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| Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, "Downey To Lubbock" |
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My fantastic weekend of music
continued on Sunday, first with a concert by Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale
Gilmore at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood. This was part of the Mimosa
Music Series, hosted by Gary Calamar. I got there early, because when Dave
Alvin & Phil Alvin did a show there in 2014, the place was packed, and I
expected much the same for this concert. And indeed that was the case.
For the first time ever, we
were asked to form two lines – one for those who had sent in an RSVP, and one
for those who hadn’t. It was a good idea, and one they probably should have
employed before. As the first person in line, I was appointed by the guy
working the door to distinguish the lines for all those who would arrive after
me. It was not an office I sought, but I fulfilled
my duty as best as I could. “You look
like a fairly vocal person,” he told me. Well, I suppose that’s true. And
it was a good thing I got there early, because with still fifteen minutes
before doors were scheduled to open, both lines were already pretty long. I
love attending these shows. The music is always good, and the atmosphere is
relaxed and mellow, which works well for me these days. Have a couple of
drinks, some breakfast and enjoy the show. The crowds that gather for these
shows are also mellow. Never any trouble, never any nonsense, perhaps because
it is just too early for that.
Just before 11 a.m., the doors
were opened, and we filed inside. This time we were given only one drink ticket
(I usually get two), and ordered my free mimosa as soon as I was seated, as
well as the breakfast bread basket. The service at this venue is always
friendly and prompt. And it was not long before the place was packed, leading
Gary to make a joke about the fire marshal assuring that we were not violating
codes, but that we should applaud vertically rather than horizontally. Opening
the show was Abby And The Myth. Or, as lead singer and guitarist Abby Posner
indicated at the beginning of their set, half of Abby And The Myth. It was just
Abby along with Cara Batema on accordion and backing vocals. I enjoyed their
set, particularly their harmonies. Certain lines stood out, such as “Won’t you look me in the eye to see who I’ve
become” from their opening number, “Who Have I Become.” They focused on
material from their album When You Dig A
Well.
Then at 12:40 p.m., Gary
Calamar introduced Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Dave then teased Gary
for failing to mention their new album in his introduction, the album they were
in fact promoting and celebrating. Yes, they have an album coming out this
Friday, titled Downey To Lubbock. And
it’s going to be released on both CD and vinyl. They kicked off the set with
the album’s title track, with each of them taking lead vocal duties on
different verses. Dave forgot some of the lyrics, laughing, “It’s early in the morning, for Christ’s sake.”
They were clearly having a great time. Dave Alvin played electric guitar, while
Jimmie Dale Gilmore was on acoustic guitar and harmonica. And it was about the
stories almost as much as it was about the music at this show. Jimmie mentioned that
they’d been friends for thirty years, but didn’t play together until last year.
He joked about how folks thought he was retired, “It’s a better word for lazy.” Then they told a funny anecdote about
how each of them was asked to record “Silverlake,” a pretty song written by
Steve Young.
They followed “Silverlake” with
another beautiful song, “The Gardens,” written by Chris Gaffney. Dave sang lead
on that one, and Jimmie added some nice touches on harmonica. Jimmie then joked
that he learns what he thinks by what he says on stage. “I had a pertinent digression,” he said, a line that made laugh
aloud. “Stealin’” is a song I’ve loved since I first heard it in my early
teens, and Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore did a fun and wonderful rendition,
each singing lead on different verses. That was followed by Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee
(Plane Wreck At Los Gatos).” After that, while Dave tuned, he joked, “Let’s tune again like we did last summer.”
Then, not getting as much of a reaction as you might expect, he opined that the
reference was too old. Well, if a Chubby Checker reference is too old, the next
song they chose was nearly a decade older, Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.”
They then played “Billy The Kid And Geronimo,” with each of them singing lead
on certain verses, and then finished the set with The Youngbloods’ “Get
Together,” changing the lyric from “smile
on your brother” to “smile on each
other.” The encore was a totally delightful rendition of “Honky Tonk Song.”
The show ended at 1:41 p.m.
Set List
- Downey To Lubbock
- Silverlake
- The Gardens
- Stealin’
- Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los
Gatos)
- Lawdy Miss Clawdy
- Billy The Kid And Geronimo
- Get Together
Encore
- Honky Tonk Song
Here are a few photos from the
show:
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