Fernando Perdomo Records Live Album At Kulak's Woodshed, 8-2-26

As you might be aware, Fernando Perdomo has been releasing an album of new original material on the first of every month this year (he did it last year too), instrumental music that is often soothing. Music for introspection and exploration, music that takes listeners on wonderful journeys. This year's series of albums is titled Clouds, and for the ninth volume in the series, Fernando Perdomo decided to do something different, to make it a live recording. It's an interesting and unexpected decision, particularly considering the type of music involved. But everything Fernando Perdomo does is interesting and unusual, so it should not have come as a surprise. Also, it makes some sense for Clouds 9 (possibly, and understandably, changed to Cloud 9) to be something special. For this recording, Fernando Perdomo returned to one of his favorite haunts, Kulak's Woodshed in North Hollywood. And, interestingly, he had two guests join him at certain points in the show. Those who have been following the Waves and Clouds series know that on those albums Fernando Perdomo has not only composed all the material, but played all the instruments. So having guests at this show also marked an interesting departure from the established pattern.

As he started the show, Fernando Perdomo mentioned the Waves and Clouds series, saying that "this year I decided to take it from the water all the way up to what I consider the other ocean, which is the sky." And he briefly mentioned the idea of Cloud 9, including a nod to George Harrison. And then he got right to the music, the first piece opening in a beautiful space, immediately taking the audience to cloud nine. Together we stepped into a magical and warm land, a welcoming place, Fernando delivering some gorgeous guitar work. With the second piece, he took us into stranger territory. It was fascinating to watch him create these sonic landscapes. Fernando had four guitars to choose from at this show, and he switched to the second guitar for the third piece, and switched to another guitar for the fourth. It was after those first four numbers that he invited his first guest to join him. That was Bradley Bobbs, who did a spoken word performance about clouds, while Fernando accompanied him on guitar, actually at one point playing one guitar against another. Bradley Bobbs began the piece with a reference to Winnie the Pooh, and injected some humor throughout. There was also a Joni Mitchell reference at the end.

Fernando Perdomo went back to performing solo, the next piece taking us to some wild, psychedelic territory, bright explosions in an otherwise dark sky. At one point he unplugged the guitar, and played the cord, getting some interesting sounds from touching the end of it, even putting it in his mouth. That ended up being one of my personal favorites. He then switched guitars again, and this next piece began in a somewhat gentle place, but with hints of something else at work within. And soon there was a great rumbling of the disturbed gods. From there, it became even more interesting, taking us farther out. "What is cloud guitar?" Fernando then asked. "Cloud guitar is guitar not being guitar." He talked about how he was always interested in music that took him to another place, which is interesting, because that was just the sort of thing he was creating right then. He also talked about getting into Tori Amos in the 1990s, and becoming interested in the guitar work of Steve Caton. "I realized that this instrument could sound more like a cloud, or more like water and waves."

He then invited Steve Caton up to play with him, and this was a special treat. Steve began with a short solo that contained a nice nod to "Over The Rainbow," and then Fernando joined him, and the two sounded fantastic together, taking us to some wonderful places almost immediately. They created fascinating realms, building off each other's work. The music at this show, as Fernando mentioned at one point, was largely improvised, though perhaps working off a few earlier ideas. And so there was that sense of excitement to it, not knowing just where the music would take them, not knowing just where they would take us. Fernando and Steve did the rest of the show together, playing several different pieces. There were moments of great beauty, soothing and comforting moments, and also some playful moments, like when Steve did a bit of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water," and when a little way into a piece, Steve asked Fernando, "Did we bother tuning?" After a lot of wonderful journeys, Fernando told the crowd, "I think we have time for one more, and this one is going to be very special." "I can't wait to hear it," Steve said. They began by drifting into a standard, before Fernando put a stop to it and asked Steve to talk a bit about his background and about his father, Roy Caton, who was part of the Wrecking Crew. They then eased into a song, one that was pretty and soothing, and not a standard. That ended right at 10 p.m., which was the time they'd planned on wrapping things up, but Steve started to play something else and Fernando encouraged him. And so the two did one final, shorter piece before calling it a night. And what a night!

After the show I asked Fernando how much of what was played would end up on Clouds 9, or Cloud 9. He said ninety-five percent of it, so this entry in the series might be different in yet another way and be a double album, because this show was approximately two hours. I'm looking forward to hearing this music again. Look for that album on September 1st. 

Kulak's Woodshed is located at 5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.

The Williamsons, The Smokey Lonesome, The Glimmer Stars, and Old Californio Quartet at Redwood Bar & Grill, 8-2-26

Yesterday afternoon's show at the Redwood Bar & Grill felt in some ways like a continuation of Kim's birthday celebration from the previous night at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Many of the folks who played at the Redwood had been present at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. The Williamsons had been there, obviously, as Mike is a member of The Paper Hearts, the final band of that bill; the two members of The Smokey Lonesome had also been in the audience, as had Mini Mendez of The Glimmer Stars. And some others who'd been in the audience at Maui were also in the audience at Redwood. Missing today, however, was Kim herself, but we carried on her celebration without her. And I'm sure she'd appreciate that. 

The Williamsons

Strengthening that feeling of continuation or connection to the pvious night was the fact that The Williamsons were up first. So Mike was on stage at the very end of the Maui show and at the very beginning of the Redwood show. A change of venue, yes, and a change in the type of music he played, certainly. But the excellent music continued. Have I mentioned how wonderful the music scene is in this city? The show started a bit later than scheduled, with The Williamsons taking the stage at 2:45 p.m., and opening with a cover of Jimmie Dale Gilmore's "Dallas," which featured a really nice vocal performance. The line "A rich man who tends to believe his own lies" feels even more pertinent these days, doesn't it? Jessica shouted out to all her family members that were in the audience, and the duo then played "Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight," which had a great vibe. Mini Mendez joined the duo on backing vocals and shaker for a new song titled "Have A Drink." "Don't mind if I do," someone in the audience responded when Mike mentioned the name of the song. This song was one of my personal favorites of the set. It was followed by a cover of Sierra Ferrell's "I Could Drive You Crazy." Sierra Ferrell, by the way, will be performing at the Wiltern on Wednesday. The Williamsons mentioned that they'll be at that show. The duo then played an original number, "She's Coming Home," which featured some good harmonies. Mini Mendez joined them again on backing vocals and shaker on a sweet rendition of Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Got To Memphis." The Williamsons' set also included good renditions of White Stripes' "Apple Blossom" (featuring a great lead on guitar) and Johnny Cash's "Crystal Chandeliers & Burgundy." After a false start, "These Good Times Are Killing Me" ended up being another highlight, a delightful and fun folk number. Jessica then dedicated "Six Pack To Go" to the bartenders. They wrapped up with the set with a cover of "Jambalaya," with Dave and Natalie of The Smokey Lonesome joining them on electric guitar and backing vocals respectively. The set ended at 3:27 p.m.

The Smokey Lonesome

The Smokey Lonesome then took the stage, one great duo following another, kicking off with "Jasmine" and following that with a rocking rendition of "Koa Box," Dave getting delightfully wild. Some of this duo's magic occurs when they are seemingly right on the edge of chaos. These two are exciting to watch, especially in those moments. "Cannabis" followed, a song that celebrates the legalization of pot here in California. I forget sometimes that it's still not legal everywhere. Dave's guitar cord came loose at one point, but no worries. Natalie then sang lead on an excellent cover of "Besame Much," delivering a superb vocal performance that got much deserved applause. It was a great rendition, with a special power. Afterward, Dave took a drink, joking that her performance was so powerful that he got parched. Natalie also sang lead on covers of "Ways To Be Wicked" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)." Between those two, Dave sing lead on "Mojave," an original song included on the band's 2024 EP Desert Run. From that EP, the duo also performed "Arid Blues," one they don't do often enough. Before that song, Dave danced around a bit on stage, saying that the next song was a bit of a downer so he wanted to give the crowd a little entertainment first. It was great hearing this one. And it was followed by an especially good rendition of "Desert Run," another of the set's highlights. They wrapped things up with "Truck Driving Man." The set ended at 4:11 p.m. By the way, it was The Smokey Lonesome that organized this show.

The Glimmer Stars

The Glimmer Stars were up next, opening their set with "Better Day," which is the last track on the band's excellent new album Someday's A Long Time. There was a bright energy about this song, something this band is adept at creating, and part of the group's appeal. "Moving right along," Mini Mendez said, and the band went right into "I Need It Now," which is also on the new album. It's one of my personal favorites from the album, coming at us with a great, cheerful force. We all need it now, don't we? And with that great stready pounding by Richie on the drums, we're getting it. "If I Only Could" came marching over the land directly to where we stood, and was delicious. After that song, the sound guy checked in on the band. "Bass too loud?" Mini Mendez playfully inquired. "Pictures Of You" had a strong, fast pulse, and included that nod to Cheap Trick at the end. "Alley Cat" followed, and then Mike Williamson helped adjust Mini's microphone stand. Mini told the crowd that he lost his voice at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon show the previous night, not performing, but screaming during Paper Hearts' set. They then played "Would You," and followed that with another of my favorite tracks from the new album, "Maybe." "I would skip the strip tonight/Anything to see your light/I want you to know/I want you to know/Maybe, maybe/I'd climb the graveyard wall/Maybe, maybe/And I would give you all." This song still sounds like a hit to me. When is the world going to figure that out? "This one's about a girl, and we call her Paulina," Mini then said, introducing "Paulina." The bass slipped out of tune, and so Mini Mendez stopped to make an adjustment, to make things just right. And when they started it again, the song came on with a stronger, more joyful force and ended up being a highlight of the set. That led straight into "I Want You," with Steven delivering some fantastic rock and roll guitar work, to wrap up the set. Understandably, the audience called out for an encore, but the band declined. The set ended at 5:02 p.m.

Old Californio Quartet

Old Californio Quartet closed out the afternoon show. Some sound troubles delayed the start of the set. Rich solved one of the problems by grabbing an amp from the car. But the vocals weren't coming through the monitors. Also, the stage lights cut out. But this band wasn't about to let such things get in the way, and opened with a really nice rendition of Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles." The song eased in at the very beginning, until Justin put everything into gear on drums. They jammed a bit before starting the vocals, and the song featured some nice stuff by Dan on pedal steel. It was a really good rendition, featuring some wonderful work by Rich on harmonica, as well as some excellent drumming by Justin. "All right, we got through the technical difficulties," Rich said, and started the next song, "Free Ain't Easy." "Nothing seems to move me like it used to/So I just keep moving on," he sang in this one. This was a beautiful number, with some good work on pedal steel. The stage lights came on before the end of that song. "Millard Canyon Run" followed, with Rich again delivering some nice stuff on harmonica. There were more monitor problems, including a loss of all vocals in the monitors, and a hiss had crept into both the monitors and the house speakers. While the sound guy was working on it, the band forged ahead, jumping into "Lean Into It." They played in a way that seemed to defy any sound troubles, and the song featured some fantastic work by Bob on bass. I loved watching his fingers dancing on that instrument. The guys jammed on this one, that jam having a few tremendous peaks. Sound issues be damned, this song was a highlight of the set. That was followed by a cover of "That's The Bag I'm In," the band easing into it. They jammed on this one too. Rich commented playfully afterward, "Started off slow and fizzled out altogether." "Kansas City Southern" followed. Rich's vocals sounded great, not just on this song, but the whole set, which is remarkable considering his vocals were absent from the monitors and could only be heard in the house. That song featured more great stuff on bass. They followed that with one of my favorites, "Shorten Your List," which featured some beautiful pedal steel work. This is a song to help us deal with our times. "Shorten your give-a-shit list/Accept the world for the turd that it is," Rich sang, substituting "turd" for "mess" (and later singing "Accept the world for the piece of shit that it is"). That was followed by "City Lines," a song that gets in my head all the time, and is always a good one to see them play. They wrapped things up with "Mother Road," Rich mentioning that the road in question is Route 66. The show ended at 6:32 p.m.

Redwood Bar & Grill is located at 316 W. 2nd St. in Los Angeles, California.

Lights Out Levine, Ape Hangers, And The Paper Hearts at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 8-1-26

Kim celebrates her birthday

What better way is there to celebrate a birthday than catching some great bands? Of course, it helps if you're married to one of the band members. Then you can pick the bands that play on your birthday. That's what Kim Champ Kiah did for last night's show at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, and she chose one hell of a rocking lineup. It featured Lights Out Levine, Ape Hangers, and The Paper Hearts. A night when the energy never lagged. Before the show started, the musicians gathered on the stage with Kim for some photos to capture the moment, and even before that it felt like the party started, when Lights Out Levine played a bit of "I Like It With The Lights Out" during the soundcheck. There was a good crowd for this show, the audience including a lot of musicians, such as members of The Glimmer Stars, The Smokey Lonesome, Slamdinistas, Hollywood Sinkhole, and Karman Jeanne & The Fish. 

Lights Out Levine

Right at 8:30 p.m., Lights Out Levine took the stage, Adam sporting his sparkling gold jacket, ready to get the action started right after Kim's son introduced the band. "Happy birthday, Kim," Adam said. Then, not spotting her right away, he asked, "Is she hiding already?" The band kicked off the night with "Pervert Queen," leaping straight into some great rock and roll, this song being about "a special kind of girl," and so it seemed the right way to start things. Certainly Kim (who was not hiding) appreciated it. And the party was underway. That song led straight into "Reaper's Rodeo," shifting into different territory, where everything felt cool, especially that bass line. Nubs made a sound adjustment to get everything just right, and the band played "I Like It With The Lights Out," which was heaps of fun, a piece of rock and roll heaven. Adam then called a few guests to the stage, including Ape Hangers' Bob Kiah, for a special rendition of "Fantasy." That was followed by "Zombie March," which began on drums and featured delicious drumming throughout. And Adam howled like one possessed, which was wonderful. "We've got a fun one here for you," Adam announced, introducing the band's cover of "The Love You Save." Of course, they'd all been fun. "One good cover deserves another," Adam said after that song, and the band went into "Around The Block," another fun song, this one written by Mike Williamson. Then "Forever Filthy" featured a nice lead on guitar. "Can't Remember" was a sweet-sounding pop number featuring more wonderful guitar work. "I've been loving you so long/Can't remember a time when I didn't have you." That was followed by "Tingles," a song that is always enjoyable, and one in particular that Kim wanted to hear last night. The band wrapped up the set with "Run From The Moon," a high-energy number that began on drums. A fantastic version. The set ended at 9:17 p.m. And the night was just getting started.

Ape Hangers

Ape Hangers were up next. What a treat it was to get to see this band. These guys do not play all that often. As Bob mentioned at one point in the set, for this show, Pete flew in from Boston and Dennis flew in from Pittsburgh. Perhaps Kim should have birthdays more often. We'll ask her to look into that. Ape Hangers kicked off their set with "This Is My Life," the lead track from the band's 1995 album Ultrasounds, rocking right out of the gate. From that song, they went straight into "You Don't Know What It Takes," which also follows "This Is My Life" on that album, and is a glorious rocking number with a great driving rhythm. Nubs then made a quick sound adjustment, and Bob announced, "It's my wife's birthday." Kim at that point was standing near Nubs' sound board just off stage left, seeming as ecstatic as the rest of us taking in this fantastic band. And it just got better from there, with "Just The Way It Goes" following. The band too was having a great time, Pete going over and giving Bob a quick hug before telling the crowd, "A lot of our songs are about love and friendship, though you might not know it." And that was the feeling in the room. Love and friendship. Not just during Ape Hangers' set, but the whole night. "I Don't Mind" is the flip side to the band's new single, and that song followed "Just The Way It Goes," Bob delivering a fantastic bass line. That was followed by a cover of "I'm Gonna Miss You Someday," which was released by The Superkools as a single in 1992 and then included on the Ape Hangers' first album. "Never Learn" followed. "She Comes Again," the band's latest single, featured a great guitar lead. The band mentioned the download cards that were attached to the drink sleeves left on each of the tables, a way of accessing the new single, as well as the This Is It EP, which came out last year. It was then that Bob talked about how the other guys had to fly out for the gigs, joking that he himself simply walked there. "Happy Now" was up next, and then Bob took over lead vocal duties for "Over My Head." "When Will You Come Back" featured fantastic work on bass and an exciting guitar lead. Then "I Don't Want To Live Today," a song included on the Empire Records soundtrack, featured some excellent drumming. That led straight into "So Long," which Bob dedicated to Mini Mendez. Not seeing him, he said, "Mini, if you're in the bathroom, this song is for you." Mini then appeared near the stage, and the song was yet another of the set's highlights. That was followed by "I'm Your Man," which kicked in with a glorious, furious energy. "Let's go," indeed! That led straight into "Red Hot Rocket," which had a wild, intense energy, and led into a bit of The Buzzcocks' "I Believe" (just the line "There is no love in this world anymore"). And that is how the set ended. Kim got up on stage with the band, while the audience called out for an encore. The band delivered one last great rock song, featuring some phenomenal drumming. Gabriel Johns then got up on stage and led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday To You" to Kim.

"Happy Birthday To You"

The Paper Hearts

But the night was not yet over. Fifteen minutes later The Paper Hearts were on stage, Mike Williamson saying, "Hey, it's Kim's birthday, and we're Paper Hearts." That was enough of an introduction, and the band ripped right into "No No No," with the line "I don't want to mess around, but baby I do." They weren't messing around last night, but rather delivering some solid, energetic rock. "Plastic Dolls" was a lot of fun, moving at a good, fast pace. After that song, Mike remarked, "Hey, how about those fucking Ape Hangers?" He then gave a shout out to Lights Out Levine. Yeah, sometimes it is only after an event that we realize how great it was, and other times we realize it as it's happening. This night was an example of the latter. Everyone in the room was quite aware of how special the show was. The band then played "Echo," and followed it with "Baby I Hate You," another totally fun number, one of my favorites of the set. "She's a little crazy, but I don't care/We're gonna have some fun tonight." That was followed by "Heartache," which featured some really good drumming. The band then mentioned that it was August first, "and that means you gotta pay the rent, motherfuckers," then launched into "Rent Party," another fun, rocking number, with a very cool bass line. After that, they mentioned the Redwood show happening the next afternoon, and went into a high-energy rendition of "Got No Heart." "No Mercy," beginning with a delicious beat, followed. The band also delivered strong renditions of "I Want More," "Sundown" and "Teenage Love," that last one coming on with a great force. The band was not holding back at all. And though that was the last song the band planned to play, the audience wanted more. And the band obliged, delivering a great cover of The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks." After that, the audience, not wanting this phenomenal night to end, called for another encore. "We don't know any more," came the response. "We're not that smart." The show ended at 11:45 p.m.

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, California.