Concert #657 - Robbie Fulks at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 21, 2012)

My Sunday night's encounter with Robbie Fulks embodied everything that makes McCabe's the finest concert venue in our galaxy. Sadly, only about 120 people attended and I don't believe there was a single unhappy customer among them. As far as all the others are concerned ... well, it was their loss.

I seldom start a blog entry by talking about the opening act, but Greg Trooper definitely deserves this special treatment. Although totally new to his music, I loved everything he did. On the musical front, he impressed me with six outstanding songs and I believe he wrote each and every one of them. The set-closing "Time For Love" generated the loudest crowd response, but any of the other songs could easily qualify to be called a highlight. Here's his nearly-complete set list:

Steel deck bridge
Green eyed girl
This I'll do
They Call Me Hank
Time For Love

Greg Trooper at McCabe's

I loved Greg's chatter - without using a lot of words, he managed to be both thought-provoking and utterly funny. After the show, I was ready to buy his most recent CD, but was turned away by the $20 price tag.  

Just like in July 2011, Robbie Fulks came out with Robbie Gjersoe, his sidekick of many years. Together, they provided entertainment at its best: great songs, excellent vocals, some power picking and lots of good humor. There were lots of original songs and also plenty of covers, such as  Bill Anderson's "Cocktails" and the obscure "I Wanna Be Mama'd" by the equally obscure Jimmie Logsdon.

Robbie Fulks (right), with Robbbie Gjersoe at McCabe's

The two Robbies did not have a set list and, as a result, the show had an air of "let's play what feels good", which suited me just fine. A few humorous songs "felt good" to them, so I got to hear one of my favorites, "I Told Her Lies".

The crowd shouted out a few requests and Robbie obliged with the singing of "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)", one of his more popular numbers. I also enjoyed hearing  "Georgia Hard", "Tears Only Run One Way" and "Cigarette State". John Calacci, a close associate of Susanna Hoffs, happened to be in the house, so Robbie sang "That Bangle Girl" and offered himself to Susanna, just in case she had an interest in a forty-nine year old married man. "Let's Kill Saturday Night" and "The Buck Starts Here" were also well-received by the crowd.

This was my third time to see Robbie Fulks in concert and I can say that he's getting better every time I see him. Or maybe I just like him more every time I see him, but either way, I will continue to catch him every time he comes to town.

Robbie Fulks at McCabe's

Robbie's final bow

 

Concert #656 - Tift Merritt at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 20, 2012)

 Last night's Tift Merritt appearance at McCabe's was a somewhat unusual event, as it offered not one, but two worthy warm-up acts: Amy Cook and Tyler Lyle. They were both very good, yet when Tift came out, one could immediately tell why she got the headlining job.

Based on what I saw last night at McCabe's, there are three words that best describe Tift, the musician: talent, talent and talent. She writes intelligent songs that have enough hooks to grab one's attention, are lively enough not to put anyone to sleep and are far more tuneful than the average singer-songwriter fare I hear nowadays. And to these ears, she sings better now than ever before. Her brand new album, "Traveling Alone", is full of gems and we got to hear each and every one of them, starting with the gorgeous "Sweet Spot". There were no weak songs last night and that made it easier for me to accept the absence of "Good Hearted Man" from her set.

Tift Merritt at McCabe's

Tift Merritt's band included long-time collaborator Jay Brown on bass, Eric Heywood on various string instruments and a drummer whose name I do not know. They sounded great together, although the drummer's overzealous play at times was a bit too loud for me and everyone else sitting, just like I was, seven or eight feet from the drum set - mea culpa, one might say. Tift accompanied herself on piano for the playing of three songs, the best of which was "Small Talk Relations". Other songs that I liked were "Too Soon To Go", "Still Not Home", "Drifted Apart" and "Traveling Alone", the new album's title track.

Tift Merrit playing the piano at McCabe's

Tift Merritt's set list

Tift Merritt introducing the band

Tift Merritt and Jay Brown at the end of show

The evening started with a five-song set delivered by Tyler Lyle, a young LA-based Southerner who can definitely write and sing. His songs and performance cannot be characterized as "high-energy", yet he manage to draw everyone into his music, hence the crowd's strong response. His best numbers were "Young Men" and "Never Reach My Destination". Tyler is someone I will meet again in the future, I'm convinced.

Tyler Lyle picking up his belongings at the end of his set

Tyler Lyle's set list

Immediately following Tyler Lyle, singer-songwriter Amy Cook delivered a seven-song set that was exceptionally good, one of the best opening sets I have ever heard at McCabe's. Despite her claim of nervousness, she appeared to be quite self-confident as she sang six self-penned songs, plus "Dreaming", a Blondie cover. While her guitar playing was very effective in grabbing my attention, her strongest assets were her songwriting and voice. The highlights of her set were "It's Gonna Rain" and the set-ending "When I Wake Up", both found on her recent album titled "Summer Skin".

Amy Cook at McCabe's

Amy Cook's set list

Amy Cook's concert poster

First in line at McCabe's: Bill and Paula

The left side of the stage

The right side of the stage

The merch table

 

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 #654 - The Dustbowl Revival in Pasadena (Taste of South Lake) - October 13, 2012

Many days after last week's appearance of the Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's, their sights and sounds kept lingering on in my head to such an extent that I had to do something about it. So yesterday I drove to Pasadena to attend a free concert that featured the revivalists, among other musicians. Organized by the merchants and restaurateurs of South Lake Avenue and named "Taste Of South Lake", the event attracted a large crowd and the folks who left the food booths behind and got closer to the stage were given a good sampling of what the Dustbowl Revival can do.

The Dustbowl Revival in Pasadena

The outdoor incarnation of the band consisted of eight musicians, as opposed to the ten who took the stage at McCabe's last week. Still, the overall sound was pretty much the same and so was the energy and joy they exuded. Band leader Zach Lupetin, vocalist Caitlin Doyle, mandolin player Daniel Mark, fiddler Connor Vance and trombone player Ulf Bjorlin were among the players who were also at McCabe's last week.

They opened with "Shine", followed by "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" and a rousing rendition of "Minor Swing", the old Django Reindardt classic. The always attractive Caitlin Doyle sang "What You're Doing To Me". The catchy "Western Passage" generated a vigorous response from the crowd, while Zach's call for crowd participation during the playing of "Le Bataillon" remained largely unanswered. The band followed up with "Soldier's Joy", before the grand finale that consisted of "Dan's Jam" and "Orange Blossom Special", played in quick succession with high intensity.

Caitlin Doyle and Ron Sewer, the band's outstanding trumpet player

The concert lasted fifty minutes, not bad for a free event, and needless to say, I had a blast. I have now seen the revivalists three times and I'm amazed by the talent of these musicians. I have also seen a few line-up changes, but regardless of who showed up, the music has invariably been great.

Zack Lupetin (left), with Daniel Mark and Connor Vance

Zack Lupetin (right), with Ulf Bjorlin and Caitlin Doyle

Connor Vance soloing on "Orange Blossom Special"

Zack Lupetin at the merchandise table

The event poster, describing the band as "A rowdy Venice-based roots collective that skillfully mixes New Orleans swing, mountain bluegrass and jug-blues into a lethal Americana cocktail"

Booths and people

Concert #653 - The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's Guitar Shop (October 6, 2012)

Last night at McCabe's I got my money's worth just watching the entrance of the ten outstanding musicians who call themselves the Dustbowl Revival. McCabe's has a rather small stage and it was fun observing how quickly and efficiently everyone settled in. Then the real fun began.

I will now once again use a phrase borrowed from Chick Hearn, the legendary voice of the Los Angeles Lakers: I can't say that the Dustbowl Revival is the best act I have ever seen at McCabe's. But I can say that no one's better than the Dustbowl Revival. Now that's quite a statement, considering the musical giants I have seen there over the years. The revivalists may not have the name recognition of Chet Atkins, Richard Thompson or Tommy Emmanuel, but in terms of their ability to drive me crazy with their music, they are right up there with the very best.

Zach Lupetin, the leader of the band, deserves nothing but praise for having assembled such a likeable group of talented musicians. Every so often I see musicians who emanate boredom and aloofness, but in that respect, the revivalists are firmly at the other end of the spectrum, as they exude immense joy and total immersion into their art. I loved their inventive ways of inserting humor into their act and I enjoyed the variety of musical styles they threw at us. There was little stage banter, as everyone's focus was on music.

The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's

I know the names of four of the band's instrumentalists: Connor Vance (fiddle), Dean Roubicek (sax, clarinet, flute), Ulf Bjorlin (trombone) and Daniel Mark (mandolin). If you, the reader, happen to know the names of the other musicians, please send them to me. (gabibo@gmail.com).

Most of the songs we heard last night were up-tempo and when they slowed down, they were still pretty fast. These guys don't seem to know how to slow down and that's just one of their clever ways of keeping you hooked.

Equal opportunity was the name of the game in last night's concert, as the musicians took turns at soloing. I can't pick a favorite, as they were all outstanding, but if pressed, I would mention the brass section, something we don't often see a McCabe's. Pianist Drew De Four joined the band for forty-five minutes or so, he was an excellent addition to an already remarkable gathering of musicians.

The brass section

The lead vocals were delivered by Caitlin Doyle and Zach Lupetin himself, with outstanding backup from everyone else. The show opener, a song titled "Western Passage", was an instant hit with me. The brass section worked extra-hard on "Dan's Jam", a song that made me scream. "Marching On", "Mayflower", "I'll Fly Away" and their own version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" were also great. 

After the show I bought the latest CD of the revivalists, "You Can't Go Back To The Garden Of Eden", on sale for only ten American bucks. Not bad. I also got to shake hands with Zach.

I had so much fun last night, it's hard to put it in words. The next time they play McCabe's, I'll be there with a larger group of friends. The Dustbowl Revival definitely deserve a much wider following.

Zach Lupetin (center), with Caitlin Doyle

Daniel Mark, Ray Bergstrom and Caitlin Doyle

Ray Bergstrom & Austin Nicholsen

Dustbowl Revival set list

The show was opened by the Los Angeles based Ladies Gun Club. I can't tell for sure whether they are a duo backed by a few instrumentalists or a bona-fide band of five. Either way, the key members are Sally Jaye and Sarah Roberts. They have dissimilar voices that sound good both separately and collectively. Their short set was quite good, definitely one of the better ones I heard at McCabe's in recent years. The songs that stood out for me were "Country Girl" and "Dublin".

Sally Jaye (left) and Sarah Roberts

Zach Lupetin at the merch table