Concert #655 - Shannon McNally & Amy LaVere at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 14, 2012)

This was my second time to see Shannon McNally in concert and my first-ever encounter with Amy LaVere. The concert was the third stop on their "Chasing The Ghost" tour. The two ladies came out with a band that included Robert Mache on electric guitar and mandolin, Shawn Zorn on drums and a fiddler whose name I did not catch. The format of the show was spectator-friendly, as Shannon and Amy alternated as lead singers, with Shannon delivering just a few more songs than Amy. That suited me just fine, as her voice and singing style touched me a little more. Not that I disliked Amy's vocals, she sounded great, especially on "Sentimental Blues".

Armed with an acoustic guitar and an upright bass, respectively, Shannon and Amy sang six of the seven songs of their brand new release titled "Chasing The Ghost Rehearsal Sessions". Although new to me, most of those songs were pleasant to listen to, especially "Good Ole Time", "This Never Happened" and "Never Been Sadder".

Amy LaVere (left) and Shannon McNally at McCabe's

In line with Shannon's interest in cover songs, we also got to hear a few well-known oldies, such as "Mr. Spaceman", a song made famous by the Byrds, and Kris Kristofferson's "Loving Him Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again". The show ended with yet another cover, "Wang Dang Doodle", the classic blues gem I first heard with Koko Taylor many years ago.

Amy LaVere (left) and Shannon McNally at McCabe's

The three accompanists were outstanding. The guitar and fiddle solos were all great and Shawn's drumming was equally good, in spite of its deliberate low profile. At times, they rocked real hard and those moments were highly enjoyable. Overall, the concert was consistently good, from start to finish.

The set list ("A" stands for Amy, "S" for Shannon)

The evening kicked off with an impromptu opening set delivered by Will Hutchinson, a young singer-songwriter of some talent. His low-energy six-song set included original songs as well as a couple of covers. The highlight of Will's set was M. Ward's "Here Comes The Sun Again". Drummer Steve Mugalian helped out on one song.

Will Hutchinson at McCabe's

Shannon McNally mingling with fans

The stage

Concert poster

Concert #616 - Shannon McNally & Greg Leisz at McCabe's Guitar Shop (December 4, 2011)

Most people don't know who Shannon McNally is, so here's a primer: singer, songwriter, guitarist, gorgeous, talented, engaging, funny, worth seeing live in concert.

This was Shannon's first appearance ever at McCabe's and she did it alongside string-wizard Greg Leisz, a veteran of the local music scene. According to my religiously-kept concert database, this was my 12th time to see Greg in action, but his first time to be billed as a headliner. Well, a co-headliner, actually.

Shannon also brought along drummer/percussionist Don Heffington and guitarist Will Sexton, brother of Charlie Sexton, and together they put on an entertaining show consisting of her own compositions, including some from "Western Ballad", her latest release, plus a handful of covers.

The songs I liked the best were "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", a Bobby "Blue" Bland cover, and Shannon's own "The Hard Way". Kate Wolf's "Brother Warrior" was good, too.

Greg Leisz played the pedal steel guitar, dobro, electric and acoustic guitar and sang backup vocals as well. Everything he touched sounded great, but what excited me the most was his electric guitar.

Shannon McNally & Greg Leisz wrapping up their concert

Shannon McNally & Greg Leisz seconds before leaving the stage

The setlist

Talented singer-songwriter Jarrod Dickenson kicked off the evening with a forty-minute set that wasn't bad, but suffered from a problem that seems to afflict many of the younger acts I have seen in recent years: his compositions weren't edgy enough and he lacked the power and intensity one would normally associate with the younger generation of musicians.

Jarrod Dickenson

Concert poster

The stage