Concert #689 - The Dustbowl Revival at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 20, 2013)

This was my fifth time to see the Dustbowl Revival since March 2012. Yes, I'm a fan, and a huge one at that. Friday night I came with a group of ten buddies which included a lady visitor from faraway India. I just can't help it - whenever I see something that, musically speaking, is out of the ordinary, I feel compelled to bring along more and more of my friends, so that hopefully they get the same pleasure I get. So did they? Read on to find out.

In this blog, opening acts typically get mentioned toward the end of the post, when I'm done writing about the headliner. It takes somebody special to make me break this rule and the T Sisters were most definitely special. Their forty-minute opening set was a delight from start to finish. With their gorgeous vocal harmonies and the old-time feel of their self-penned songs, the three T Sisters - Rachel, Chloe and Erika Tietjen - were received exceptionally well by the crowd. I liked everything they did, but what impressed me the most was the quality of their songwriting. Other than Paul Simon's "American Tune", I believe they sang nothing but their own material and there was enough variety there to please everyone. For the last few songs, the sisters were joined by a few members of the Dustbowl Revival and they sounded great together.

The T Sisters at McCabe's

The Dustbowl Revival opened their set with "Won't You Tell Me So", an uptempo dixieland number and uptempo remained pretty much the theme of the evening. What followed was a veritable avalanche of fantastic music played with total abandon, with countless rousing solos delivered by each and every band member in a clear display of musical democracy. Caught in the frenzy generated by the band, bassist Josiah Mory attempted to play his upright bass like a guitar, it was a blast.

"Guitarist" Josiah Mory at McCabe's

The female vocals were handled by Liz Beebe, a new addition to the band. Her singing of "Riverboat Queen" was one of the many highlights of the show. I also liked her contribution to the evening's quietest moments, namely her duets with Zach Lupetin. Standing right at the edge of the stage, they sang two old cowboy songs. I knew the first one, "My Rifle, My Pony And Me", a tune sung by Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson in the movie Rio Bravo. I was unfamiliar with the second one, which was most likely titled "Rodeo Joe".

The band strayed away a bit from the studio version of "Dan's Jam" and I loved the faster pace of the live rendition. We did not have a chance to applaud as the band transitioned straight into "Orange Blossom Special", complete with Connor Vance's pizzicato and a devilishly fast pace that drove everyone crazy.

From left to right: Connor Vance, Daniel Mark, Liz Beebe, Zach Lupetin

The contribution of the band's brass section cannot be overstated. Ulf Bjorlin (trombone), Matt Rubin (trumpet) and Nate Ketner (sax and clarinet) played their hearts and lungs out, I had a blast listening to them.

The brass section

Other highlights: "John The Revelator", "Soldier's Joy" and "Whiskey In The Well", the latter featuring a great drum solo by the mostly hidden Josh Heffernan as well as a washboard interlude delivered by Liz Beebe.

Drummer Josh Heffernan, with trombonist Ulf Bjorlin

Invited by Zach to join the revivalists, the T Sisters returned to the stage to provide backup vocals for the singing of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". It was the most moving moment of the evening. But the band wasn't done: one after the other, all musicians stepped down onto the floor, from where they delivered three more songs that ended with "When The Saints Go Marchin' In".

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (with the T Sisters)

Without exception, all of my friends loved the show. And how could they not?  How often one get to see so much talent and so much energy right there, in front your eyes?

I went home totally exhausted by the boundless energy of this incredible band and, needless to say, I can't wait to see them again. As for Zach Lupetin, the leader of the collective, I'm in awe of his talent. I hope more and more folks will get to see and hear what he does. 

Zach Lupetin at McCabe's

Some of my friends

More of my friends

Concert #688 - Denny Laine at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 15, 2013)

Q: So last week you witnessed a British Invasion of sorts.

A: Indeed. Three days after the outstanding show of the acoustic Zombies (Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone), I saw Denny Laine perform at the very same venue. Casual fans don't know much about him, but the solo career that he embarked on after the dissolution of the Wings is still going strong.

Q: How old is he now?

A: He is one month short of his 69th birthday, yet he is still capable of putting on an entertaining live show. He sang well and his energy level was quite high.

Denny Laine at McCabe's

Q: Did Denny play solo?

A: No, he came out with a band, four musicians in all - trouble is I did not catch their names, not even a single one. I hope one of the readers will email me their names, I'd love to know who they were. Anyway, the band consisted of a guitarist, a keyboard player, a bassist and a drummer. They were all very good.

Update (December 15, 2013), based on the comment left by "Anonymous":

BAND LINEUP

Jeff Alan Ross - keyboards, backing vocals and occasional guitar (sang lead on "Baby Blue")

Brian Pothier - lead guitar

Bill Cinque - bass, backing vocals (a couple of lead lines on "No Words") 

Steve Aho - drums. 

Q: So how was the concert?

A: It took me some time to "get the feeling". Four songs into the show I was just sitting there, unaffected by the events, questioning the wisdom of my decision to show up. The dueling electric guitars that comprised the instrumental part of "No Words" was the first noteworthy moment of the evening. Then things started to click. Everything that followed "No Words" was top notch and the "grand finale", the two Paul McCartney mega-hits, brought everyone to their feet.

Denny Laine (left) & Brian Pothier

Q: How was the band?

A: They were outstanding. No flashy solos, just lots of teamwork. I loved Jeff Alan Ross' faux-bagpipes on "Mull Of Kintyre" and his equally artificial French accordion on "Boulevard De La Madelaine", which happened to be the third Moody Blues song of the evening ("Go Now" and "I'll Go Crazy" were the other two).

Q: Was there a set list and did Denny stick to it?

A: Yes, there was a list, but it wasn't followed to the letter. The encore was "Band On The Run", not "Live And Let Die" and there was one other minor detour.

The set list

 Q: Did Denny talk about Paul McCartney and his years with the Wings?

A: Yes, he did, but not excessively.

Q: Best songs?

A: "Go Now" and "The Ghost Of The Scrimshaw Carver" were excellent, and so were the Paul McCartney covers, without exception. I also liked "Baby Blue", the Badfinger hit of the early 70s, sung very well by Jeff Alan Ross while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.

Jeff Alan Ross delivering "Baby Blue"

 Q: Was there an opening act?

A: Nope.

Q: Anything else worth mentioning?

A:  Billy J. Kramer attended the show.

Denny Laine at McCabe's

Denny Laine signing autographs

The stage

Concert #687 - Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 12, 2013)

This was a rare weekday show at McCabe's, something that happens only on special occasions, and let me tell you: this show was special. Very special.

I went to McCabe's expecting to see two former glories of the British Invasion who certainly had the potential of disappointing us, if for no other reason than the wear-and-tear of two veteran rock-and-rollers with a combined age of 136. But, as proven many times in the past, age had nothing to do with the viability of the performance I had the privilege of attending last night at McCabe's.

My initial apprehensions were not limited only to the seniority of the protagonists - I had some reservations about the format of the show as well. Acoustic Zombies? How would that work? How would they approach, for instance, "Time Of The Season" and the psychedelic sound of the original recording?

As it turned out, the show was absolutely mesmerizing. Rod Argent went straight to the piano, sat down, and remained seated there for the entire duration of the concert. Colin Blunstone stood at the center of the stage, alone with a microphone stand.

Colin Blunstone (left) and Rod Argent at McCabe's

The show kicked off with "Tell Her No", the second big hit of the Zombies. What followed was an appealing mix of songs, old and new, interspersed with a healthy dose of story telling. Rod and Colin turned out to be exceptionally eloquent and quite funny. And they had plenty of stories to tell, some of which were in response to questions coming from the audience.

Colin and Rod having fun on the stage

Without a rhythm section in tow and with no one else on the stage, Colin's vocals were driven by Rod's exquisite piano playing, which infused new life into the hit songs we all heard so many times on the radio. All lead vocals were delivered by Colin, with Rod providing outstanding harmony backup. Colin hit all the high notes with power and precision - the quality of his voice surprised me and probably everyone else present. In spite of all my initial doubts, the stripped-down version of the Zombies' music turned out to be delightfully entertaining.

The acoustic versions of the hits of the Zombies - "She's Not There", "Time Of The Season" and "Tell Her No" - were definitely among the highlights of the show, but I also liked the newer songs, all of which were totally new to me. The newer numbers that stood out to these ears were "Breathe Out, Breathe In" and "Any Other Way".

Rod Argent sharing some stories with the crowd

Colin Blunstone at McCabe's

The interaction between these old friends was something to behold. Neither of them hogged the microphone, they treated each other as equals and they did it with humor, eloquence and professionalism.

Rod and Colin spoke about their first concerts in the States, their appearance on Murray The K's show in Brooklyn and the valuable help received from Al Kooper, without whom we would have never heard "Time Of The Season". Colin talked about his work with Alan Parsons, then he sang "Old And Wise", a song that Colin recorded in the early 80s for "Eye In The Sky", Alan's hugely successful album.

Usually I prefer more music and less talk, but listening to Rod and Colin deliver their stories gave me as much pleasure as the music they played.

The set ended with a rousing rendition of "She's Not There". Rod and Colin came back for two more songs. First they played an old Zombies tune, "The Way I Feel Inside", then they wrapped up the evening with Gershwin's "Summertime". Both sounded fabulous, especially the latter. When the lights went back on, I turned to my friend Steve and uttered two words: "Absolutely superb". No better way to capture my feelings about the performance of these two consummate professionals.

Colin & Rod at the end of the show

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 1

Rod & Colin's set list - Sheet 2

Et Tu Brucé, a British band of considerable talent, played a short opening set, six songs in all. Their all-acoustic performance was a notch or two less engaging than their mostly electric studio recordings I had previewed on the band's web site and YouTube. "Never Say Trevor Again" was the song that I liked the best.

Et Tu Brucé at McCabe's

The merch table

More merchandise

 

Concert #685 - Jill Sobule at McCabe's (September 6, 2013)

Jill Sobule's concert at McCabe's last week was not very different from her earlier appearances there and that's not a negative. Her formula works for me every time - great tunes, thought-provoking lyrics (Jill has plenty of those), good humor, a sweet singing voice, a couple of unannounced guests. And then there's that joyful look on her face - no one exudes good vibes quite like Jill and in the end, I don't see how anyone could walk away disappointed from her show.

Jill opened her set with "Palm Springs", followed by "When They Say We Want Our America Back", which quickly turned into a hilarious sing-along. Good songs kept coming in quick succession: "Houdini's Box", "Heroes", "Lucy At The Gym", "Wendell Lee", "Somewhere In New Mexico", "Margaret" and a few more. Somewhat surprisingly, we did not get to hear "Where Is Bobbie Gentry", in spite a few requests from the audience.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's

Jill's first guest of the evening was Tom Brosseau. His performance, albeit brief, made me regret my decision to skip his headlining appearance at McCabe's just a few weeks earlier. Tom played the acoustic guitar, sang backup vocals and then he knocked me out with his solo rendition of "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum", an old pre-WWII tune.

Tom Brosseau at McCabe's

Jill's second guest was Kate Micucci, who happens to be one half of the Garfunkel & Oates singing comedy duo that has achieved a decent level of popularity in Los Angeles. Her delivery of "Walking In Los Angeles", a song she wrote herself, was quite good.

Kate Micucci at McCabe's

For her one-song encore and in response to my request, Jill sang "Goof Life", a song that drives me crazy every time I hear it. Described as "a happy song about the end of the world", this little gem perfectly captures Jill's boundless joie-de-vivre and sense of humor.

Jill Sobule at McCabe's

Concert #684 - Ernest Troost & Ray Bonneville at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 24, 2013)

Ernest Troost (right) & Ray Bonneville at McCabe's

Here's a winning formula: bring together two outstanding singer-songwriters and present them to an educated audience in an intimate room on a Saturday night.

Last night's doubleheader at McCabe's kicked off with a one-hour-long set delivered by Ray Bonneville, a Canadian-born, US-based veteran singer-songwriter who had never performed in the Los Angeles area before. Armed with two electric guitars, a mouth harmonica and keeping the beat with his shoes gently stomping on his wooden footpads, Ray captured the audience from the very first song. If I was asked to described Ray's set in one word, I would say "consistency". Indeed, we heard nothing but good songs, no fillers at all, sung with the voice of an experienced storyteller. I liked Ray's idiosyncratic bass-heavy guitar playing - simple, not flashy, but quite effective.

I suppose Ray wrote all the songs he played, except of course for "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry", the old Hank Williams gem. "I'm The Big Easy" is the song that touched me the most.

Ray Bonneville at McCabe's

After an intermission, it was Ernest Troost's turn to show what he could do, and show he did. The crowd's response went beyond polite applause - I heard folks around me whisper words like "sweet", "beautiful" and "wow" and I felt the same way. This was my third time to see Ernest in a live performance, I knew exactly what to expect, yet he still managed to thoroughly impress me with his stellar songwriting and outstanding finger-picking. Good songs came one after the other and once again the word "consistent" comes to mind, as in consistently top-notch. No doubt, Ernest is one of the very few singer-songwriters out there who can deliver full sets that don't include a single dud.

Ernest Troost at McCabe's

With fabulous songs such as "Resurrection Blues", "Oh Love", "The Last To Leave" and "Close", Ernest made me forget that "Travelin' Shoes", the song that initially made a fan out of me, wasn't even on the set list.

Unlike in January of this year, Ernest's show last night had no electric interludes. For most of the songs, he was accompanied by seasoned veteran Dave Stone on upright bass. For the singing of "Evangeline", his one-song encore, Ernest brought out Ray Bonneville, whose harmonica playing was a great addition to the song.

Ernest Troost's set list

Ray Bonneville's set list

Ernest Troost after the show

Ray Bonneville (left) after the show

Ernest Troost's stage setup

Ray Bonneville's stage setup

Ernest Troost's merch table

Concert #683 - Barry McGuire & John York at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 16, 2013)

Typically, my response to nostalgia concert offerings involves a great deal of apprehension. Just like you, I have a soft spot for many musicians of the sixties, but do I really want to see them in action half a century after their heyday? Well, if they are as vibrant as Barry McGuire was Friday night at McCabe's, the answer must be a resounding yes.

Although I enjoyed Barry's concert very much, I will always remember the evening as a series of missed opportunities. It would have been out-of-this-world to have had P.F. Sloan walk in for the singing of "Eve Of Destruction" or John Sebastian engage in a duet with Barry on "Daydream". Well, neither of them showed up, nor anyone else, as a matter of fact. For almost two full hours, the stage belonged to Barry and John, who together delivered one classic gem after another, complete with stories about the musicians who wrote or sang those songs decades ago.

Barry McGuire (left) & John York at McCabe's

Barry is seventy-eight years old now, as in two years shy of his eightieth birthday - can you believe that? Almost eighty years old, and still on the road, still giving it all, still exuding immense joy while performing and still sounding pretty much like Barry McGuire.

Barry singing "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"

Since 2007, I have caught Barry's "Trippin' The Sixties" act not fewer than five times, a clear sign that I'm a satisfied customer. The format of the show has remained intact, with occasional changes in content. Some songs get dropped, others get added. One of these new additions, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", delivered by Barry almost like a whisper, was one of the highlights of the evening. Equally good was Barry and John's treatment of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter".

The set list

After almost two hours of well-known classics, it felt great hearing the two songs chosen by Barry for his encore. What a surprise - who would have thought that Barry would sing a song written and recorded by Madonna?? But he did! His version of Madonna's "Frozen" sounded great and so did the tune that preceded it, "Somewhere Only We Know", from the repertoire of Keane, the British alternative rock band.

With his powerful guitar playing and good vocals, John York was once again an outstanding support musician, who got to show what he could do without ever trying to upstage the headliner.

The end of the show

Barry McGuire (right) & John York after the show

Mari McGuire at the merch table

The crowd

Concert poster