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.

Concert #588 - Tish Hinojosa at McCabe's Guitar Shop (April 8, 2011)

Now that she is happily married in Hamburg, Germany, Tish Hinojosa is seldom seen in Southern California ... our loss, Germany's gain. About 125 folks showed up at McCabe's to reconnect with Tish, who had not played in the area for quite some time. I sat in the first row, directly in front of her.

As always, her bilingual show was nothing short of heartwarming. Most of the songs she sang were self-penned and when they were not, Tish never failed to announce and even talk about the respective authors, a very nice touch. Although I don't speak Spanish, I found her Spanish songs to be as moving as the English ones, go figure.

The stage, a few minutes before show time

Tish came out by herself with an acoustic guitar and played four songs: "Tu Que Puedes, Vuélvete", James McMurtry's "Crazy Wind And Flashing Yellows", her own "Las Marias" and an old Mexican song by Augustin Lara, titled "Farolito". Interestingly enough, these were not exactly the songs appearing on Tish's own set list, which I managed to photograph during the intermission. After the fourth solo song, she was joined on stage by the ubiquitous Greg Leisz and Nelson Bragg, a member of Brian Wilson's studio and touring band. Together, they went on to sing the songs number 5 through 10 of the set list, from "Destiny's Gate" to "God's Open Road". Greg Leisz, who was in top form, played an acoustic guitar as well as his often-seen pedal steel guitar, while Nelson Bragg played the drums quite tastefully, without ever over-powering his fellow musicians. An intermission followed.

Tish Hinojosa's set list

After the break, Tish came out once again by herself and played three more of her own songs: "Donde Voy", "Something In The Rain" and "Noches Sin Estrellas". Once again, the songs she actually sang did not match her set list, which was pretty much in line with the relaxed and informal feel of the entire evening. After the return of Greg and Nelson, Tish did a much better job of sticking to the set list. At one point, she invited singer-songwriter Anny Chelsi to join her on stage and together they delivered one of Anny's songs, whose title sadly I don't have. For her encore, Tish played "Estrellita" and "By The Rio Grande".

Tish Hinojosa and Nelson Bragg at McCabe's

Late in the show, Tish acknowledged the presence of her husband, Andreas, who along with Tish, sold merchandise and chatted with the crowd after the show.

Tish Hinojosa signing autographs (husband Andreas in the background)

Overall, it was an exceptionally pleasant evening, and once again Tish reaffirmed herself to be one of my most-beloved female singer-songwriters, whom I will continue to follow for years to come.