Welcome to CONCERT OVERLOAD, a place for sharing my concert-going experiences. My goal is to say a few words about each and every concert I've ever attended.
CURRENT CONCERT COUNT: 868 (most of them in the Los Angeles area)
I first became acquainted with Judith Owen in 2001, when she was picked by Richard Thompson to be part of "1,000 Years Of Popular Music", his highly enjoyable show I was fortunate to have attended twice over the years. On both occasions, Judith sounded and looked good, so in 2007 I grabbed my ticket without hesitation, when McCabe's announced her headlining gig there.
I went to her June 22nd show well prepared, after having listened extensively to two of earlier albums, "Twelve Arrows"and "Here", from 2003 and 2006, respectively. Accompanying herself on keyboards, Judith sang nothing but her own material and she impressed me quite a bit with her songs and singing. I was less taken by her excessive talking, even though most of it was humorous. Still, one could not miss what Richard Thompson himself did not miss, that is Judith's undeniable talent as a singer and songwriter. The title song from "Here" was the best song of the evening.
California-based British chanteuse Julia Fordham took the stage to duet with Judith on one song. Sporting large sideburns and understandably keeping a low profile, hubby Harry Shearer popped in to play the upright bass.
Harry Shearer
Julia Fordham
All in all, my first encounter with Judith The Headliner turned out to enjoyable, so a few months later, when she was booked for a return engagement at McCabe's, I was there once again, this time accompanied by a friend. Not unexpectedly, her show was very similar to her appearance in June. Harry Shearer was not in town, but Julia Fordham was, so they joined forces once again for a song or two. The number I liked the best was "My Father's Voice", yet another outstanding Judith Owen composition.
Just like in June, Judith was in a talkative mood, so she talked and talked and talked. The crowd responded well to her act, but I was there for her music, so after a while I felt a bit unhappy with the course of events. Since then, I have not caught any more or her live shows, but I'll be back again one day, I'm pretty sure.
It's hard to describe what makes me want to catch Chris Smither in concert almost every time he's in town. Save for his new material, Chris' shows are pretty much the same. It's always just him. No unannounced guests, ever. No band, either. Always plays sitting down, with a piece of plywood under his feet and a microphone strategically placed a few inches above the plywood. Invariably delivers the same kind of self-deprecating humor that quite often involves his relationship with the other gender. Everything about a Chris Smither live appearance is predictable and, time and time again, all predictions materialize.
Yet there is an invisible force out there that makes me steer my car precisely to where Chris is scheduled to appear. Seeing Chris in concert may have become a routine thing for me, but it's yet to become a drag.
Friday night at McCabe's, Chris focused primarily on his new album, titled "Hundred Dollar Valentine". The new songs were "vintage Chris Smither", which is just another way of saying that his songwriting has not deteriorated with the passage of time. I liked all the new songs, but still, I found more pleasure in the songs I knew, especially the topical "Surprise, Surprise", "Origin Of Species" and "I Don't Know", a funny song written about the inquisitive mind of his adopted daughter. Dave Carter's "Crocodile Man" sounded great and so did Chris' own "Lola" and "No Love Today". There were no Bob Dylan covers, and that's just a statement, not a negative.
Chris Smither at McCabe's
Chris was in good vocal form. His guitar playing was exquisite, but then again, it always is. I will never get tired of watching his fingers at work and the way they produce that inimitable vibrato sound that I can instantly recognize as his and only his.
The 8:00 PM concert was a sell out, so a late show was added. This resulted in a slightly abbreviated first set, not too bad. For his one-song encore, Chris chose to play "I'll Be Home Soon".
The final bow
Before going home, I bought his latest two releases, the aforementioned "Hundred Dollar Valentine" and an all-covers six-song EP titled "What I Learned In School". I listened to the latter while driving home, so the good vibes of the show stayed with me a little longer.
The songs of "What I Learned In School" (2011)
It's true, Chris Smither's concerts are predictable, but his formula works every time to my full satisfaction. I'm pretty sure this wasn't my last time to see him perform live.
When I first heard Barry McGuire's voice in 1965, my young jaw dropped to the floor and it stayed there for months and years, while I was waiting for a follow-up to his brilliant "Eve Of Destruction". Well, the follow-up never came and to make things worse, Barry disappeared without a trace. It was two decades later when I learned about his becoming a new-born Christian and, at that time, I did not even dream about ever having the chance to see him perform live, let alone meet him and talk with him. Over the years, I kept listening to his long out-of-print early recordings, which I managed to find at swap meets and garage sales, but otherwise, as far as I was concerned, Barry McGuire was gone for good.
Fast forward to 2005. I'm sitting in front of my TV, watching one of those typical PBS pledge-drive nostalgia concerts that specialize in unearthing old musicians who have long gone from the public eye, and to my huge surprise, who do I see? Well, well, it's the New Christy Minstrels, with Barry McGuire in the line-up, singing "Green Green" and "Eve Of Destruction" and sounding unbelievably good, exactly forty years after my introduction to him. I could not have been more thrilled! What followed was a Google search and, a day later, I was in direct touch with Barry, via email. True story.
In August 2007, I went with my friend Hans to the intimate Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena to see Barry perform at the tender age of seventy two, alongside his friend and musical collaborator Terry Talbot of Mason Proffit fame. The show, titled "Trippin' The Sixties", featured some of the greatest American songs of the sixties, many of them with some direct connection to Barry. His stories about Bob Dylan, Mama Cass and others were fun to listen to.
Sadly, the show was marred by a sound problem that persisted throughout the evening and the main culprit was the speaker that was supposed to carry primarily Barry's voice. Still, I loved the songs and enjoyed watching Barry, whose vitality and "joie de vivre" are hard to forget.
Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery Backstage
Yes, the sound was disappointing, but on the plus side, I got to meet
Bary after the show. We shook hands and had a brief conversation. I mentioned to him that there was an opportunity for someone to write a
Christian-themed song that uses a word-play on the title of his best known secular
song. "What do you mean?", Barry asked. I said "The Destruction Of Eve would be a good title for a Christian song, wouldn't it?". Barry had a good laugh and said "I've never thought of that". What an unforgettable moment!
Partial set list
Green Green
Greenback Dollar
Eve Of Destruction
Hair
Reason To Believe
If I Were A Carpenter
Creeque Alley
California Dreamin'
Mr. Tambourine Man
Woodstock
Daydream
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Do You Believe In Magic
Times They Are A Changing
Quite often during the show, Terry Talbot's overzealous singing and loud strumming overpowered Barry's voice, something I did not appreciate, as I was there to hear Barry and no one else. In addition to backing up Barry, Terry also soloed on "Two Hangmen", from his days with Mason Proffit.
Barry McGuire (left) and Terry Talbot at the end of their set
While looking his age, Barry did not sound his age at all. I was impressed by the way he told his stories, without ever stumbling or halting. His singing voice was "trademark Barry McGuire", easy to recognize even after the passing of so many decades.
A few months later, in December 2007, I went back to the Coffee Gallery to catch Barry once again. This time the sound was perfect and I had a blast. The set list remained pretty much unchanged, not necessarily a bad thing. In addition to his repertoire of songs from the sixties, Barry also sang his own Christian song, "Cosmic Cowboy", which sounded quite good. Just like the first time, Barry was accompanied by Terry Talbot and just like the first time, I would have preferred him to be a lower-key partner, not because he is not a good musician in his own right, but simply because I wanted more Barry.
Here's a YouTube video of "Eve Of Destruction" with Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot:
The Coffee Hallery is a small venue, without green rooms and secret chambers, so once again I got to talk with Barry, both before and after the show. This time, our conversation went on for fifteen minutes or so.
My close encounters with Barry McGuire will forever remain a highlight of my concert-going life.
Barry McGuire (center), with My Better Half and Yours Truly
Barry McGuire (left), with Terry Talbot
Barry McGuire promo DVD, given to me by Barry himself
Those folks who are wondering why I'm always there when Jackshit plays Santa Monica should have been in the audience last night at McCabe's. For me, the fun started with the spotting of Leonard Cohen, who walked in just before show time and quickly disappeared upstairs. I wasn't expecting him to guest on the show - and he didn't - but just being under the same roof with the artist who has been delighting me for decades gave me an unforgettable thrill.
Then there's always the question about unannounced guests - will there be any? And yes, last night there were a few. Once again, Jackson Browne popped in as "Browne Shit" and delivered an outstanding four-song set that opened with Ween's "Pretty Girl", followed by Jackson's own "Here Comes Those Tears Again" and "Running On Empty" and culminated with the playing of Leonard Cohen's gorgeous "A Thousand Kisses Deep", with additional support from Spanish guitarist Javier Mas and Moldavian violinist Alex Bublitchi, both from Leonard Cohen's band.
Jackson Browne (center), with Val McCallum (left) and Pete Thomas
In perfect alignment with Jackshit's western wear dress code, Jackson Browne came out with a cowboy hat that he didn't really want to wear and, after struggling to find an adequate storage space on the crowded stage, he simply passed it on to me, as I was sitting in the front row, literally at his feet. I don't like having large objects on my lap while watching a show, but I can always make an exception for the headwear belonging to inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Jackson got his hat back when he rejoined the band to sing "Take It Easy", a song he wrote for the Eagles in the early seventies. It was a fitting end to an incredible night of music that saw the Boys from Cochtotin in great vocal and instrumental form and I'm theorizing that Leonard Cohen's mere presence in the house must have given the band an extra-incentive to go the extra-mile. Val McCallum's guitar playing was as strong as ever. His treatment of "Pretty Polly" was something to behold, but then again, I could say that about anything else Val does. Pete's rapturous drumming on Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home" and Davey's bass intro to Pat MacDonald's "Drinkin' Or Drivin" were superb and so were Davey's falsetto sounds on "Ring Of Fire".
Last night also marked the welcome and long-overdue return of "Ugly And Slouchy" and its delightful rock & roll medley, which consisted of some classic Blood, Sweat & Tears, Sugarloaf and Doobie Brothers material. The always-fun Shit Horns also made an appearance, this time as a trio, to help the band with the playing of "Ring Of Fire" and "The Lonely Bull".
Two of the three Shit Horns, with Alex Bublitchi (left) and Davey Faragher (right)
Two new songs made their way into the set list: "If I Could Only Win Your Love", an old Louvin Brothers tune, and "Where Does The Good Times Go" from Buck Owens' repertoire.
One of the two set lists left behind on the stage
The other set list
With their unmatched musical skills, power and humor, Jackshit remains one of the best acts one can catch in LA or anywhere else, as a matter of fact. Be there the next time they are anywhere near you.
Jackson Browne leaving the stage
Javier Mas (left) and Davey Faragher exiting the stage
"Pretty Girl" lyrics sheet on Davey Faragher's music stand
Announced as "an evening of music, poetry, readings and storytelling", this show had the potential of becoming a real drag for those folks who, like me, are not into poetry and don't care for excessive "spoken word" delivered at the detriment of music. But things turned out just fine, as Rodney's music took center stage from the get go and it stayed there for the evening, with only minor and entirely enjoyable digressions of the non-musical kind.
The focus of the show was on "Kin", Rodney's just-released album, a collaboration with writer Mary Karr and featuring guest vocals by heavy hitters such as Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Rosanne Cash, Rodney's ex. We got to hear eight of the ten songs of the album and they were all of the highest quality. Songwriting this good is uncommon and I believe that Mary Karr deserves credit beyond her role as a lyricist - I'm pretty sure that her involvement had some catalytic effect on Rodney's creative juices when it came to crafting tunes.
The show started with Rodney solo - he played "Anything But Tame", which also happens to be the album's opening track. Following that, Rodney brought out guitarist Steuart Smith, who seated himself directly in front of me and I'm glad he did, as his playing was an absolute pleasure to observe. I'm still amazed by his intricate fingerwork and the beauty of the sounds he produced. No doubt, the Eagles knew what they were doing in 2001, when they picked Steuart to replace the fired Don Felder.
Rodney Crowell (right) and Steuart Smith at McCabe's
Soon they were joined by Mary Karr, who handled the poetry part of the show, although one may argue whether a poem that includes the F-word qualifies to be called poetry. For the storytelling part, Mary borrowed from her "Liar's Club" book and I must say that her control of the English language is stunningly good. Mary also soloed on one song, I think it was "If The Law Don't Want You", a song handled by Norah Jones on the studio version of "Kin".
Mary Karr delivering some "spoken word", with Rodney Crowell listening
Rodney was in great vocal form, he sang with precision and he did feel what he sang. The tone of his voice and his vocal inflections were Crowell-esque, in other words, he sounded just like I knew him from his recorded music. I also liked his on-stage demeanor - he gave Mary and Steuart the room they deserved and treated them as equals. Rodney spoke little, but said a lot - now that's an art that other performers should master as well.
Once again I must bring up the quality of Rodney's songwriting. Whether drawing from "Kin" or his older material, everything we heard last Friday was top-notch, essentially one highly listenable number after another. The sequencing of songs was great, too, and the end result was an exceptionally enjoyable show that could have gone on and on without anyone minding, certainly not me.
The set list
With songs as good as Rodney's, it's hard to pick a highlight, but if pressed, I'd go for "The Rock Of My Soul", "God, I'm Missing You" and "Sister Oh Sister". I also liked "I'm A Mess" and the faux-Hank Williams tune titled "Just Pleasing You".
Rodney Crowell acknowledging Steuart Smith at the end of the show
Rodney Crowell and Mary Karr receiving a standing ovation
All-in-all, Rodney Crowell's concert was yet another fabulous event, the kind you often see at McCabe's and probably nowhere else in the Los Angeles area. Where else can you attend a world-class event and be surrounded by a knowledgeable, well-behaved and respectful crowd, but at McCabe's?
This was Val McCallum's first-ever solo show, as far as I know. Come to think of it, it wasn't really a solo show. "Val McCallum & Friends" would have been a more appropriate description of what took place at McCabe's last Sunday, as the only song performed by Val with no one else on the stage happened to be the very last song of the encore!
After my many previous encounters with Val, whether as a member of Jackshit or backing up performers such as
Shelby Lynne, Freedy Johnston, Creed Bratton and Susanna Hoffs, I could safely say that I knew him better than most any other musician. But when it came to the concept of "Val solo", I just did not know what to expect.
Well, the verdict is in: Val and his friends put on an exceptionally good show, complete with a few high-caliber guests, some announced in advance, others not. It all started with Val singing four of his own compositions, with a young lady singer who goes by the name of Z Berg providing backup vocals. The songs were of the "kinder and gentler" variety, their quality was remarkably good. In two separate songs, Val sang lovingly about his daughter Stella and wife Shelli, the latter being the "Tokyo Girl" Val sang about in the song of the same title. Now that's quite a departure from Beau Shit, Val's alter ego, who often sings about young ladies being murdered (Pretty Polly, Rose Connelly and others).
Then Z Berg took over the lead singer role and what a pleasant surprise that was. She possesses a wonderful voice and a singing style that appealed to me very much. As far as I know, the four songs she sang lead on were her own compositions and they were all stunningly good, especially the one titled "Charades". Add her extremely relaxed and self-confident stage demeanor and what you get is a rare talent who, at least from my vantage point, came out of nowhere. I will now start looking for her work as a member of the Like, her earlier little-known band.
Next in line was up-and-coming singer and guitarist Blake Mills, introduced in a highly complimentary manner by Val. Blake's guitar playing was superb and he can sing, too. His extended guitar jams with Val were a beauty - Neil Young's "Pocohantas" was a highlight. They received support from drummer Danielle Haims and a bassist whose name I cannot recall.
Val McCallum at McCabe's (June 2012)
Jackson Browne and drummer Steve Mugalian took the stage for the playing of "Jesus On The Mainline", which turned into a delightful extended jam, complete with crowd participation.
Jackson Browne stayed on to sing two songs of his own, namely "Miracle Mile" and "Rarebird". For many years, even decades, I did not count myself among Jackson's most ardent fans, but now, after having witnessed a few a his guest appearances at various venues, I am a lot more appreciative of what he does.
The set list, where JB stands for Jackson Browne
The stage got real crowded when Val and Jackson brought out Spanish guitarist Javier Mas and Moldavian violinist Alex Bublitchi, two musicians from Leonard Cohen's current touring band. Out of courtesy, Blake Mills sat on the stage floor after giving his chair to the more senior Javier. What followed was pure magic. Their rendition of Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep", sung by Jackson with the full participation of all other musicians, ranks among the finest performances I have ever witnessed. Just imagine - the lead guitar role shifting seamlessly between the three devilishly great guitar players present on the stage - from Val to Blake to Javier and so on, it was divine, and so was Jackson's singing, and when the song ended, the crowd was on its feet to give the musicians a rarely seen mid-concert standing ovation. Funny thing - the best song of the evening does not appear on the set list.
The set ended with Z Berg coming out yet again for a couple of more songs which were as good as the first ones she sang. Val then came back all by himself for a one-song encore, his own "The End Of The Day", then it was all over. In my book, the concert was a "Perfect 10".
Val McCallum remained on the stage for the entire duration of the show and acted as a gracious host who allowed his guests to shine. As a long-time follower of Jackshit, I was happy to see his non-Beau side and I liked what I saw.
I just hope that there will be many more such episodes of "Val & Friends".
Jackson Browne and Javier Mas tuning up
Val McCallum thanking the audience
The hugely talented Z Berg, after the concert
Val McCallum (left) chatting after the concert
Guitarist-extraordinaire Blake Mills (left) after the show
