Rick Shea & The Losin’ End at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 6-19-24 Concert Review

Rob Waller & His Very Best Friends played an absolutely wonderful set of I See Hawks In L.A. songs last night at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Getting the night off to a great start was Rick Shea’s band, Rick Shea & The Losin’ End. Tony Gilkyson had been scheduled to fill in for Rick, but he wasn’t feeling good enough, so Rick Shea filled in for Tony. Got that? At 8:42 p.m., he took the stage and mentioned that he was still recovering from knee surgery and getting used to the new parts. Last night’s show was his first time playing since the surgery, first time “back in the wild,” as he put it. But there were no cobwebs to shake off, or creaking hinges to oil. Not at all.

He kicked off the set with “Shelter Valley Blues,” which featured some nice work on pedal steel by Dan Wistrom, who played with both bands last night. Rick then began “Mexicali Train” on guitar. That song’s rhythm gave us the feel of a train moving along. The song mentions “Kerouac and Cassady,” and it does give us that feeling of being out there traveling along the road. Later in the song, Rick Shea mentions “Castaneda,” these names taking me back to a certain time in my life when I was first reading their works. “Mexicali Train” was included on Rick Shea’s Sweet Bernardine album, where it was followed by “Mariachi Hotel,” and last night it was likewise followed by that song. “Mariachi Hotel” featured a strong mood and atmosphere, established immediately by Rick’s guitar work, and by the use of brushes on the drums. For me, it was one of the highlights of the set, and I just wanted its atmosphere to envelope me.

While introducing “The Starkville Blues,” Rick mentioned it was written from the point of view of Johnny Cash when he was thrown in jail. Dan Wistrom switched to guitar for this one, and delivered a delicious lead. That was followed by “Blues Stop Knocking At My Door,” which contained a nice jam, with first Dan and then Rick delivering some great stuff on guitar. This fun number could have gone on longer, and I would have been happy. He followed that with another song from that same album, “Down At The Bar At Gypsy Sally’s,” with Dan back on pedal steel. This song had a great mean vibe. “It tastes like kerosene,” oh yes. Then he played “Hold On Jake,” introducing it as a drinking song and shouting out to the bartender, who is from Lynn, Massachusetts (though I bet if you asked him for water, he’d give you water).

Rick Shea slowed things down with “Sweet Bernardine,” which featured some really nice stuff on pedal steel. That was followed by “Juanita (Why Are You So Mean),” a song about his mother-in-law. He then wrapped up the set with “Big Rain Is Comin’ Mama.” In the song’s introduction, Rick mentioned that he wrote it a few years ago during an election year. And here we are again. The craziness has not left this nation, and it threatens to get worse. “The water’s starting to rise.” His set ended at 9:34 p.m.

Set List

1. Shelter Valley Blues
2. Mexicali Train
3. Mariachi Hotel
4. The Starkville Blues
5. Blues Stop Knocking At My Door
6. Down At The Bar At Gypsy Sally’s
7. Hold On Jake
8. Sweet Bernardine
9. Juanita (Why Are You So Mean)
10. Big Rain Is Comin’ Mama

Here are a few photos: