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.

Concerts #217, 363, 371, 424, 431, 458 - Dave Alvin at Various Venues (2000-2008)

In my book, Dave Alvin is one of the great ones, but my appreciation for his music can't be called love-at-first-sight. On the contrary.

I first saw Dave as John Wesley Harding's guest in 1990. Nothing special.

On January 15, 2000, accompanied by our friends Ron & Bobbie, my Better Half and I went to the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena to catch Tom Russell and Dave in a co-headlining event and it was Tom who impressed us the most. Dave played "King of California", "New Highway", "From A Kitchen Table" and "Blackjack David", among others. Maybe it was my unfamiliarity with his songs, but fact is that, on that occasion, Dave did not become an instant favorite of mine. That night was also my introduction to Greg Leisz, who played the dobro in Dave's backing band that also included Rick Shea on mandolin and electric guitar and Brantley Kearns on fiddle.

What followed was a series of unannounced appearances as the guest of other performers, a clear proof of Dave's popularity with his fellow musicians as well as his willingness to provide support, even though money was not involved. In 2002, Dave popped in for a song or two at Tom Russell's concert at McCabe's. A year later, he guested on Syd Straw's show also at McCabe's. Such appearances have kept Dave Alvin on my radar and validated his status as a musician worth keeping on eye on.

Dave's music hit me real hard for the first time on May 28, 2005, at McCabe's, where else? His then-current album, "Ashgrove", had just been released. With able support from Greg Leisz and the late Amy Farris, Dave delivered one superb song after another. Great vocals, great guitar playing, but what really knocked my socks off was the quality of his compositions. One doesn't often hear songs as good as "Ashgrove", "Rio Grande" and especially "Out Of Control", with its movie-like imagery and absorbing lyrics. To this day, this remains one of the most memorable concerts I have ever attended.

The Ditty Bops opened the show, and even though their retro-style light music had little in common with Dave's heavy-weight subjects, they were fun to watch.

The Ditty Bops

In August 2005, Dave played a benefit show in Claremont, at Ben Harper's Folk Music Center. Needless to say, my Better Half and I were there, together with our friends Bob and Lynne, soon to become Dave Alvin fans themselves. Seeing Dave perform at such an intimate venue was something special. Once again Dave received support from Chris Gaffney and Amy Farris and once again I had the pleasure of hearing my favorite gems from "Ashgrove", plus some of Dave's oldies.

The Folk Music Center in Claremont, California

On November 3, 2006, my Better Half and I went to catch Dave Alvin's free show at the Getty Center, part of the "Friday Nights at the Getty" concert series. Dave focused on his newly released album titled "West Of The West", his tribute to California songwriters, some well-known, others obscure. Accompanied by a band that included the ever-present Amy Farris on fiddle and Chris Miller on guitar, Dave sang Jackson Browne's "Redneck Friend" and his own "Ashgrove". One of the highlights was the appearance of the Calvanes, an old do-wop group that helped Dave deliver  Richard Berry's "I'm Bewildered" and Brian Wilson's "Surfer Girl". The audience responded with giggles when Dave launched into the latter.

I caught Dave a few more times as someone's guest. In 2006, he was one of Peter's "friends" at the "Peter Case & Friends" concert at McCabe's, then in 2007 he closed the Leonard Cohen tribute concert at UCLA with a rendition of "Democracy" that brought the house down.

Dave plays McCabe's about once a year, and typically I find it hard to stay away. On February 17, 2007, and then again on January 19, 2008, I attended his concerts there. Sadly, these shows turned out to be the last times I saw Amy Farris and Chris Gaffney alive. They are both gone now, but not forgotten, certainly not by Dave. Amy's memory has been immortalized in Dave's gorgeous "Black Rose Of Texas", while "Run Conejo Run" is dedicated to Chris. Both songs appear on "Eleven Eleven", an album released by Dave in 2011.

Amy Farris

Chris Gaffney

My interest in Dave's music remains intact. I will keep up with his new releases and live shows, especially those at McCabe's.

Concert #504 - Dave Alvin & Friends (Peter Case Benefit Concert) at McCabe's Guitar Shop (May 2, 2009)

This was the second of the three Peter Case benefit concerts held at McCabe's on three consecutive evenings, and it turned out to be the least memorable of the three. Tickets cost $50, the most I had paid for a McCabe's concert. Steve A. and Steve M, a.k.a. "The Other Steve", were there with me, it's always fun when we get together.

LIST OF PERFORMERS

 Stan Ridgway

Michelle Shocked

Ron Franklin

Syd Straw

The Dark Bob

Amy Farris

Jack Rudy

Chris Morris (the host of the evening)

The show started with a pointless schtick by someone calling himself "The Dark Bob". It's the only part of the evening that's available on YouTube. You may wanna watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCTMGJ4ZtSw

After he performed "On My Way Downtown", a song written by Peter Case, Dave Alvin spoke about the days when the two of them were with their respective bands, the Blasters and the Plimsouls.

Ron Franklin played a short set that was rather dull, then Stan Ridgway and Michelle Shocked brought some life into the show.

Stan Ridgway

The late Amy Farris accompanied Dave during his set - it was the last time I saw Amy, who later that year committed suicide.

Amy Farris