Concerts #342, 599 - Robbie Fulks at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 31, 2004 - July 31, 2011)

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

Michael McKean and Robbie Fulks after the show

The empty stage, after the show

Concerts #214, 278, 487 - Tom Russell at the Neighborhood Church and McCabe's Guitar Shop (November 20, 1999 - November 29, 2008)

My love affair with Tom Russell's music started in 1995, when I bought from Rockaway Records in Los Angeles a compilation CD titled "Philo So Far - The 20th Anniversary Folk Sampler". After a few listens, I lost interest in this rather bland CD, but there was one song that really hit me hard - Tom Russell's "Box Of Visions". At that time, I had no clue who Tom Russell was, nor did I know any other song of his.

Fast forward four years to 1999 and "Box Of Visions" was still the only Tom Russell song I knew. But something made me grab my better half and drive 35 miles to see Tom at Pasadena's Neighborhood Church and I'm so glad I did. The concert was part of the appropriately named "Acoustic Music Series", produced by the late Ron Stockfleth, a folk music lover who single-handedly ran a successful series of concerts that sadly ended with Ron's untimely passing.


Tom took the stage accompanied by guitarist Andrew Hardin, who dazzled everyone with his fast, powerful and precise picking. But it was Tom's songs and delivery that took center stage. His songs were pure Americana, and although new to me, they were instantly accessible and likeable.

Andrew Hardin

Twelve years after the show, I can tell with certainty that Katy Moffat, a singer of some renown, made an appearance that night, but did she open the show with a set of her own or was she only Tom's guest for a song or two? That I can't tell. Nor do I remember much about her performance

Katy Moffatt

In September 2002, I caught Tom Russell again, this time at McCabe's in Santa Monica. Once again, Tom was backed up by Andrew Hardin, a stellar guitarist who added an element of virtuosity to Tom's exquisite songwriting and once again, Tom had a guest, who this time happened to be none other than Dave Alvin, his long-time collaborator and personal friend."California Snow" was the best song of the evening.

Dave Alvin

On November 29, 2008, I went to McCabe's for yet another Tom Russell concert. Andrew Hardin was no longer with Tom. Instead, I was introduced for the first time to guitarist Michael Martin, who just like Andrew, complemented Tom very well. Together, they played a perfect concert, complete with love making on Navajo rugs, cockfighting champions, memories of Dave Van Ronk and aging boxers.

Concert #598 - The Refugees at McCabe's Guitar Shop (July 23, 2011)

The Refugees are a perfect example of a musical ensemble that is greater than the sum of its parts. Not that there's anything wrong with the "parts", namely Wendy Waldman, Cindy Bullens and Deborah Holland, three fine artists whose musical resumes speak for themselves. I seriously doubt, though, that either of them, performing solo, could put on a show that is as funny, as entertaining and even as good musically as their combined effort as the Refugees.

At times, I couldn't tell whether I was attending a comedy show with occasional musical interludes, or the other way around. But either way, it was fun. Their humor appeared to be spontaneous and it generated a lot of laughter in the room. Of the three, Wendy was the most verbose, followed by Cindy and Deborah, in that order. But the singing and playing duties were shared pretty much equally. Here's how they all pitched in:

Wendy: Vocals, acoustic guitar

Cindy: Vocals, mandolin & acoustic guitar

Deborah: Vocals, electric bass & accordion

The strength of the Refugees lies in their songwriting and singing. There wasn't a single bad song in their set. Their voices were superb, both individually and collectively, their harmonies were gorgeous.


The highlights of the show were the beautifully sung "Save The Best For Last" and "Unbound".

L to R: Deborah, Wendy, Cindy (McCabe's, July 23, 2011)

The set list

Poster in the window at McCabe's

Concerts #300, 319, 335, 421 at McCabe's Guitar Shop & Throop Memorial Church (March 14, 2003 - October 21, 2006)

Chris Smither is the perfect example of an artist who, from my vantage point, was a total nobody one day and a mega-star the next. I don't mean mega-star like Bruce Springsteen or the Stones. I mean mega-star like someone who I could simply not resist seeing again and again. And every time I went, I dragged a few reluctant friends with me, only to witness their own instant transformation into believers.

McCabe's is the perfect venue to see Chris. He always sells out there, and typically I'm among the first in line. Sitting in the front row gives me the complete experience, as I can watch his amazing finger-work and at the same time see his feet providing the drum beat on a miked-up piece of plywood. I was less lucky in November 2003 at the Throop Memorial Church in Pasadena, where I could not secure a front row seat.

Throop Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, Pasadena, California

Chris Smither's gig at McCabe's on March 14, 2003, is available in its entirety, including all the chatter in-between songs, as a digital download from Amazon, Emusic and possibly other sites as well. Here's the set list:

Hold On

Dust My Broom

Get a Better One

Lola

No Love Today

Crocodile Man

Let It Go

Can't Shake These Blues

Drive You Home Again

Love You Like a Man

Train Home

Never Needed It More

Killing the Blues

Hey, Hey, Hey

Desolation Row

Duncan and Brady

Confirmation

I'm yet to overdose on Chris Smither. His shows are funny, engaging, and most of all, musically superior. He writes most of the songs he sings and never forgets to credit the author when he covers somebody else's work. In my opinion, Chris' strength is his guitar playing, which is nothing short of stunning. Others may argue that songwriting is his forte, and their point would be hard to refute.

As I write this, Chris Smither is almost 67 years old, a good reason for you to catch his live shows in your area, if you're fortunate enough to have him come to a venue near you.

Concerts #106, 486 - Tangerine Dream at the Wiltern Theater & UCLA Royce Hall ( October 30, 1992 - November 7, 2008)

After having witnessed the mind-blowing Tangerine Dream show in 1986 at the Universal Amphitheater, I so badly wanted to relive that experience, but you know how it always works when you are trying to recreate something thrilling from the past ...

Their concerts at the Wiltern Theater in 1992 and UCLA in 2008 were good, but I was less impressed with Tangerine Dream's newer sound that was far more guitar-oriented than what I heard in 1986. In addition to electric guitars, both of these shows featured a sax player, a clear departure from their earlier pure-electronic days, but here's a noteworthy tidbit: at both of these shows, the sax player was the very same Linda Spa, an Austrian musician who also has a career outside of TD. Both shows were well-attended and also well-received. There were a lot of youngsters in the crowd, especially at the UCLA show, a strong sign that Tangerine Dream has many more years left in them.

Tangerine Dream at the Wiltern Theater (1992)

For the UCLA show in 2008, I had an excellent seat, very close to the stage. Edgar Froese aged a bit, no surprise there - his white hair and black clothes gave him a somewhat surreal appearance, which was certainly in line with his music. He frequently alternated between his keyboards, synthesizers and guitar. Standing in front of his band's multi-tiered stage setup and surrounded by his band-mates Iris Camaa, Thorsten Quaeshning and Bernhard Beibl, Edgar addressed the crowd at the end of his UCLA gig and the crowd just loved him.

Partial set list - UCLA, November 7, 2008

Trauma

California

Leviathan

Sphinx Lightning

Carmel

Wisdom & Tragedy

No Man's Land

The Blue Bridge

Hunter Shot By A Yellow Rabbit

The Dream Is Always The Same

Fire On The Mountain

Betrayal

La Liberation

Going West

Le Parc

One Night In Space

Leaving The Masters For God

I will probably never go to see Tangerine Dream again, but I will certainly remember their unique live shows for as long as I live.

Concert #489 - Po' Girl at the Claremont Folk Music Center (December 14, 2008)

Claremont's Folk Music Center is a fun music store and occasional concert venue, founded decades ago by Ben Harper's grandparents. Today, the store is owned by Ben Harper himself, and as far as I know, is operated by Ben's family. The place is not big - there's a small stage in one corner and there's just enough room for seventy-five folding chairs, which in essence defines the Folk Music Center's problem: they cannot generate enough money to attract the caliber of artists who usually perform at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica.

Better known in their native Canada than in the States and with nothing but local advertising, Po' Girl still managed to sell out their Claremont gig and I don't think anyone went home unhappy. I know I didn't. Singers Allison Russell and Awna Teixeira took turns at singing lead, they harmonized, played a variety of instruments and told a few good stories. They sang mostly in English, but they threw in a French song or two. I liked very much the sound of Allison's clarinet, an instrument one seldom hears at folks music concerts, and was amazed by Awna's gutbucket bass, an instrument I had not seen before, nor since. The highlight of the show was "'Til It's Gone", a catchy tune with beautiful lyrics.

All in all, Po' Girl proved to be a highly likeable group that certainly deserves to play in front of larger audiences. I seldom buy CDs anymore, but when I do, I buy directly from the artist. Before going home, I picked up Po' Girl's "Deer In The Night" album, released just a few months before the concert I attended.

Here's a video that captures Allison and Awna at their contagious best:

One final note: concert tickets cost only $12 ... I pay more for parking when I go to larger venues ...

The Folk Music Center, Claremont, California