Concert #687 - Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 12, 2013)

This was a rare weekday show at McCabe's, something that happens only on special occasions, and let me tell you: this show was special. Very special.

I went to McCabe's expecting to see two former glories of the British Invasion who certainly had the potential of disappointing us, if for no other reason than the wear-and-tear of two veteran rock-and-rollers with a combined age of 136. But, as proven many times in the past, age had nothing to do with the viability of the performance I had the privilege of attending last night at McCabe's.

My initial apprehensions were not limited only to the seniority of the protagonists - I had some reservations about the format of the show as well. Acoustic Zombies? How would that work? How would they approach, for instance, "Time Of The Season" and the psychedelic sound of the original recording?

As it turned out, the show was absolutely mesmerizing. Rod Argent went straight to the piano, sat down, and remained seated there for the entire duration of the concert. Colin Blunstone stood at the center of the stage, alone with a microphone stand.

Colin Blunstone (left) and Rod Argent at McCabe's

The show kicked off with "Tell Her No", the second big hit of the Zombies. What followed was an appealing mix of songs, old and new, interspersed with a healthy dose of story telling. Rod and Colin turned out to be exceptionally eloquent and quite funny. And they had plenty of stories to tell, some of which were in response to questions coming from the audience.

Colin and Rod having fun on the stage

Without a rhythm section in tow and with no one else on the stage, Colin's vocals were driven by Rod's exquisite piano playing, which infused new life into the hit songs we all heard so many times on the radio. All lead vocals were delivered by Colin, with Rod providing outstanding harmony backup. Colin hit all the high notes with power and precision - the quality of his voice surprised me and probably everyone else present. In spite of all my initial doubts, the stripped-down version of the Zombies' music turned out to be delightfully entertaining.

The acoustic versions of the hits of the Zombies - "She's Not There", "Time Of The Season" and "Tell Her No" - were definitely among the highlights of the show, but I also liked the newer songs, all of which were totally new to me. The newer numbers that stood out to these ears were "Breathe Out, Breathe In" and "Any Other Way".

Rod Argent sharing some stories with the crowd

Colin Blunstone at McCabe's

The interaction between these old friends was something to behold. Neither of them hogged the microphone, they treated each other as equals and they did it with humor, eloquence and professionalism.

Rod and Colin spoke about their first concerts in the States, their appearance on Murray The K's show in Brooklyn and the valuable help received from Al Kooper, without whom we would have never heard "Time Of The Season". Colin talked about his work with Alan Parsons, then he sang "Old And Wise", a song that Colin recorded in the early 80s for "Eye In The Sky", Alan's hugely successful album.

Usually I prefer more music and less talk, but listening to Rod and Colin deliver their stories gave me as much pleasure as the music they played.

The set ended with a rousing rendition of "She's Not There". Rod and Colin came back for two more songs. First they played an old Zombies tune, "The Way I Feel Inside", then they wrapped up the evening with Gershwin's "Summertime". Both sounded fabulous, especially the latter. When the lights went back on, I turned to my friend Steve and uttered two words: "Absolutely superb". No better way to capture my feelings about the performance of these two consummate professionals.

Colin & Rod at the end of the show

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 1

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 2

Et Tu Brucé, a British band of considerable talent, played a short opening set, six songs in all. Their all-acoustic performance was a notch or two less engaging than their mostly electric studio recordings I had previewed on the band's web site and YouTube. "Never Say Trevor Again" was the song that I liked the best.

Et Tu Brucé at McCabe's

The merch table

More merchandise

 

Concert #685 - Jill Sobule at McCabe's (September 6, 2013)

Jill Sobule's concert at McCabe's last week was not very different from her earlier appearances there and that's not a negative. Her formula works for me every time - great tunes, thought-provoking lyrics (Jill has plenty of those), good humor, a sweet singing voice, a couple of unannounced guests. And then there's that joyful look on her face - no one exudes good vibes quite like Jill and in the end, I don't see how anyone could walk away disappointed from her show.

Jill opened her set with "Palm Springs", followed by "When They Say We Want Our America Back", which quickly turned into a hilarious sing-along. Good songs kept coming in quick succession: "Houdini's Box", "Heroes", "Lucy At The Gym", "Wendell Lee", "Somewhere In New Mexico", "Margaret" and a few more. Somewhat surprisingly, we did not get to hear "Where Is Bobbie Gentry", in spite a few requests from the audience.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's

Jill's first guest of the evening was Tom Brosseau. His performance, albeit brief, made me regret my decision to skip his headlining appearance at McCabe's just a few weeks earlier. Tom played the acoustic guitar, sang backup vocals and then he knocked me out with his solo rendition of "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum", an old pre-WWII tune.

Tom Brosseau at McCabe's

Jill's second guest was Kate Micucci, who happens to be one half of the Garfunkel & Oates singing comedy duo that has achieved a decent level of popularity in Los Angeles. Her delivery of "Walking In Los Angeles", a song she wrote herself, was quite good.

Kate Micucci at McCabe's

For her one-song encore and in response to my request, Jill sang "Goof Life", a song that drives me crazy every time I hear it. Described as "a happy song about the end of the world", this little gem perfectly captures Jill's boundless joie-de-vivre and sense of humor.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's

Concert #684 - Ernest Troost & Ray Bonneville at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 24, 2013)

Ernest Troost (right) & Ray Bonneville at McCabe's

Here's a winning formula: bring together two outstanding singer-songwriters and present them to an educated audience in an intimate room on a Saturday night.

Last night's doubleheader at McCabe's kicked off with a one-hour-long set delivered by Ray Bonneville, a Canadian-born, US-based veteran singer-songwriter who had never performed in the Los Angeles area before. Armed with two electric guitars, a mouth harmonica and keeping the beat with his shoes gently stomping on his wooden footpads, Ray captured the audience from the very first song. If I was asked to described Ray's set in one word, I would say "consistency". Indeed, we heard nothing but good songs, no fillers at all, sung with the voice of an experienced storyteller. I liked Ray's idiosyncratic bass-heavy guitar playing - simple, not flashy, but quite effective.

I suppose Ray wrote all the songs he played, except of course for "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry", the old Hank Williams gem. "I'm The Big Easy" is the song that touched me the most.

Ray Bonneville at McCabe's

After an intermission, it was Ernest Troost's turn to show what he could do, and show he did. The crowd's response went beyond polite applause - I heard folks around me whisper words like "sweet", "beautiful" and "wow" and I felt the same way. This was my third time to see Ernest in a live performance, I knew exactly what to expect, yet he still managed to thoroughly impress me with his stellar songwriting and outstanding finger-picking. Good songs came one after the other and once again the word "consistent" comes to mind, as in consistently top-notch. No doubt, Ernest is one of the very few singer-songwriters out there who can deliver full sets that don't include a single dud.

Ernest Troost at McCabe's

With fabulous songs such as "Resurrection Blues", "Oh Love", "The Last To Leave" and "Close", Ernest made me forget that "Travelin' Shoes", the song that initially made a fan out of me, wasn't even on the set list.

Unlike in January of this year, Ernest's show last night had no electric interludes. For most of the songs, he was accompanied by seasoned veteran Dave Stone on upright bass. For the singing of "Evangeline", his one-song encore, Ernest brought out Ray Bonneville, whose harmonica playing was a great addition to the song.

Ernest Troost's set list

Ray Bonneville's set list

Ernest Troost after the show

Ray Bonneville (left) after the show

Ernest Troost's stage setup

Ray Bonneville's stage setup

Ernest Troost's merch table

Concert #683 - Barry McGuire & John York at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 16, 2013)

Typically, my response to nostalgia concert offerings involves a great deal of apprehension. Just like you, I have a soft spot for many musicians of the sixties, but do I really want to see them in action half a century after their heyday? Well, if they are as vibrant as Barry McGuire was Friday night at McCabe's, the answer must be a resounding yes.

Although I enjoyed Barry's concert very much, I will always remember the evening as a series of missed opportunities. It would have been out-of-this-world to have had P.F. Sloan walk in for the singing of "Eve Of Destruction" or John Sebastian engage in a duet with Barry on "Daydream". Well, neither of them showed up, nor anyone else, as a matter of fact. For almost two full hours, the stage belonged to Barry and John, who together delivered one classic gem after another, complete with stories about the musicians who wrote or sang those songs decades ago.

Barry McGuire (left) & John York at McCabe's

Barry is seventy-eight years old now, as in two years shy of his eightieth birthday - can you believe that? Almost eighty years old, and still on the road, still giving it all, still exuding immense joy while performing and still sounding pretty much like Barry McGuire.

Barry singing "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"

Since 2007, I have caught Barry's "Trippin' The Sixties" act not fewer than five times, a clear sign that I'm a satisfied customer. The format of the show has remained intact, with occasional changes in content. Some songs get dropped, others get added. One of these new additions, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", delivered by Barry almost like a whisper, was one of the highlights of the evening. Equally good was Barry and John's treatment of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter".

The set list

After almost two hours of well-known classics, it felt great hearing the two songs chosen by Barry for his encore. What a surprise - who would have thought that Barry would sing a song written and recorded by Madonna?? But he did! His version of Madonna's "Frozen" sounded great and so did the tune that preceded it, "Somewhere Only We Know", from the repertoire of Keane, the British alternative rock band.

With his powerful guitar playing and good vocals, John York was once again an outstanding support musician, who got to show what he could do without ever trying to upstage the headliner.

The end of the show

Barry McGuire (right) & John York after the show

Mari McGuire at the merch table

The crowd

Concert poster

Concerts #183, 234, 254, 316, 351, 440 - Tish Hinojosa at McCabe' Guitar Shop (1997-2007)

I was reading the Musician magazine sometime in the mid 1990s, when Tish Hinojosa's unusual surname grabbed my attention. Here's someone with backbone, I remember my inner voice telling me. Here's someone who has not become, say, Tish Hines, although I bet she had to withstand some pressure from her manager, record company and God knows who else. So she remained Tish Hinojosa, with a silent "H" in the front and a "j" in the middle that sounds just like an "h". Know your Spanish.

A few weeks later, while checking out the used CD section at the then-thriving Rockaway Records in Los Angeles, I stumbled upon a used copy of her "Destiny's Gate" CD and, out of curiosity, I gave it a listen. I liked what I heard, so the CD went home with me and that marked the beginning of my love affair with Tish's music.

Fast forward two years or so. McCabe's announces Tish Hinojosa's second-ever concert there on August 24, 1997. My Better Half and I showed up and so did our good friends Ken and Marilyn, who had learned over the years to follow my musical recommendations with zero to minimal questioning.

The concert started with three or four songs performed in English, but there was nothing there that grabbed me. Tish appeared to be unconvincing, as she was trying to find her voice and rhythm. Things just weren't looking good, but then, all of a sudden, as she launched into the first Spanish song of her set, one could feel a buzz in the room and, even though I do not speak Spanish, I started "feeling the spirit". From that moment on, Tish kept our feet tapping non-stop, as she masterfully intertwined English and Spanish lyrics, occasionally even within the same song. Great songs were coming in quick succession, as Tish let herself go. Her set consisted primarily of her own compositions, as well as a few covers, which all came with a brief narrative about the respective songwriters. The songs that affected me the most were those about the lives of Mexican immigrants in her native Texas, a subject that she, as the US-born daughter of Mexican immigrants, knows very well.

I was equally impressed with Marvin Dykhuis, Tish's long-time accompanist both in studio and on the road. Marvin played his accoustic guitar with great virtuosity and received many rounds of applause for his work.

Marvin Dykhuis

The show ended with a standing ovation. The lights went on, but Tish wasn't done yet: as people started to leave, she went straight to the exit door to shake hands and chat with her fans, a true sign of a class act. I was sold, and so were my guests, Ken and Marilyn.

After such an auspicious introduction to Tish's live concerts, I felt compelled to spread the word among my friends about this warm and humble Texan singer who, inexplicably and unjustly, is not known by more. Some of my friends listened: Dave & Sylvia (November 4, 2000), Raul & Valerie (August 3, 2001) and Greg & Judy (October 17, 2003) accompanied us to catch Tish Hinojosa at McCabe's and, needless to say, they all turned into instant fans.

I needed more Tish still, so my Better Half and I were once again at McCabe's for her next two appearances there, on November 20, 2004 and May 20, 2007. These shows were great, as well.

Today I own each and every album released by Tish over the years and I do listen to them quite often.

Here's a partial list of the songs Tish performed at McCabe's

By The Rio Grande

Looking For My Love In The Pouring Rain

Manos, Huesos Y Sangre

Tu Que Puedes, Vuelvete

In The Real West

 Crazy Wind And Flashing Yellows

Baby Believe

When It Rains (Cuando Llueve)

Las Marias

Joaquin

West Side Of Town

San Antonio Romeo

Donde Voy

Midnight Moonlight

Poquita Fe

Taos To Tennesse

Reloj (The Clock)

Who Showed You The Way To My Heart

Destiny's Gate

Aquella Noche

Malaguena Salerosa

Laughing River Running

Abuelita

Tish loves to lend her support to lesser-known fellow performers, and that is how I got to know Anny Celsi, Duane Jarvis, Joel Rafael and Amy Farris, who, without exception, are deserving musicians in their own right. In her desire to promote her singing friends, Tish even stepped aside and allowed her guests to solo for a song or two. Very nice.

Fellow Texans Bill & Bonnie Hearne were the opening act on August 24, 1997, then on Oct 17, 2003, the proceedings were kicked off by Lysa Flores, an LA-based singer-songwriter.

If you haven't heard Tish Hinojosa's music, do yourself a favor and catch her live or buy one of her albums. You'll be glad you did.

Concert #682 - The Melodic at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 12, 2013)

Anyone who did not show up at McCabe's last Friday night, missed out on a great evening of music featuring two young acts that were anything but run-of-the-mill.

Hailing from London and touring the States for the first time, the Melodic delighted me with a headlining set that was unlike anything I have ever heard under the "British Folk" heading. Their extensive use of uncommon instruments produced a refreshing sound that held a tremendous appeal to me. Charangos, autoharps and melodicas - these are instruments not often seen or heard, but Friday night they were all there, in heavy rotation, setting the tone for an evening that will be hard to forget.

Band line-up

Rudi Schmidt (charango, melodica)

Huw Williams (vocals, guitar)

Lydia Samuels (vocals, autoharp, melodica, looping pedal)

John Naldrett (bass)

James McCandless (drums)

Rudi, Huw and Lydia at McCabe's

The Melodic does not fit the often-seen template of bands with gifted leaders who dominate the proceedings. The Melodic is more like democracy in action, with every member bringing something specific to the table, in a clear case of evenly distributed talent. The band's two singers, Huw and Lydia, don't possess huge voices, but they certainly held their own. Driven by John's clever bass licks and James' understated yet energetic drumming, great songs kept coming one after the other. My favorites were "Ode To Victor Jara", "Piece Me Back Together" and the show opener, "Hold On". I thoroughly enjoyed the high-energy instrumental listed as "Andean" on the set list, while Rudi's masterful playing of the charango, a string instrument originating from South America, definitely deserves to be mentioned as a show highlight.

After the concert, I was ready to buy their current album, only to discover that there wasn't one. Bummer. Subsequently I read that their first album would come out later this year. I wish that I could be the producer of the album. No, I haven't produced before, but this one would be a cinch. I would just tell them to play like they played at McCabe's, then I would step aside. Oh yeah, I would also make sure that the Victor Jara gem gets included. 

Rudi, Huw and Lydia at McCabe's

John Naldrett (right) & James McCandless at McCabe's

The Melodic set list

Rudi Schmidt's charango

The Song Preservation Society opened the show with a set that sounded pretty much like a modern day Crosby, Stills & Nash, and to a lesser extent, Simon & Garfunkel. But they also sounded like themselves, which says a lot about the talent of this up-and-coming trio. In recent years, I have been bored to death by quite a few young artists whose offering consisted of one artsy sleeper after another, but that wasn't the case at all last night. These likeable guys - Trevor Bahnson, Ethan Glazer and Daniel Wright - kept my toes tapping from the minute they took the stage and they never let up. Their songs, which I suppose were all self-penned, did not sound all the same - there was plenty of variety there, both vocally and instrumentally. These guys can sing, can play their guitars decently well and have a sense of humor, too. I was so impressed by their set, that during the intermission, I went straight to the merch table and bought their EP titled "Ready Room".

Overall, I had a fabulous time Friday night at McCabe's and it only cost ten American Dollars to get in. I can only shake my head in disbelief ... how is it possible to get so much musical value for so little?

The Song Preservation Society at McCabe's

The Song Preservation Society at McCabe's

The set list of the Song Preservation Society

After the show: Huw Williams and Ethan Glazer

Lydia Samuels (left) mingling with fans

Rudi Schmidt (right) chatting with my friend Steve