Concert #850 - NRBQ at McCabe's Guitar Shop (November 9, 2018)

Seventy minutes into the concert, keyboardist and band leader Terry Adams announced that NRBQ's contractual obligations have been fulfilled, yet they would keep playing. At that point, driven by the unbearably high decibel level of the concert, I got up and bailed out early, something I seldom do.

I have attended almost five hundred shows at McCabe's, so I can say that I've seen it all. Also heard it all. This was by far the loudest concert I have ever attended there and that wasn't the only thing that set this show apart from all the others. Sitting right next to me was a group of young ladies who expressed their appreciation of the performance by screaming incessantly, from the top of their lungs.

Seventy minutes of extra-loud music and screaming fans ... I'm surprised that I lasted there for as long as I did.

A few words about the music. The band is good, no doubt, and - under more favorable circumstances - I could see myself being a fan of what they do. I recognized two cover songs, "Wouldn't It Be Nice", the old Beach Boys gem and "The Peanut Vendor", a song I first heard with Perez Prado, in my childhood. I suppose the songs I did not recognize were the band's original compositions. Among them, "Walkin'" and "All Night Long" caught my ear.

The band consisted of Terry Adams (keyboards), Scott Ligon (vocals, guitar), Casey McDonough (vocals, bass) and John Perrin (drums). As I said, they are all fine musicians, but their choice of cranking up the speakers to 11 made me leave before the end of the show.

So what was the first thing I did when I got home? That's easy to guess: I ordered a pair of high-quality concert ear plugs.

Terry Adams at McCabe's

Scott Ligon & Casey McDonough at McCabe's

The stage

Concert announcer Lincoln Myerson

NRBQ merchandise

Concert #819 - Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February16, 2018)

This is a brief write-up on a concert that I attended in February 2018.

What attracted me to attend was primarily Larry Campbell's well-known string wizardry and his impressive resume. On the other hand, I knew precious little about Teresa Williams, Larry's wife.

Larry & Teresa, an exceptionally likeable couple, put on a show that exceeded my expectations. Their set list consisted of songs from their 2015 self-titled album, as well as a few covers of songs recorded by musicians such as Doc & Merle Watson, the Louvin Brothers, Carl Perkins, and somewhat surprisingly, soul singer William Bell. Switching from one stringed instrument to another, Larry did live up to his reputation as a virtuoso. And yes, he can sing, too, and so can Teresa and when they were not singing, they shared with us a number of captivating stories from their musical careers.

For their encore, Larry and Teresa returned to the stage with Jackson Browne, with whom they sang the often-heard "Long Black Veil". It was great and so was the entire evening.

The concert was a sellout and there was no opening act.

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams at McCabe's

Larry Campbell & Jackson Browne at McCabe's

Larry Campbell at McCabe's

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams at McCabe's

The set list

Jackson Browne at McCabe's

Concert announcer Koko Peterson

The stage

Concert #820 - Janiva Magness at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February 24, 2018)

This is a brief write-up on a concert that I attended in February 2018.

This was my seventh time to catch Janiva live in concert, a clear sign that I'm a fan. The best way I can summarize her concert is by quoting what the person sitting next to me told me at the end of the show: "This wasn't blues". He had a point.

Janiva's newer act had little in common with her older concerts, when a top-notch band would warm up the crowd with a couple of fiery blues instrumentals, followed by Janiva's delivery of original material and covers that everyone could easily categorize as blues. I have to admit that I'm somewhat nostalgic for those older shows.

Janiva's focus was on her current release, "Love Is An Army", I think she performed the album in its entirety. She remains a powerful performer and I'm sure I will see her again.

Janiva Magness at McCabe's

Janiva Magness reading from her autobiography

Janiva Magness at McCabe's

The set list

The stage

Concert #816 - Vonda Shepard at McCabe's Guitar Shop (December 9, 2017)

This is a brief write-up on a concert that I attended in December 2017.

I went to the show with two Canadian friends who were visiting us. I was hoping to offer them a top-notch concert at my favorite venue, but things did not work out quite the way I wanted. First, Vonda may have been a bit under the weather, so she did not have a good vocal day. Then there was her set list. While I absolutely love the way Vonda covers other people's songs, I have always had a harder time embracing her original music and, in that respect, my hopes of hearing one cover after another were not fulfilled

Vonda came out with an outstanding band consisting of Andrew Raiher (guitar), Jim Hanson (bass) and Fritz Lewak (drums). Later in the show, Vonda invited to stage three other musical guests: guitar ace Val McCallum, bassist/vocalist Davey Faragher and keyboardist Jeff Young. They were all good.

My guests liked the show and that is what really mattered.

Vonda Shepard & Jim Hanson at McCabe's

Vonda Shepard at McCabe's

Val McCallum at McCabe's

Davey Faragher & Fritz Lewak at McCabe's

The set list - Page 1

The set list - Page 2

L to R: Jim, Andrew, Fritz, Vonda, Jeff & Val after the show

Vonda Shepard merchandise

 

Concert #831 - Shelby Lynne at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 8, 2018)

This was my third time to see Shelby Lynne in a headlining role. This time she came out with string virtuoso Ben Peeler and together they put on a good show that had only one fault, albeit a glaring one: no Dusty Springfield covers. If you are like me, you enjoy Shelby Lynne's recordings, but none as much as her 2008 album, "Just A Little Lovin'", which consists of nothing but gorgeous Dusty Springfield covers. Still, Shelby performed many of her better-known songs, so I shouldn't be complaining - just listening to her beautiful voice and singing style in the intimate concert room of my favorite venue amounted to a great evening.

Shelby Lynne at McCabe's

Shelby Lynne at McCabe's

Ben Peeler at McCabe's

The end of the show

The set list

Concert #846 - Kacy & Clayton at the Claremont Folk Music Center (October10, 2018)

Kacy & Clayton's concert last month in Claremont did not live up to the expectations created by, ironically, their own music videos I had watched on YouTube, while I was debating with myself whether or not to attend their concert. My final decision was to attend, but sadly, I found their live act lacking the youthful energy that makes live shows fun. I also found their repertoire somewhat monotonous and bland. To these ears, there weren't too many hooks in their songs, nor did they force my toes into uncontrollable tapping. Long story short, I went home disappointed. It's not that Clayton Linthicum and Kacy Anderson lack talent. Clayton is a decent guitarist and Kacy can sing, but they can definitely use some help when it comes to their song selection.

Their one-hour-long show was attended by a small crowd, no more than thirty people, but that was to be expected for a mid-week event.

There was no opening act.

Kacy & Clayton at the Folk Music Center

Kacy & Clayton at the Folk Music Center

The stage

Concert organizer Jerry O'Sullivan introducing the duo

Claremont's Folk Music Center

Kacy & Clayton merchandise for sale at the Folk Music Center

Stringed instruments on the walls of the Folk Music Center