Michael Doherty's Music Log: James McMurtry at Saint Rocke, 7-20-23 Concert Review

Friday, July 21, 2023

James McMurtry at Saint Rocke, 7-20-23 Concert Review

James McMurtry is one of country’s best songwriters, and is also a compelling performer. He proved that again last night with a great set at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach. BettySoo, whom you likely know from her work with Charlie Faye & The Fayettes and Nobody’s Girl, opened the show. It was a treat to get to see her solo work, and for the second half of her set she was joined by James McMurtry band members Cornbread (playing electric guitar rather than bass) and Daren Hess. “It went from real sad to real exciting,” BettySoo joked after “Never Knew No Love,” the first song they played on. The blue lights at the back of the stage flickered at the end of each song, as if taking part in the applause, which was odd. Her set began promptly at 8 o’ clock, and was exactly forty-five minutes.

At 9:08 p.m., James McMurtry and his band – Tim Holt on guitar, Cornbread on bass, and Daren Hess on drums – took the stage. “How ya doing?” James said. “Good to see you.” And then they got right into the music, opening the show with “Fuller Brush Man,” a funky and fun number from his Where’d You Hide The Body album. The band jammed at the end of it, then followed that with “Childish Things,” the title track from his 2005 release. At the end of the song, the blue lights at the back of the stage flickered as if applauding, as they had done during BettySoo’s set, which seemed rather silly, even a bit disconcerting. And after “Copper Canteen,” when it happened again, James McMurtry said, “Maybe no flashy flash with the lights,” reminding the lighting guy that they weren’t the youngest of folks up on stage (or in the audience either, for that matter). And that put an end to that, and the focus was back on the music. Tim Holt had switched from guitar to accordion for “Copper Canteen,” then went back to guitar for “Canola Fields,” which followed. “Canola Fields” is a song from James McMurtry’s latest release, 2021’s The Horses And The Hounds. McMurtry focused on music from this album, choosing to play a total of seven of its ten tracks last night.

In introducing “Choctaw Bingo,” James McMurtry joked, “We will now do a medley of our hit.” And someone shouted out, “Where’s your dress?” Back in May, James McMurtry protested Tennessee’s ridiculous anti-drag law by performing in a dress in Nashville. There was no need to make any such statements in southern California, of course, and McMurtry was wearing his customary hat and shirt. But that guy’s comment got me to wondering if people have been making such remarks at all his tour stops since May. I hope he doesn’t regret doing it because of such comments. “Choctaw Bingo” is a fun number, and the crowd became excited the moment the band started it. Afterward, the band left the stage so that James could perform “Blackberry Winter” solo. This was one of the highlights of the set. Not only did he play it on acoustic guitar, but unplugged and without a vocal microphone. He stepped to the edge of the stage and just played, completely quieting the audience, drawing everyone in. “Blackberry Winter” is a song from The Horses And The Hounds. When the band came back on stage after that song, James McMurtry took the opportunity to introduce them. They then played another three songs from the latest album: “Jackie,” “If It Don’t Bleed” and “Operation Never Mind.”

Tim Holt switched to accordion again for “You Got Me,” a sweet-sounding tune from 2015’s Complicated Game. That was followed by “Vaquero,” with Tim Holt again on accordion, and then “No More Buffalo,” which is from the 1997 album It Had To Happen. “Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call,” one of my favorite tracks from The Horses And The Hounds, was another of the set’s highlights, with Tim Holt delivering some great work on electric guitar. And likely most folks in the audience could relate to these lines: “But what’s really getting to me is I keep losing my glasses/I keep losing my glasses/I keep losing my glasses.” That was followed by “Levelland,” another crowd-pleaser, the audience recognizing it the moment he started it. After thanking the crowd, and reminding people to tip the servers, James McMurtry wrapped up the set with “Too Long In The Wasteland,” the title track from his 1989 debut. The band rocked this one, making it a strong finish to a great set. The encore was “These Things I’ve Come To Know,” which James performed solo, this time plugged in and using a vocal microphone. It was an effective way of drawing everyone in before letting them go. The show ended at 10:47 p.m.

Set List