Concert #668 - Janis Ian at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 24, 2013)

 

Janis Ian's appearance last Sunday at McCabe's started with a deep and prolonged bow. Two hours later, an identical bow marked the end of the show. Artists with class would treat their audiences like that and there's no better word than "class" to describe Janis Ian, the musician. Or Janis Ian, the human being, for that matter.

The evening kicked off with an unannounced opening set featuring Diana Jones, a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter I knew precious little about. I liked her set, but it took me some time to get used to her unique singing voice. There was only one song that did not connect with me, melodically speaking, everything else sounded very good. Diana's best songs were "Henry Russell's Last Words" and the set-ending "A Hold On Me". For the singing of the latter, Diana was joined on stage by Janis Ian, who then stayed on to deliver her own set.

This was my third time to see Janis Ian solo in concert and even though I knew exactly what to expect, Sunday night's show was as good as the first two. On the stage floor, right at her feet, there was a sheet of paper with lots of song titles, not a true set list, but more like a pool of songs to draw from.

Janis Ian's list of songs

Janis opened her set with "Through The Years", followed by one of my all-time favorites, "When The Party's Over". Next in line was "Society's Child", complete with a story about the difficulties she had encountered in the 1960s to get any air play for this hard-hitting song. Serious topics and moments of levity marched together throughout the evening, masterfully intertwined by Janis to both comedic and thought-provoking effect. "My Autobiography" sounded as funny Sunday night as it did in 2006, when I first heard it. I also enjoyed "The Tiny Mouse", a not-yet-released song written by Janis at the request of Cleo Lane, the British singing star known since 1997 as Dame Cleo Lane. The evening's first set wrapped up with "Bright Lights And Promises", during which Janis put on display her guitar-playing prowess.

Janis Ian at McCabe's

After a short break, Janis came back to the stage, expressed relief about her audience still being there, then launched into "Water Colors", arguably the evening's best vocal performance. "Married In London", a song that addresses the controversial issue of same-sex marriage in a humorous way, generated a lot of laughter in the room. Many decades after it first came out, "Tea And Sympathy", another old favorite of mine, still sounded great and so did "Light A Light" and the somewhat newer "My Tennessee Hills". The set ended with a heartfelt rendition of Janis' signature song, "At Seventeen".

Janis Ian on stage at McCabe's

For her two-song encore, Janis brought out Diana Jones, with whom she sang "I'm Still Standing Here", a newer composition. Then, after Diana left, Janis put her microphone down, seated herself on her guitar case and closed the evening with a soft rendition of "Jesse", one of her better-known songs.

Janis Ian singing "Jesse"

Even though I was there for the music, I really enjoyed the moments of spoken word, which were delivered by Janis with her impeccable diction in a voice that was warm, calm, and above all, convincing. Throughout the concert, Janis laughed a lot, and so did we, the spectators. I said it in the first paragraph of this write-up, let me say it again: Janis Ian is a class act, if there ever was one.

Diana Jones at McCabe's

Diana Jones's song list

Janis Ian's guitars on the back wall of the stage

Donation jar for the Pearl Foundation (www.pearlfoundation.com)

Concert poster

Concert #120 - Pete Townshend at the Wiltern Theatre (July 29, 1993)

Pete Townshend. One of the truly great ones. Someone I have been following for a life time, thanks to the fact that neither of us has died before getting old. I went to the concert with my good friend Jim F, who showed up wearing his nicest jump suit, the kind he thought was in order for nicer venues located in the heart of LA. Twenty years on, I still tease him about his exceedingly sporty appearance that night.

Concert poster

We caught the first of Pete's two sold-out shows at the Wiltern. He had just released "Psychoderelict", an ambitious concept album that, by the way, went nowhere, so we knew from the get-go that we'd be treated to many of the songs of the new album. Well, he did the entire album and there was nothing particularly memorable there. But there were plenty of other great songs, some from Pete's solo output, others from the catalog of the Who. As a huge fan of "Tommy", I certainly enjoyed hearing a couple of songs from Pete's masterpiece.

The Set List

Tommy Can You Hear Me?

Cobwebs And Strange (band introduction)

Save It For Later

Eyesight To The Blind

Face The Face

Heart To Hang Onto

I'm A Boy (fragment)

Eminence Front

English Boy

Meher Baba M3

Let's Get Pretentious

Meher Baba M4

Early Morning Dreams

I Want That Thing

Outlive The Dinosaur

Meher Baba M4

Flame

Now And Then

I Am Afraid

Electronic Wizardry

Don't Try To Make Me Real

Predictable

Flame

Meher Baba M5

Fake It

Now And Then (Reprise)

Baba O'Riley

English Boy

 

INTERMISSION

Let My Love Open The Door

Corrine, Corrina

A Little Is Enough

You Better You Bet

Rough Boys

Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan)

Pinball Wizard

Naked Eye

ENCORE

 

Magic Bus (with John Entwistle)

Let's See Action (with John Entwistle)

Won't Get Fooled Again (with John Entwistle)

Pete came out with a band consisting of top-notch musicians, among them guitarist and singer Andy Fairweather-Low of Amen Corner fame, bassist Pino Palladino and Katie Kissoon, a well-known British back-up singer. Late in the show, the place erupted when Pete brought out John Entwistle, who helped wrap up the evening.

The concert went on for a stunning three full hours. Pete was in good vocal shape and his spirits were high. At one point during the show, Pete and his entire band stood for a few seconds on one leg, in a humorous attempt to prove that they were all sober.

The highlight of the show? My vote goes to the forty-eight year old Pete Townsend doing his trademark windmill guitar strokes. Unforgettable.

Concert #667 - Black Prairie at McCabe's Guitar Shop (March 16, 2013)

The Black Prairie is an ensemble that marches in its own yet-to-be-named musical direction. I have seen other acts who "do their own thing", away from well-established genres, but in terms of blazing new musical trails, no one impressed me as much as the Black Prairie. Any attempt to classify their music would be an utter exercise in futility, as there is no name for their blend of experimental bluegrass, Balkan-folk, tango, gypsy music, alt-country, old-time music, klezmer, modern jazz, folk-rock, ragtime, avant-garde Americana, polka and God knows what else.

Terms such as "experimental" and "avant-garde" are quite often associated with music that I find unlistenable, yet everything the Black Prairie played last night at McCabe's sounded refreshing and decidedly tuneful. With their humor, youthful energy and mostly with their music, they took me and everyone else for an unusual yet thoroughly rewarding ride.

Band Line-up

Chris Funk - Dobro, banjo, autoharp

Nate Query - Upright bass

Jenny Conlee - Accordion, backup vocals

John Moen - Drums, backup vocals

Annalisa Tornfelt - Lead vocals, violin

Jon Neufeld - Acoustic guitar, backup vocals

Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee & Annalisa Tornfelt on stage at McCabe's

The set list

The concert had plenty of highlights. I loved the all-instrumental numbers, which showcased exceptionally well the band's talent and eclecticism. My vote for the best instrumental number must go to "Dirty River Stomp", a gem of a piece with an obsessively gorgeous melody line. But I also enjoyed Annalisa's vocals - "Little Songbird", "Nowhere, Massachusetts" and especially "Lay Me Down In Tennessee" were all great.

Here's a great live version of "Dirty River Stomp":

I liked the fact that, as a band, the Black Prairie does not have any individual stars. Most of the time they played together as a true band, without flashy protracted solos, the kind that typically generate applause directed at one of the musicians, as opposed to the whole group. Last night, the band also used a few unusual instruments, which was certainly in line with the innovative spirit of their music. Jenny Conlee's contribution to the overall sound of the band cannot be overstated - her accordion sounded great to these ears.

Jenny Conlee & Annalisa Tornfelt

The evening kicked off with a five-song set delivered by Ashleigh Flynn, a singer-songwriter of some talent. Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and mouth harmonica, Ashley performed her first two songs solo, before being joined by some members of the headlining band. By the time her set ended, Ashleigh was flanked  by the entire band, in a truly nice show of support. The highlight of the opening set was "How The West Was Won".

Ashleigh Flynn (right), with Annalisa Tornfelt

Ashleigh Flynn's sheet

The stage

Ashleigh Flynn merchandise

Concert poster

Concert #666 - Lloyd Price and Others at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February 23, 2013)

It must have been divine intervention ... how else can one explain that my concert #666 featured Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lloyd Price, considered to be one of the Fathers of the Devil's Music. And who would have thought that someone who had his first hit in 1952 was still a viable performer in 2013?

Santa Monica's McCabe's Guitar Shop is the last place on Earth one would expect to see someone like Lloyd Price, so I had to pinch myself when the show was announced a couple of months ago. Three other artists, Dave Somerville, Gretchen Christopher and Trevor McShane, were also billed to appear with Lloyd. You may not recognize the first two names, but you would certainly know the groups they founded decades ago, the Diamonds and the Fleetwoods, respectively. The third name, Trevor McShane, is the assumed moniker of  Neville Johnson, a Beverly Hills-based lawyer and amateur musician, who I understand played a key role in bringing the performers together. Neville also acted as the MC of the evening and performed a few songs himself.

Last night's show was unlike anything I've ever seen at McCabe's in my nearly twenty-five years of frequenting the venue. At times, last night's concert resembled one of those Doo-Wop concert we often see on Public Television during their pledge drive seasons, as it brought together performers who have long ceased to be in the public eye, yet are still capable of exciting a crowd.

In my case, the excitement came primarily from Lloyd Price. He came out all smiles and launched straight into "The night was clear and the moon was yellow", the opening line from "Stagger Lee". The place went wild. Lloyd's infectious smile never left his face, as he delivered some of the better-known songs of his career, with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" receiving the best response from the crowd. Sadly, he was bothered by a "tight throat", as he put it, so he had some trouble hitting the higher notes. No one seemed to mind, though, as everyone was having a great time, myself included. We also got to hear a couple of good jokes, my favorite was the one about the zebra being white with black stripes or black with white stripes. As expected, he closed his set with "Personality", a song seemingly made to be a show-ending sing-along and, as the song ended, I took advantage of my front-row seating, reached out my hand and shook his. The thrill I got from watching Lloyd Price in action will be hard to forget.

Lloyd Price at McCabe's

Lloyd Price and Gretchen Christopher

Lloyd Price and Gretchen Christopher

Lloyd Price's set list

Gretchen Christopher's set included all the hits of the Fleetwoods and plenty of spoken word. She delivered her songs either standing at the center of the stage, or accompanying herself on the piano. I have always liked the Fleetwoods, I do own their music, but somehow I feel that their songs are better suited for radio, where their gentle ballads are typically flanked by songs of considerable more energy. The delivery of all those soft numbers, one after the other, could usher in boredom, just ask my friend Steve. Octogenarian Dave Somerville took the stage to sing with Gretchen on a number of songs, among them "Come Softly To Me".

Gretchen Christopher and Dave Somerville singing "Come Softly To Me"

Gretchen Christopher's set list

The show opened with a warm and surprisingly lively set delivered by Dave Somerville, the founder and main voice of the Diamonds, with part-time help from three fourth of the Four Preps. Sporting the posture of a twenty year old and intertwining songs with stories about his younger days, Dave surprised us with a voice that sounded a decade or two younger. Among others, he sang "The Stroll", "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", Oh Boy" and "Silhouettes". Out of nowhere, the Four Preps took the stage and, together with Dave, they sang "26 Miles", their huge hit from the late fifties, as well as "Little Darlin'", the signature song of the Diamonds. They all sounded good.

Dave Somerville at McCabe's

The Four Preps at McCabe's

Exhibiting a lot of self-confidence, Neville Johnson performed a six-song set that included both covers and originals. I liked the originals better. He also sang lead vocals on the evening's grand finale, "Tossin' And Turnin'", the Bobby Lewis oldie, with most protagonists back on the stage. Neville deserves kudos for his part in making the show possible.

Neville Johnson (Trevor McShane)

Neville Johnson (Trevor McShane), Gretchen Christopher & Dave Somerville

All-in-all, it was a fun evening. I knew from the get go that I would not be watching performers with the energy level of Glen Hansard, nor the vocal purity of Shelby Lynne, but still, I just had to be there in order to show my support and offer my thanks to a group of musicians who have given me a lot of pleasure over the years.

Neville Johnson's set list

Bad news for the many attendees with weak bladders

Gretchen Christopher chatting with fans

Dave Somerville at the merch table

The stage

First in line at McCabe's: Bill and Paula

Concert #665 - Shawn Mullins at McCabe's Guitar Shop (February 16, 2013)

Every so often I go to a concert not knowing what to expect, mostly because of my not having done my homework. Case in point: Shawn Mullins. Like most everybody else, I became aware of Shawn in the late nineties, when his breakthrough hit "Lullaby" was all over the radio. I liked the song, but for reasons unexplained, I never got deeper into his music. I guess I thought of him as just another musician who had a good song but not much else. Boy, was I wrong, and it took me more than a decade to find out.

In my eyes, anyone who's booked to play McCabe's gets an instant credibility bump. At only twenty bucks a ticket, seeing Shawn was not an expensive proposition, so I bought myself a ticket. While waiting in line to get in, I met Charlie and Marsha, a couple who flew in from Arizona just to see Shawn's concert. We had a nice long chat, but when asked about my favorite Shawn Mullins song, all I could do was mention "Lullaby", before pleading ignorance about everything else.

The show started with an opening set by Max Gomez, a friend and musical collaborator of the headliner. Typically I write about opening acts at the end of my blog entries, but for Max I'll make a rare, but well-deserved exception. His forty-five minute set was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. He can sing, he can write and yes, he can play the guitar. Has a nice personality, too. I assume he wrote most of the songs, except of course for the set-opening "Key To The Highway", the classic blues number. My favorites were "Ball And Chain" and "Run From You", two songs that sound exceptionally good in a live setting. In a classy gesture of support, Shawn Mullins joined Max for the singing of "Never Say Never". Later in the show, Jeff Trott took the stage to provide mandolin accompaniment on one of Max's songs. After I got home, I googled Jeff and found some interesting things about him (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-trott-mn0000814242)

Max Gomez at McCabe's

Shawn's set was one of the best I've ever seen at McCabe's, bar none. No YouTube video and no studio recording come even close to conveying what Shawn brings to the stage. As the consummate live performer that he is, Shawn shines in every category: songwriting, singing, lyrics, guitar playing, personality, intensity, sense of humor and last, but certainly not least, humility.

I was truly taken by Shawn's soulful and relentlessly intense set. Most performers slow down a couple of times during their performance in order to rest their vocal cords, but not Shawn. Last night at McCabe's, he just went on and on, delivering one great song after another, with sweat running down his face and giving it all he had. Very impressive.

Shawn Mullins at McCabe's

Shawn came out with a two-man band that included Davis Causey on electric guitar and bassist Tom Ryan. I liked Tom's playing and strong backup vocals, but Davis was just out of this world. To these eyes and ears, Davis was the embodiment of the perfect support musician, fully capable of shining on his own, taking a few moments to strut his stuff, but doing it always in a tasteful and understated way that wasn't meant to outshine the main act. His guitar playing was superb, so no wonder that many of the evening's spontaneous rounds of applause came in direct response to his solos and I really enjoyed observing the appreciative look on his face. I've seen this formula before - the combination of a lead singer who picks and strums an acoustic guitar while being accompanied by an accomplished electric guitar player works for me every time.

Shawn Mullins (right) and Davis Causey

Returning the favor, Max Gomez came back to sing two songs with Shawn and the second one they sang together, "Love Will Find A Way", was an absolute gem.

Here are some of the songs I liked the most: "Catoosa County", "California", "Cold Black Heart", "Ghost Of Johnny Cash", "Beautiful Wreck", "The House Of The Rising Sun", but then again, there were no weak songs last night at McCabe's.

Davis' set list

Shawn's set list

All-in-all, I had a heck of a good time last night at McCabe's. I showed up hoping to be pleasantly surprised at best, but Shawn's performance did a lot more than just surprise me: he surpassed my most optimistic expectations by a landslide.

Shawn Mullins thanking the crowd

Max Gomez poster (note the misspelled venue name)

Davis Causey gear

The stage

Max Gomez shaking hands with a fan

Max Gomez's set list

Coming straight from Arizona: fans Marsha and Charlie

Davis Causey & Tom Ryan (1st & 2nd from left) after the show

Poster in the window at McCabe's