In September 1990, only three months after I first saw him at McCabe's, John Wesley Harding came back for yet another show at the very same venue and, needless to say, I was there. I also caught his January 30, 1993 show, also at McCabe's. Both times, Wes put on great shows, full of humor, spontaneity, powerful guitar playing and excellent songs.
Partial list of the songs he played in 1990-1993 at McCabe's, as I recall them:
"You're No Good"
"Here Comes The Groom"
"July 13, 1985"
"Save A Little Room For Me"
"Kiss / Lover's Society"
"Bastard Son"
"Like A Prayer"
"Things Snowball"
"Cathy's New Clown"
"Spaced Cowgirl"
"Things Snowball"
"Scared Of Guns"
"When The Beatles Hit America"
"Kill The Messenger"
"Hitler's Tears"
"The Original Miss Jesus"
Wes' frequent musical guests always added an element of surprise to his shows. The Paley Brothers and Elizabeth Barraclough joined him in September 1990. Elizabeth's performance was particularly impressive: with her powerful voice she sang her own "Covered Up In Aces", assisted by Wes, of course. Steve Wynn was Wes' guest in 1993.
After having attended three John Wesley Harding concerts in less than three years, I decided to skip his next gig at McCabe's. Terrible decision, it turned out: as my luck would have it, I managed to miss Bruce Springsteen's appearance as John Wesley Harding's guest, on June 18, 1994. Bummer ...
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| The show I missed: John Wesley Harding with Bruce Springsteen at McCabe's (June 18, 1994) |
I saw JWH again on March 29, 1996, also at McCabe's. Well, Bruce was not in the building, but Peter Case played a couple of songs with Wes. At that time, my interest in Wes' music was in decline, so it took me eleven years before I reconnected with him again in 2007. Where? At McCabe's, where else?
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