The Baked Potato is primarily a jazz club, an unlikely venue for me to frequent, yet there I was - and not just once - thanks to the Boys from Cochtotan, a.k.a. Jackshit, a.k.a. Beau, Shorty and Pete, a.k.a. Val McCallum, Dave Faragher and Pete Thomas, a.k.a. the Best Bar Band in LA.
Compared to McCabe's, where Jackshit has played countless times, the Baked Potato offers a somewhat similar intimacy, but there are striking differences between the two venues. McCabe's is alcohol free, while the Baked Potato has a two-drink-minimum policy in effect. They also serve dinners, unlike McCabe's, where chocolate chip cookies are the only solid food your money can buy. Needless to say, the alcohol served at the Baked Potato breeds a more vociferous crowd, but overall still well-behaved. Both venues have good sound and after the show you can meet the band at both places. Still, my venue of choice is McCabe's, as I don't need to drink alcohol in order to fully enjoy a show.
In December 2005 I went with my good friend Art, then in 2006 it was Hans' turn to accompany me. On both occasions we had good seats, we ate dinner and fulfilled our two-drink-minimum obligations.
Both shows were absolutely perfect - the Boys from Cochtotan played their usual songs, had lots of fun and so did we. In December 2005, they played two full sets, so it was only after midnight when Art and I could finally go home to our wives. A year later, in December 2006, the Shit Horns and Syd Straw joined the band for a couple of numbers. I won't even try to describe how good they are - if you wanna know, go see and hear for yourself.
To this day, Jackshit remains an act I just can't get enough of. To date, I've seen them twenty-one times over a relatively short period of only six years. Hard to believe, but absolutely true.
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