Concert #734 - Barry McGuire & P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery Backstage (January 8, 2015)

The above photo is dated 1965. It shows Barry McGuire and P.F. Sloan riding a motorbike. At that time, their careers were closely intertwined, but that closeness ended soon thereafter, when their career paths took them in totally different directions. I don't think the two have seen each other for fifty years or so, but I know for a fact that they have not performed together since 1965.

Thursday night's concert at the intimate Coffee Gallery in Altadena marked Barry and Phil's first time together on a stage in fifty years and I'm super-happy to say that I was there. Being part of such a historic event gave me a thrill that I will not forget anytime soon. Their joint effort consisted of lots of songs and stories, with lead vocals duties going back and forth between the two.

Barry McGuire (left) and P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

The concert kicked off with "Green, Green", "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Blowin' In The Wind", performed by Barry with competent support provided by John York. At that point, Barry introduced P.F. Sloan, who took the stage to a loud welcome. The Dylan-theme continued for one more song with the singing of "Mr. Tambourine Man", which then turned seamlessly into "Turn, Turn, Turn". Next came the immortal "Eve of Destruction", the song written by a teenage Phil and recorded by Barry in 1965.

The other four songs we heard before the intermission were "What's Exactly The Matter With Me", "California Dreamin'", "Where Were You When I Needed You" and "Secret Agent Man".

P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

The second set kicked off with CCR's "Proud Mary" and ended with Barry's barely whispered rendition of "Try To Remember". In addition to the songs listed in the photo below, we also got to hear "Blue Suede Shoes", which Phil dedicated to birthday-boy Elvis Presley.

The set list (second set)

The evening's one-song encore, Little Eva's "Locomotion" was, in my opinion, the best moment of the show, with Barry's strong voice and contagious joie-de-vivre taking over the concert room. In his eightieth year of existence, Barry continues to impress me with his seemingly unchanged voice, not to mention his boundless energy and charisma. His exuberance worked very well with Phil's more restrained stage presence.

Barry McGuire, John York & P.F. Sloan at the Coffee Gallery (2015)

 

 

The stage

Concert poster

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

Concert #659 - Barry McGuire - Gelencser House Concerts (December 1, 2012)

Last night marked my first-time ever to attend a show in a house-concert setting. The event took place at the Gelencser residence in Claremont, California, so now their living room is listed in my concert database alongside the Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theatre, House Of Blues and other famed venues. The hosts, Andy and Janice Gelencser, deserve a lot of praise for opening up their home to larger groups of people, putting in time and effort to organize the concert and accepting a great deal of inconvenience without any financial benefit, all done for the love of music. Again, kudos to them.

This was my fifth time to see Barry live in concert and the fourth time to attend his "Trippin' the Sixties" show. He is seventy-seven now, an age when most of his singing peers from the sixties are either retired or dead. Barry, on the other hand, keeps pressing on and well he should, as he is still perfectly capable of putting on an entertaining show that is heart-warming, humorous and informative.

Barry McGuire sharing stories with the audience

Masterfully intertwining stories with music, Barry's show kept moving along at a fast pace. I particularly enjoyed the story-telling part of the show, with Barry paying his respects to many musical heroes from decades ago, among them Tim Hardin, John Denver, John Sebastian, Scott McKenzie, Steve Goodman, Zal Yanovski, The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Arlo Guthrie, PF Sloan, Lou Adler and Fred Neil. Barry also made frequent references to the "herbal medicines" used by many of the top musicians of the era.

I was impressed by Barry's overall shape. He performed the entire concert with full intensity, lots of self-confidence and it appeared to me that he enjoyed the show as much as the rest of us. His voice did not falter, he never looked for words and came up with funny quips whenever needed.

Compared to earlier shows, last night's "Trippin' the Sixties" set included a few new additions, such as Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", CCR's "Proud Mary" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" from the repertoire of John Denver. Funny thing though, the latter song was actually released in the early seventies.

SET LIST

Green Green

Eve Of Destruction

Everybody's Talkin'
Hair

Johnny B. Goode

Daydream

Turn Turn Turn

California Dreamin'

San Francisco

Creeque Alley

Tambourine Man

City Of New Orleans

If I Were A Carpenter

Proud Mary

Woodstock

Get Together

Dancing In The Street

Take Me Home, Country Roads

For me, the highlight of the show was Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter”.

Barry's shows just wouldn't be the same without the competent support provided by John York, a musician whose credentials include a stint with the Byrds. To these eyes and ears, John is an outstanding support musician who adds value without ever attempting to outshine the headliner. His guitar solos were great and his singing was subdued, just the way a backup-vocalist is supposed to sing. And he's got a sense of humor, too: when a spectator asked Barry about how he hooked up with John, the answer came fast and short from the latter: "Internet dating service"!

  

Barry McGuire (left) and John York

After the show, I had once again the good fortune of shaking hands with Barry and chatting with him for a couple of minutes. His humility, warmth and friendship are something to behold.

From left to right: My friend Steve, Barry McGuire and Yours Truly

Barry's autograph on my newly purchased CD

Overall, my first-ever exposure to house concerts was a success. I liked the intimacy of the place and enjoyed meeting the hosts. Oh yeah, the brownies were great, too.

The stage

Barry McGuire and John York (both seated) after the show

Barry McGuire (right) and John York with a fan

Intermission

The merch table

Concert #483 - Barry McGuire at the First Baptist Church of Glendora (October 11, 2008)

This was my third time to catch Barry McGuire in concert in just about two years, which clearly demonstrates how much I enjoyed his "Trippin' The Sixties" series of concerts. But there was something different about this third show: Terry Talbott, Barry's long-time musical collaborator, was no longer there. I don't know what led to the breakup, but in the end I was a lot happier with Barry's new partner, John York, a musician associated with one of the early incarnations of the Byrds.

Well into his seventies, Barry showed no signs of slowing down. His seemingly bottomless energy and the tremendous joy radiating from his face are hard to forget. It was very obvious that Barry loved being up there on the stage and when he thanked the fans for their support, his words did not sound fake at all.

I was very impressed with Barry's voice, which remained as instantly recognizable as it was during his "Eve Of Destruction" days. The concert started with "Green, Green", the classic New Christy Minstrels tune featuring Barry's raspy voice, and after that, it was one gem after another, all interspersed with stories about Bob Dylan, Mama Cass, Tim Hardin, the Lovin' Spoonful and others. And you can bet your life that no one questioned his credibility. He was there!

The set list

I went to the show with my childhood friend Mircea, who happens to be a walking encyclopedia of music of all genres, if there ever was one. We both loved the show.

My friend Mircea, just minutes before the show

My friend Mircea checking out the set list

John York was exceptionally good in his new role as Barry's sidekick. Unlike the somewhat overbearing Terry Talbot, Barry's previous partner, John was a perfect complement to the headlining Barry, always offering his musical skills to support, rather than upstage. 

Barry McGuire (left) and John York (October 11, 2008)

The highlight of the show had to be "Eve Of Destruction", a song that still gives me the goosebumps. "I I Were A Carpenter", "Hair" and "Greenback Dollar" were also outstanding, but then so was the entire show.

I consider myself extremely lucky for having had the chance to not only see one of my life-long heroes, but also talk with him. As he often does, Barry made himself available after the show to meet his fans, so I got to shake his hand once again. Barry also autographed for me a photograph taken in December 2007 after his show in Altadena, here it is:

Yours Truly and Barry McGuire in 2007 (photo autographed in October 2008)

Barry McGuire chatting with fans after the show

The sparse stage of the First Baptist Church of Glendora

The First Baptist Church of Glendora