is strong and seemingly custom-made for her. My personal preference is for the slower numbers in the vein of "You Were Never Mine", but she is equally good when it comes to belting it out. Needless to say, I'll be there the next time Janiva's in town.

During her encore, Janiva acknowledged the presence in the room of Ann The Raven, a public radio personality who has been delighting me with her late evening blues shows for many years. The lights went on for a few seconds, so I had the pleasure of seeing Ann for the first time.

Ann The Raven

After the show - Janiva Magness at McCabe's

Concert #629 - The Americans at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 11, 2012)

I first saw the Americans in October 2010, when they opened for the Secret Sisters at McCabe's - they impressed me quite a bit, so a couple of months ago, when they were booked to headline at McCabe's, I was one of the first ticket buyers. A few weeks later and totally against my initial prediction, the show sold out.

For those wondering about the origin of the band's moniker: The Americans hail from the United States of America, America for short, a country located on the North-American continent and inhabited by Americans. That's precisely the same country that has given us the Five Americans ("Western Union"), the American Breed ("Bend Me, Shape Me"), Jay & The Americans ("Come A Little Bit Closer") and, of course, America ("A Horse With No Name", "Ventura Highway", etc, etc.). Seriously now, the fact that such an obvious name was still available for the band to pick up and use just boggles my mind. Good for them!

Upon entering the concert room, we found on our seats a printed set list, something one does not often see. Included were not only the song titles, but also some additional information about the songs that comprised the first half of the concert. Here's the list:

Wearing suits and carrying acoustic instruments, the Americans remained seated throughout their first set, which was a bit unexpected from a band known for playing mostly high-energy rockabilly. The whole thing can be described as interesting, different, definitely well-done, but not pulse-raising. Two songs stood out: Zac Sokolow's fiddle medley, with Tim Carr drumming on the strings of Zac's fiddle, and "Uncle Dave's Beloved Solo", showcasing Zac's exquisite banjo playing.

Stage setup for the acoustic set

The Americans at McCabe's during their acoustic set

Tim Carr drumming on the strings of Zac Sokolow's fiddle

After a short break, the four Americans came back dressed in white T-shirts, ready to rock. And rock they did. With their acoustic instruments mostly out of the way, they played loud and fast. My favorites were "Mannie" and "Prison Yard Walk", two of their own songs.

The Americans at McCabe's, during their second set

 The Americans are:

Patrick Ferris - Vocals, guitar, mouth harmonica
Jake Faulkner - Upright bass, electric bass, mouth harmonica
Zac Sokolow - Guitar, banjo, fiddle
Tim Carr - Drums, percussion, guitar

Patrick Ferris is one heck of a musician - his voice is a deadly weapon, made precisely for the kind of music the band likes to play. With his looks, delivery and guitar playing, he would be perfect in the movie role of a rocker from the late fifties and early sixties. Zac Sokolow impressed me as well - I enjoyed watching him switch from one instrument to another and I found myself focusing often on his guitar licks. The rhythm section was great, too. I liked Tim's one-handed drumming, while the other hand kept busy with a shaker. Jake sounded exactly the way a rockabilly bassist is supposed to sound and, what's more, he also looks the part.

Patrick, Tim and Jake

The band's best moments came when they rocked the hardest and played the loudest. A few of the songs they played at McCabe's are now available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg_JWh7K5T0&feature=context&context=G2db559aFAAAAAAAADAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qneSQUatSUU&context=C43beb86ADvjVQa1PpcFP87hWp36R73yPmDeULO3ov_lpFbe_gG1I=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oOp99W0h4s&context=C4fd247aADvjVQa1PpcFP87hWp36R732x3iN_qvKsmARSLe40D3lA=

The song list of the band's second set

Sadly though, I could not enjoy the show to its fullest, as I was constantly being distracted by two overzealous young ladies who, I suppose on behalf of the band, were recording the show. Their constant movement and incessant clicking of their SLR camera annoyed me quite a bit, so by the time the show ended, all I wanted to do is get out of there, which I did. It would have been nice for me to hang around, shake hands with the four Americans and thank them for their outstanding music.

Concert #628 - The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 10, 2012)

Tuba solos are not a likely occurrence at McCabe's, but if you frequent the venue as often as I do, don't be surprised if one day you will witness such an event. In my case, it happened last night, on my 302nd concert that I attended there.

Last night's concert is something that will be hard to forget. The proceedings started with the best opening act I have ever seen at McCabe's, hands down. I'm talking about the California Feetwarmers, a collection of eleven young and energetic musicians that brought us to our feet at the end of a fifty-minute set that could have gone on without anyone minding. Seeing eleven musicians on that tiny stage was an event in itself - they managed to coexist peacefully while playing packed together like sardines, albeit no one stood in front of the trombone player (wink-wink).

Their brand of music is a combination of dixieland, traditional jazz, old American music, something like that, done with plenty of smiles and laughter, which instantly produces a very similar response within the crowd. Their range of instruments is stunning - guitars, violin, piano, drums, washboards, tuba, clarinet, trumpet, banjo, trombone, accordion, percussion and possibly a few others. Everyone was great, my favorites were the trumpet player and the clarinetist, named Charles and Chloe, respectively. A little later, Chloe returned to the stage as a member of the Dustbowl Revival.

The California Feetwarmers at McCabe's

The California Feetwarmers at McCabe's

With songs such as "Stardust", "Midnight Hour" and "I Like You", the Feetwarmers kept our feet warm, the by-product of non-stop tapping. The joy of playing music was all over the faces of all players and, when they left the stage, I knew that I had seen something truly special. I also did some math: 150 seats, 15 bucks per ticket, that's a gross of $2,250 for the night. If the opening act gets half of that, which they probably don't, that would amount to roughly one hundred dollars for each musician. Draw your own conclusions.

After a short break, out came the headliners, the Dustbowl Revival, ten souls in all - their music is described on their web site as "gypsy swing, blues, dixieland, bluegrass, and homemade jug-band music". Just like the opening act, these guys played their hearts out and had lots of fun in the process. So did we, the spectators.

The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's

The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's

Other than Matt Rubin, Caitlin Doyle and Zach Lupetin, who is the undisputed leader of the collective,  I do not know any other names, but without exception, they are all great musicians. There was no pre-determined set list - the songs were selected by popular consensus, right there on the spot. Here are a few titles I remember:

 Shine

Orange Blossom Special

When The Saints Go Marching In

John The Revelator

Holy Ghost Station

What You're Doin' To Me

You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)

 
The highlight of the evening was Zach Lupetin's announcement toward the end of the show: "And now I'd like to attempt something that maybe has not been done here ... has anyone ever seen twenty people playing on this stage?", a question that served as an invitation for the California Feetwarmers to come down and share the stage with the revivalists. Well, they shared more than just the stage, as they took positions on the stairs and even floor, right in front of the stage, it was a blast. There were nineteen musicians in all, not twenty, but even so, that was the most I have ever seen at McCabe's, by a landslide. So how do you top that, McCabe's? Book the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

The Dustbowl Revival and the California Feetwarmers sharing the stage

The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's

The Dustbowl Revival and the California Feetwarmers sharing the stage

The two bands played together for half an hour or so as if they were one single ensemble and everyone had fun. The Dustbowl Revival came back for a one-song encore that also served as the introduction of the band. The song happened to be "You Can't Always Get What You Want", the old Rolling Stones song - not your typical American traditional music sing-along and there were lots of smiles in the room when Zach started singing "I saw her today at a reception ..."

The show ended late, at 10:45 PM. I immediately bought two Dustbowl CDs, on sale for a grand total of fifteen bucks. The salesman happened to be Zach Lupetin himself and it felt great shaking his hand. A few minutes later I was out in the street where, to my surprise, the show was still going on: sitting on the bed of a pickup truck were three members of the Feetwarmers just playing away, to the delight of a few fans.

Concert announcer Mikki Itzigsohn

The show goes on on Pico Boulevard

Zach Lupetin, after the show

My friends Steve (left) and Bill, who first tipped me off about the Dustbowl Revival

Concert #627 - Diego Garcia at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 3, 2012)

Here's yet another example of a great singer-songwriter whose music I would have probably never heard, had it not been for McCabe's, the venue that, at least to me, lends instant musical credibility to anyone who's booked to play there.

In Diego Garcia's case, I bought my ticket after having spent no more than ten minutes researching his music on YouTube. At the same time, I sent out email alerts to a few of my concert-going friends and one of them, Steve, took heed. We sat together in the front row and when I got home after the show, I had a message from Steve in my inbox, with these words: "Good call on this guy. Glad I checked him out". A second email received this morning from the same Steve ended with "Geez what a nice show last night". So I'm not alone in having lingering good vibes about Diego's performance. Almost a full day afer the concert, last night's sights and sounds are still in my brain and it looks like they'll stay there for a while. Not that it bothers me.

Diego came out with two musicians whom I had not seen before, cellist Daniel Bensi and Argentinian guitarist Zeke Zima, and what an awesome trio they were. I especially loved the totally authentic sounds of Zeke's Spanish guitar, but Daniel's free-style approach to playing the cello was fun, too. And it was heartwarming to see the repeated signs of respect and appreciation shown by Diego, the headliner, to the musicians who were there in his support.

Diego Garcia (center), with Daniel Bensi and Zeke Zima at McCabe's

Daniel and Zeke were great, but the undisputed star of the show was Diego Garcia and his music. Starting with the gorgeous "You Were Never There", Diego delivered most of the songs from "Laura", his first album, among them "Stay", "Separate Lives", "Inside My Heart", "All Eyes On You" as well as the title track. They all sounded at least as good as their studio versions. I'm not even going to try to pick a "highlight of the show", as consistency was the name of the game, as in "consistently great", with no low points whatsoever.

Diego Garcia (right) and Daniel Bensi

From the repertoire of his earlier band, Elefant (spelled with an "f"), Diego sang "Misfit" and "Bokkie". I liked both songs, especially the latter. There were also two well-chosen covers: "This Strange Effect", an exceptionally obscure song from the catalog of the Kinks, and Neil Young's "Harvest Moon".

Diego Garcia (left) and Zeke Zima

Diego is tall, lean, definitely good looking, and he knows it. Late in the show, he jumped off the stage and gave big hugs to four or five highly cooperative ladies. Was it a bit cheesy? I didn't think so, my impression was that the hugs were his way of thanking his primarily female audience for their support. Before climbing back on the stage, Diego shook hands with one male member of the crowd, namely me, probably in appreciation of my solidly enthusiastic response to his music. I did not say anything, but gave him an approving head nod, which Diego reciprocated. Nice.

Diego is one heck of an entertainer. He's got it all: the songwriting talent, the voice, the looks, the humor, the charm, the power of hooking you and keeping you hooked to his world, the ability of appealing to all genders and ages. Success will follow him, I'm sure.

Thanking the crowd, from left to right: Daniel Bensi, Diego Garcia, Zeke Zima

I've always been a sucker for precisely the kind of music Diego does so well, so I will continue to follow his career. His popularity will undoubtedly grow and I don't believe I will ever get the chance to see him again at the intimate McCabe's.

Concert #626 - The Swell Season at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February 12, 2012)

In an earlier blog entry, published after I first saw the Swell Season at McCabe's two years ago, I wrote "Would I ever have the good fortune of seeing them again at McCabe's? Unlikely". I was wrong. Last Sunday, I once again held in my hand a ticket that had the words "The Swell Season" written on it. My Lucky Stars, if you are reading this: Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A rare and precious commodity

The concert started with a hilarious reversal of roles: Glen went straight to the piano, while Marketa, carrying Glen's beat-up guitar, planted herself at center stage, before launching into "I Have Loved You Wrong". The second song of the set, "Low Rising", had the two protagonists returned to their usual routines. The timbre of Glen's voice, as well as his vocal inflections sounded just like on the studio version, it was uncanny, but then, toward the end of the song, Glen asked the crowd to sing along and that took away a bit from the spell I was under. By the way, he sang the "Sexual Healing" version, if you know what I mean.

I absolutely loved Glen's passionate voice on "When Your Mind's Made Up" and "Say It To Me Now", two amazing songs that I can't imagine being sung by anyone but Glen. Marketa interjected herself with a few delicate ballads delivered with her soft voice, but with a lot more confidence than two years ago.

SET LIST

I Have Loved You Wrong

Low Rising

Lies

In These Arms

When Your Mind's Made Up

Say It To Me Now

The Hill

Spencer the Rover

Lullaby

Daf Drum Solo (performed by Aida Shahghasemi)

If You Want Me

The Given Note (Seamus Heaney poem)

Bird of Sorrow

It's Coming

All The Way Down

Drive All Night (Bruce Springsteen tune)

Into The Mystic

Dance With Somebody

Kissing (performed by Shane Walsh)

Falling Slowly

Leave

Fogtown (Michelle Shocked classic)

Banana Man

Star Star

Parting Glass

At one point, midway through the show, Glen invited Shane Walsh, an aspiring Irish singer-songwriter, to come up on the stage and sing "Kissing", one of Shane's songs. It wasn't bad. Glen and Marketa received additional support from Aida Shahghasemi, an Iranian-born musician who played an old Persian percussion instrument called daf. She made a good impression on me and the crowd loved her as well.

Aida Shahghasemi

As always, the Swell Season played a few covers. Their epic rendition of Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic" and the equally epic "Fogtown", the old Michelle Shocked tune, were the best. Bruce Springsteen's "Drive All Night" was good, too. Here are Glen and Marketa delivering "Fogtown" at McCabe's, with Yours Truly sitting literally at their feet:

The show was a reunion of sorts for Glen and Marketa, who had not played together in many months. Having had no time to rehearse or even come up with a set list, they pretty much winged the whole show and they winged it great. I enjoyed observing the ad-hoc song selection process, as Glen was throwing titles around, in expectation of Marketa's acceptance.

The final song of the evening, an old Irish tune called "The Parting Glass", was yet another highlight of a concert that in essence consisted of nothing but highlights.

From left: Aida, Marketa and Glen

Glen & Marketa - The final hug

Glen thanking the crowd

Glen picking up his stuff after the show

There are no words to describe the emotions triggered by Glen and Marketa's music. The juxtaposition of their diametrically opposed voices, facial expressions and temperaments produce amazing results. They write songs of the highest quality. Their humility is visible from a mile, a clear sign that their well-deserved success did not go to their heads. I hope and pray that I'll get to see them again one day.

5:15 PM - Fans line up for the 8 PM show

Glen Hansard reporting to work

Marketa Irglova chatting with the first person in line

Ralph, My Better Half and Laura in line at McCabe's

Glen's guitar and Aida's daf

P.S. The link below will take you to someone else's blog. Go ahead and click - you will land on a page that covers this very same concert, but from a radically different angle. I read the page and my heart broke. 

http://ancroiait.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/25-swell-season-at-mccabes-2012/