Concerts #298, 427, 467 - Syd Straw at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 1, 2003 - December 9, 2006 - May 11, 2008)

By definition, any concert announced as "XYZ & Friends" or "XYZ & the People" sounds tantalizingly promising, and when XYZ happens to be Syd Straw, then the whole proposition becomes a no-brainer to me. Since 2003, I have had the good fortune of seeing Syd live at McCabe's not fewer than three times and I'm one-hundred-percent ready to see her again, anytime, whether solo or with "friends". 

Syd's "friends" typically come from LA's immense pool of top-tier musicians, so you don't have to worry about ever catching a sub-par performance. Here's who she has brought along for the ride:

2003

Mike Watt

Dave Alvin

Rob Wasserman

Cindy Wasserman

D.J. Bonebrake

Willie Aron

2006

D.J. Bonebrake

Willie Aron

2008

D.J. Bonebrake

Willie Aron
Francis X (guitarist for the Gang of Four, B-52's)

Toby Huss

Severo Jornacion (guitarist for the Smithereens)

There aren't too many female singers quite like Syd and what a shame it is that most people haven't even heard of her. Well, it's their loss - she is a consummate entertainer who can sing, chat, flirt and leaves no doubt as to who's in charge. Syd's forté is her powerful voice and heartfelt delivery, yet at the same time she is a comedienne like few others. It was always fun watching her fellow musicians bend over in laughter as Syd was delivering her fully ad-libbed on-stage banter.

"Love, And The Lack Of It", "Love Is A Friend Of Mine" and "CBGB's" are the only three songs I still remember from Syd's shows at McCabe's.

Concert #468 - Achinoam Nini (Noa) at the Irvine Barclay Theater (May 12, 2008)

I sometimes attend concerts that do not involve American or British artists, obviously the result of my having lived in a few different countries over the years. My music collection, which consists of vinyl, CDs and unspeakable amounts of mp3s, includes recordings of musicians from all continents.

Noa, nee Achinoam Nini, is an Israeli singer who has sung for the Pope, toured the world and duetted with Italian megastars Andrea Bocelli and Zucchero, two of my all-time favorites. This gave her instant musical credibility in my eyes and ears, so I got myself a ticket

The concert took place at UC Irvine's Barclay Theater, a medium-size venue that I like very much. Noa came out with Gil Dor, her long-time musical partner and collaborator. Her then-current album titled "Genes And Jeans" was the source of many of the numbers she sang that night. I was - and still am - unfamiliar with her repertoire, so I don't remember any specific songs, but was quite impressed with her stage presence and vocals. Yet, for a split second, she was let down by her otherwise great voice: midway through a song and completely out of the blue, her voice broke down, the music stopped for a few seconds, but she bounced back and was able to continue as if nothing had happened. Noa completed the show without any further incidents and received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.

Overall, the show was very good, with a healthy mix of ballads and uptempo numbers, some delivered in Hebrew, others in flawless English.

Would I want to see her again? Probably not, but I will keep checking her out on YouTube every now and then.

Concert #618 - Ernest Troost at McCabe's Guitar Shop (January 6, 2012)

While most of the world's population is going gaga over Lady-You-Know-Who, I prefer to focus my attention on deserving musicians whose names don't ring nearly as many bells. Or no bells at all, as was recently the case with singer-songwriter Ernest Troost.

I'm always eager to discover new music, so whenever McCabe's announces names that I'm not familiar with, I immediately turn to the Internet as part of my due diligence effort. At first, I wasn't particularly impressed with Ernest Troost's music, so my initial plan was to stay home. But an email from my friend Steve made me gave Ernest a second listen and that's when his "Travelin' Shoes" song hit me pretty hard. Without delay, I logged into McCabe's' web site and bought myself a ticket.

Usually I mention the opening act only after I'm done writing about the headliner, but show opener Shaun Cromwell was just too good to be relegated to the end of this write-up. His thirty-minute set was actually too short - I could have gone on and on listening to his songs and voice. Good guitar and banjo picker, too. I know how hard it is to stand out in the overcrowded field of singer-songwriters, but Shaun has a future, as I found him to be more exciting than many other nationally-known musicians of the same genre.

Shaun Cromwell

Then out came Ernest Troost, whose resume lists an Emmy award received in 1996 for the music he wrote for "The Canterville Ghost". Ernest played a fairly long set that left me shaking my head in disbelief: there wasn't a single weak song the whole evening - now how often does one get to say that? 

One after the other, Ernest's songs kept me fully engaged and my brain never had a chance to wander away from the stage. The whole show was exceptionally well paced and I'm yet to mention Ernest's great supporting cast. Looking and sounding great, Nicole Gordon provided outstanding back-up vocals and sang two solos as well. Mark Goldberg played the upright bass and the often-seen Debra Dobkin took care of the drumming duties.

The funny thing is that sitting in the front row at McCabe's by no means guarantees the best viewing angles. From where I sat, Debra Dobkin was totally, entirely and completely hidden behind her drum set. Likewise, the most I could see of Mark Goldberg was the lower half of his right leg, everything else was covered by his humongous bass. But no complaints at all about the sound.

Ernest Troost and Nicole Gordon at McCabe's

Shaun Cromwell came out to join Ernest's band for the playing of "By And By", then he popped in once again for "Harlan County Boy", the concert's encore.

Ernest Troost (left) and Shaun Cromwell during the encore

Ernest played many of the songs appearing on his "Live At McCabe's" CD, recorded in January 2011. Sadly and ironically, the song that first caught my ear, "Travelin' Shoes", was left out of his set, but that was nothing but a minor blemish on an otherwise unforgettable evening of stellar songwriting and great musicianship.

Ernest Troost's setlist

Shaun Cromwell's setlist

It's tough to pick a highlight when all songs had quality written all over them, but I would list "O Love", "Resurrection Blues" and "By And By" as some of the best. And one thing is for sure: the next time Ernest Troost plays McCabe's, I will be there without anyone needing to nudge me.

Shaun Cromwell during his opening set

McCabe's webmaster Zachariah Love in action

Concerts #417, 471 - Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 20, 2006 & June 21, 2008)

I don't think there's anyone on Planet Earth not to have heard "Wild Thing" and "Angel Of The Morning", but I bet very few know that these radically different pieces of music come from the pen of the very same songwriter. I didn't know it either at the time when McCabe's announced Chip and Carrie's joint concert in 2006, nor did I have a clue as to who Chip & Carrie were. With Google's help, I quickly became aware of Chip's impressive songwriting credentials and that was enough to make me buy my ticket for the show, while Carrie remained an unknown wild card.

My evening started with a close encounter with a true celebrity - the lights were still on when I bumped, in a physical sense, into Jon Voight, who was there to support his little brother Chip. Then the music started. The show was near-perfect - all at once, I discovered two exceptionally gifted musicians from two different generations who were nonetheless a great match. They played ballads, rockers, country pop, oldies, new songs, covers, original material, they told stories and had a famous on-stage guest in the person of the aforementioned Jon Voight.

Then there was John Platania, whom I had not known before. Introduced as Van Morrison's longtime guitarist, I paid extra attention to his playing and became an instant fan of the very distinctive sound of his electric guitar.

Chip Taylor & John Platania

Midway through the show, Jon Voight took the stage to sing one of Chip's earliest compositions, "Faded Blue", an outstanding song.

Jon Voight

The concert had many great moments,  but the highlight of the evening was definitely the "Wild Thing" sing-along, and yes, I knew the words from start to finish!

They also played Johnny Cash's "Big River" and Chip's own "Angel Of The Morning", which came complete with a hilarious story about Chip's meeting with Shaggy, the reggae artist who recorded a wildly successful version of the song.

Carrie's talents as a singer, songwriter and fiddler were extensively showcased. Her best song was "Never Gonna Be Your Bride".

Here's a YouTube video of one of Chip & Carrie's best songs, "Sweet Tequila Blues":

Two years later, in June 2008, I went back to McCabe's to reconnect with Chip Taylor's wonderful music. This concert was announced as Chip Taylor solo, so no Carrie Rodriguez this time. Sadly, John Platania couldn't be there either - he was on the road with Van Morrison and his "Astral Week" tour - now that's an unassailable excuse, if there ever was one. Chip came out with a worthy replacement, guitarist Mark Goldenberg, and together they put on a show that I enjoyed very much. Jon Voight popped in again to sing the same song, "Faded Blue", he performed in 2006.

To this day I remain a huge Chip Taylor fan. He has won me over for life not only with his superb songs and great delivery, but also with his humble demeanor and the obvious respect and appreciation he shows to his fans. Chip is a true class-act.

Concert #470 - Freedy Johnston at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 7, 2008)

After having seen Freedy Johnston's rather disappointing solo appearance at McCabe's in 2005, I knew that I would never want to see him again, certainly not as a headliner. Yet three years later, there I was again, intently watching Freedy's headlining act from my front row seat, accompanied by my music-loving friend Hans. An unexpected change of heart? Not really. I went to the show for reasons that had little to do with Freedy himself - believe it or not, it was his back-up band that made me show up.

I don't know where and how Freedy met Jackshit, my much idolized band, and I don't know what clicked between them, but something did click, hence their decision to play together. I had seen Jackshit ten times before, and that should be sufficient to demonstrate how much I adored them.

Freedy & Jackshit together proved to be very different from a Jackshit concert. Long story short, I went home disappointed, in spite of Jackshit's full-time presence. Yes, they were there, but having taken their supporting roles seriously, they remained a true back-up band, without any intentions to ever upstage Freedy, the headliner. And there wasn't a single Jackshit gem - they played nothing but Freedy's music, which - just like in 2005 - failed to connect with me.

Jackshit (Pete Thomas, Dave Faragher & Val McCallum)

Concert #617 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (December 10, 2011)

It was holiday bliss last night at McCabe's and it was much more than just the colorful Christmas lights decorating the stage: Jackshit, the band, went out of their way to put on a show that was truly memorable and I don't believe anyone enjoyed it more than I did. This was my twenty-fourth time to see Jackshit live, and if you think that is excessive, then you haven't seen Jackshit live.

But first, let's quickly recap who Jackshit are:

• Pete Thomas: Rock & Roll Hall-Of-Famer, Elvis Costello's life-long drummer
• Dave Faragher: One of Elvis Costello's Imposters and coveted session bassist
• Val McCallum: Lead guitarist for Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, etc.

The stage

The show started just like your typical Jackshit show, with "Hi, How Are You" and "Christine's Tune", followed by a mix of songs that is continually being renewed. Gone are old faves such as "Gone, Gone, Gone", "I Believe" and "Tears A Go Go", but in are Jimmie Vaughan's "Boom Boppa Boom" and "False Hearted Lover", which sounds better every time I hear it.

The concert poster promised "Extra Special Guests", and extra special they were. Introduced as "Jenny Shit", out came Jenny Lewis, formerly of Rilo Kiley and current half of the up-and-coming duo Jenny & Johnny. She opened her four-song set with "Jackson", with Val sharing vocal duties. For the remainder of her set, Jenny was joined by "Johnny Shit" and they sounded great together. I should have instantly recognized who he was, but it wasn't until after the concert that I found out that Johnny was Jonathan Rice, the other half of the aforementioned duo, as well as Jenny's boyfriend.

Val McCallum & Jenny Lewis

Dave Faragher and Jonathan Rice

After three more songs played by Val, Pete and Dave, it was time for yet another surprise guest and when Val invited "Brown Shit" to take the stage, pretty much everyone knew who would be coming down the stairs and indeed, just like last year, Jackson Browne joined the band for a short set, four songs in all. Seeing two Rock & Roll hall-of-famers on the stage at the same time (Jackson & Pete) was very special. 

Val McCallum and Jackson Browne

The highlight of Jackson Browne's appearance was undoubtedly "Take It Easy", the mega-hit of the Eagles, a song co-written by Glenn Frey with Jackson himself. For this number, Jenny Lewis came out once again to sing backup vocals. I also liked "Redneck Friend", an uptempo song that has generated lots of speculations over the years as to who or what the "redneck friend" might be. Jackson's voice was strong and I enjoyed watching his interaction with Val. His overall presence on the stage made a very favorable impression on me.

Jackson Browne at McCabe's

The whole gang playing "Take It Easy"

Youngster Charlie "Ringo" Shit made a cameo appearance replacing Pete Thomas at the drums for the playing of "Why Don't We Do It In The Road". 

The set list (not fully followed)

The always-fun Shit Horns showed up as well, which is another way of saying that we got to hear "Ring Of Fire" and Herb Alpert's "The Lonely Bull", two songs that should never be left out from any Jackshit concert.

Val McCallum and the Shit Horns

Val and Dave playing "The Lonely Bull"

"The Lonely Bull" turned out to be the final song of the set. The Boys From Cochtotin came back for a one-song encore, which somewhat predictably, was Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home", delivered as usual in epic fashion.

Noticeably absent from the set list was "Bull Rider", the perennial Jackshit favorite, a song written by Rodney Crowell for ex-Father-in-Law Johnny Cash. Also missing was "Pretty Polly", in spite of her presence on the set list.

Hanging out at McCabe's after the music's over is always fun, especially when the artists come down and mingle with their fans. Here are some photos taken after the concert:

Jackson Browne with McCabe's employee Mikki Itzigsohn

Pete Thomas and Yours Truly

Jenny Lewis with my friend Steve

Val McCallum (right) chatting with Jonathan Rice (left)

I went to the concert with a few friends, most of them with previous Jackshit experience. Here are some of them:

Sean and Amy

Steve, Tony and Tul

Yours Truly and John R.

Jackshit remains a huge favorite of mine. In a metropolis where I have hundreds of concerts to choose from on any given night, literally, I find myself coming back, time and time again, to see Val, Davey and Pete and I enjoy each and every one of their concerts as if they were my first. Then there's the pleasure I get whenever I bring new folks into the fold, which was the case last night with John R, Gary K and his wife Andrea. They now know Jackshit.

Miniature Christmas tree placed inside of Pete Thomas' drum

Val McCallum's guitars

Holiday button sold at McCabe's for one dollar each