Welcome to CONCERT OVERLOAD, a place for sharing my concert-going experiences. My goal is to say a few words about each and every concert I've ever attended.
CURRENT CONCERT COUNT: 868 (most of them in the Los Angeles area)
I'll be kicking myself for the rest of my days and for a good reason ... up until January 2008, I have skipped all of Odetta's appearances at McCabe's ... I don't know what made me stay away from her shows for so long. Nor do I know what made me buy two tickets for her January 27 show, which turned out to be an evening like few others.
So there I was, sitting with my better half in the front row, waiting for Odetta to come down the stairs to take the stage, like all performers do at McCabe's. But no one came down. Instead, a bit unexpectedly, a frail-looking and wheelchair-bound Odetta entered the room from the left side of the stage, pushed in by two McCabe's employees, who then lifted the wheelchair up on the stage, with Odetta still in it. All this took about half a minute and I could tell that everyone there was a bit tense. Two maneuvers later, the wheelchair was positioned right next to a music stand, a blanket was placed over Odetta's lap and - all of a sudden - we were in her living room, her frailty gone and a beautiful smile replacing the initial apprehension on her face. We were in business!
Odetta at McCabe's (January 27, 2008) (photo by Sherry Rayn Barnett) (Please visit her web site at www.sherrybarnettphotography.com, where you will find countless great photos)
Odetta's concert was beyond any expectation - with a surprisingly strong voice and lots of charisma, the whole evening was nothing short of mesmerizing. She did talk about how much Obama's candidacy meant to her, before launching into an unforgettable rendition of "Bourgeois Blues". "The House Of The Rising Sun" and "Midnight Special" were just as great. Leadbelly got mentioned a few times. Odetta sang for about an hour and the whole affair was heart-warming, humorous and dead serious, all at the same time. Her body may not have been in the best of shape, but there was nothing wrong with her voice, nor her mind. At 77, Odetta's was still radiating power, warmth and credibility and I will never forget her smile.
Croatian-born Radoslav Lorkovic accompanied Odetta on keyboards for the entire duration of the show.
Radoslav Lorkovic and Odetta in 2006
On October 3, 2008, Odetta graced McCabe's' stage for one last time, and I was there to witness the event, along with my good friend Mircea. One could tell that Odetta's overall condition had deteriorated. Her magnetism was still there and so was her million-dollar smile, but her voice was a bit shakier and her hands appeared to be lifeless at times ... still, no one could have foreseen that, exactly two months later, Odetta would be no more ... shame on me for having skipped her many LA area appearances over the years and what on honor to have caught her last three appearances there.
David Keyes accompanied Odetta on, you guessed it, keyboards.
Yours Truly, third in line(October 3, 2008)
The McCabe's crowd, moments before the show (October 3, 2008)
It's no secret that the Secret Sisters are not a secret anymore. People have begun to notice, among them several hundred folks who attended their free show at Pasadena's Levitt Pavilion last night. And what a show it was!
Lawn chairs, blankets, munchies, beverages, families, groups of friends of all ages, dozens of young children - call it the perfect environment for a crowd to become inattentive and even disruptive to those who were there for the music. It was the job of the Secret Sisters to settle down the crowd and keep their attention focused on the stage, with nothing but one weapon at their disposal: their voices.
So how did the sisters fare in the "crowd control" department? Read on.
The proceedings kicked off with "The One I Love Is Gone", from their first and still-only album. In actuality, the show opener served as the official sound check - initially, the sound was atrocious, with shrieking vocals and an utterly loud acoustic guitar, but fortunately, by the time they launched into their second song, George Jones' "Why Baby Why", those beautiful voices came across with clarity and they stayed that way for the remainder of the show.
The Secret Sisters at the Levitt Pavilion (August 18, 2011)
The Secret Sister's set included two more songs from their first album: "Do You Love An Apple" and the gorgeous "Tennessee Me", a song written by the sisters themselves. And speaking of self-penned songs - last night they introduced us to a few more, and without exception, their songs held up great, even against the well-known classic country hits from their repertoire.
The entire show was solid, from start to finish, without a single weak moment. Laura, the elder sister, did most of the talking, while Lydia barely said a word here and there. They shared a single acoustic guitar. None of them are great pickers, but with voices like theirs, their lack of instrumental prowess was but a trivial detail.
As far as I was concerned, the highlight of the evening was the stunning "River Jordan", another self-penned gem in the vein of the traditional country-gospel tunes of yesteryear. So how good a song is "River Jordan"? Well, the song is good enough to make a secular person like myself pick it as the best song of a concert that had nothing but great songs. Give credit to Laura and Lydia, two incredibly talented young ladies who will become household names before too long.
Throughout the concert, I was amazed by the beauty of their voices and how well they harmonized. At the same time, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the sisters kept the crowd under their spell, a testament not only to their singing abilities, but also their humor and overall stage presence.
The Secret Sisters talking
The Secret Sisters singing
SET LIST
The One I Love Is Gone
Why Baby Why (George Jones)
Tomorrow Will Be Kinder (self-penned)
Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)
Tennessee Me (self-penned)
River Jordan (self-penned)
Sweet By And By
Leavin' On Your Mind (Patsy Cline gem)
Devoted To You (Everly Brothers)
Four Walls
Am I That Easy To Forget (Skeeter Davis classic)
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Same Old You (Brandi Carlile tune)
Why Worry (Dire Straits oldie)
Happy Valley (self-penned)
Tonight You Belong To Me (encore)
Here are the Secret Sisters performing "Devoted To You", a song made famous by the Everly Brothers:
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
This was possibly the most emotional concert I've ever attended. This concert gave me goosebumps and made me weep, and all this for two reasons. First, Kris Kristofferson was phenomenally good, and second, I went to the show with a dear friend from the other side of the planet, who decades earlier first introduced me to Kris' music, when I was still living in the music-deprived Old Country.
It was in the early 1970s when my friend Mircea let me have a tape that contained "The Silver Tongued Devil And I", Kris Kristofferson's second and arguably best album. Kris' lyrics were totally impenetrable to me, as my English at that time was less than passable, but the quality of the tunes and Kris' superb delivery were all that was needed to knock me out, and what a knock-out it was. Later in the 70s, life brought me to California, where I've been living happily ever since ... who would have thought that, decades later, Mircea and I would be sitting next to each other, listening to Kris Kristofferson singing many of the very same songs that meant so much to both of us ... well, it happened.
The concert took place at the Haugh Performing Arts Center on the campus of the Citrus College in the City of Glendora. The theater has 1,440 seats, yet it feels fairly intimate. The place was almost full when Kris took the stage, there were just a few empty seats in the back. The stage was sparse, with just a rug on the floor, a guitar stand with an acoustic guitar, a sheet music stand, a microphone and two monitors, all tell-tale signs that a one-man-show was about to begin.
The stage
Kris opened his show with "Shipwrecked", a lesser known song, but before too long, his famous gems started coming up, and they kept coming one after the other, it was pure magic. Although in his early seventies, Kris sang pretty much with the same voice he had in the seventies (the decade), and even his vocal inflections sounded like the ones from his younger days.
Partial set list
"Shipwrecked
"Me & Bobby McGee"
"Help Me Make It Through The Night"
"For The Good Times"
"Jody And The Kid"
"Here Comes That Rainbow Again"
"This Old Road"
"In The News"
"Pilgrim's Progress"
"The Final Attraction"
"Help Me Make It Through The Night"
"Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"
"The Silver Tongued Devil And I"
"Loving Her Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again"
"Love Is The Way" (encore)
"Why Me, Lord" (encore)
Most of his songs ended with a laconic "Thank you". Occasionally, Kris would introduce the next song, but there wasn't much stage banter - the focus was on his music and there wasn't a single bad song during his almost two-hour long concert. With just a voice and an acoustic guitar, Kris held his audience captive and I'm sure that my eyes weren't the only moist ones in the room.
All-in-all, it was a moving encounter with a musician I've loved for many decades. Also one of the most unforgettable concerts I've ever attended.
My friend Mircea at the Haugh Performing Arts Center
For my 600th concert, I couldn't have asked to see a better performance than the one put on by David Bromberg last night at McCabe's, but I have to admit that, although fully aware of his place in the music world, I had only been a part-time follower of David's career. Shame on me.
Last night's show at McCabe's, the second of two sold-out shows there, was nothing short of extraordinary - no wonder David was given four standing ovations, including one right in the middle of his second set, as he was wrapping up "Mr. Bojangles".
Any attempt on my part to describe David Bromberg's wit, charisma, musical credibility and, pardon my French, joie de vivre, would be an exercise in futility, so let me just say that the guy is witty and charismatic like few others, makes you take in every word he says and the joy of playing music just oozes through his pores.
David Bromberg at McCabe's (August 6, 2011)
And the music he played was great. Last night it was mostly blues, but not only. The proceedings kicked-off with "Keep On Drinkin'", followed by a few songs from "Use Me", David's brand new album of musical collaborations with some of the biggest names in the music business. John Hiatt's "Ride On Out A Ways" and Tim O'Brien's "Blue Is Fallin'" were exceptionally good, but the song that made me scream the loudest was "Diggin' In The Deep Blue Sea", written by Keb' Mo' and performed brilliantly by David and his band. And Keb' Mo' deserves all the credit in the world for having come up with such a perfect song title.
And speaking of the band: they were great as well, particularly Brian Mitchell, who played the piano and keyboards with total fervor and abandonment. He also picked up his accordion to provide the Latin touch for "The Long Goodbye", David's collaboration with Los Lobos. Brian's many extended solos were very well received by the crowd.
Brian Mitchell, pictured here with Dolly Parton
One of the highlights of the evening was David's rendition of "Bring It With You When You Come", an old jug band tune, complete with racy lyrics such as "I ain't no plumber, I ain't no plumber's son, But I can screw your pipes until your plumber comes", and if that wasn't racy enough for you, he went on with "I ain't no lawyer, I ain't no lawyer's son, But I can get you off until your lawyer comes". The crowd loved it, needless to say. But David saved the best for last, by seamlessly transitioning into a folk-music version of "Wooly Bully", with full vocal support from the audience. It was a blast.
David Bromberg at McCabe's (August 6, 2011)
Then there was humor. Lots of humor. At one point, David asked the band "What do we play now? Oh, let's play a blues number in A-minor", and they all started playing a song. The same song. Earlier in the evening, just before the intermission, David told the crowd that they have CDs for sale. And DVDs. Also BVDs. I also enjoyed David's story about Sam Lightnin' Hopkins' way of making cash by recording the same few songs at multiple record labels without signed contracts, which would have limited his money-making options.
And there were more outstanding songs: "Diamond Lil", "Rock & Roll Millionaire", "Kind Hearted Woman", from Robert Johnson's repertoire, Vince Gill's "Lookout Mountain Girl", and the unbelievable "I Will Never Be Your Fool". I've been to a few concerts in my life, but I don't think I've ever seen or heard anything quite like the latter.
David Bromberg - what a performer!
David Bromberg signing autographs before the show
An incomplete set list photographed after the show
I've seen Robbie Fulks twice now, the first time in 2004, then again in July 2011. Two shows, same venue, two very different impressions.
July 31, 2004. Robbie's show wasn't bad, but I went home with expectations slightly unfulfilled, as I felt there was too much "country" and not enough "alt" in his show. I can't say the concert was boring, but I found Robbie to be a little less engaging than some of the other leading artists in his vein. It was a solo show, with no guests and no back-up musicians. He performed the whole concert standing up, towering over McCabe's' tiny stage. "She Took A Lot Of Pills And Died" is the only song I can recall from his entire gig.
But Ben Vaughn, Robbie's unannounced opening act, was a revelation. At that time, Ben was nothing more than just a name I had heard of before. His songs were exceptionally good - the one that stood out the most was "Growin' A Beard", a humorous rockabilly ditty. In the ensuing months and years, I found myself buying and listening a lot to Ben's music, all thanks to his thirty-minute opening slot at McCabe's.
Ben Vaughn
Back to Robbie Fulks. After my less-than-auspicious introduction to his music in 2004, my interest in Robbie's work went way down and it wasn't until a couple of years ago, when I discovered his association with Bloodshot Records, that I started paying attention once again. His rousing version of Johnny Cash's "Cry, Cry, Cry" was a strong ear opener, so when McCabe's announced Robbie's gig in July 2011, I immediately bought a ticket and so did my friend Steve.
July 31, 2011. Robbie Fulks came out with guitarist Robbie Gjersoe, who played the guitar, provided backup vocals, as well as some good humor. The two Robbies put on an outstanding show, full of energy, laughter, quality songs, great picking and strong vocals. I enjoyed very much the family-room atmosphere created by the two musicians, who clearly had as much fun as the crowd.
Robbie Fulks (right) and Robbie Gjersoe at McCabe's
Robbie Fulks used at least four different singing voices, a skill seldom exhibited even by the finest vocalists. He hit high notes with power and precision and his lows were equally good. There were plenty of up-tempo songs, interspersed with a few outstanding ballads. Most of the songs were new to me, but it did not matter - everything they played was tuneful, catchy and instantly likable.
The set list
They also played a few songs not appearing in their set list, among them "The Buck Starts Here" and "Scrabble". I don't think I can pick a highlight, the whole show was solid from start to finish.
Robbie Fulks (right) and Robbie Gjersoe at McCabe's
One of the special charms of McCabe's is what happens after the show is over. As the crowd lingers on in the store, quite often the performers come out to shake hands, sign autographs, share stories and meet fellow musicians. In July 2011, Michael McKean of Spinal Tap fame was on hand to meet Robbie Fulks.
Michael McKean chatting with Robbie Fulks after the show
