Colin James: “Miles To Go” (2018) CD Review

In 2016, singer and guitarist Colin James released Blue Highways, an album where he covered some excellent blues tunes. Now he has followed that with Miles To Go, which also contains mostly covers, but some original tunes as well. There are some really good choices as far as the cover material goes, with Colin delivering renditions of tunes by Muddy Waters and Blind Willie Johnson. Joining Colin James on this release are Geoff Hicks on drums and percussion, Steve Pelletier on bass, Jesse O’Brien on keys, Simon Kendall on organ, Chris Gestrin on piano, Chris Caddell on rhythm guitar, Steve Marriner on harmonica, Steve Hilliam on tenor saxophone, Jerry Cook on baritone saxophone, Rod Murray on trombone, and Colin Nairne on synthesizer. The Sojourners and Colleen Rennison provide backing vocals.

Colin James opens this album with a lively and groovy rendition of “One More Mile,” a Muddy Waters tune. The horns and harmonica together sound so damn good, and that sound contributes a large part to my enjoyment of this track. It becomes a good jam, with plenty of nice work on guitar and keys. Colin James follows that with another Muddy Waters song, “Still A Fool.” This one begins with vocals and guitar, establishing a cool style. Then the band kicks in, and the song takes on a heavy blues rock vibe. “Dig Myself A Hole” has more of fun vibe from the start, with a strong rhythm and some good work on horns. Yet, the lyrics provide a warning about the dire state of the world. This song was written by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and included on his 1962 LP, Mean Ole Frisco. Though the song is several decades old, it is so fitting for these days when things have gone so wrong. Could they get even worse? It’s certainly possible, the longer Donald Trump and his fellow fascists are allowed to remain in power. Someone needs to pay a visit to those demented racists, put an end to this horror show. “Well, the whole world’s in an uproar/People all sing the same song/If we don’t stop messing up, you know we sure won’t be here long/I’m going to dig myself a hole, move my baby down in the ground/And when I come up, there ain’t gonna be no one around.”

“I Will Remain” is one of the album’s original songs written by Colin James. It is a somewhat mellow blues tune, featuring some good work on guitar. It also offers some comfort, something we all need these days. “When all seems lost and you don’t know where to turn/And all the white lines on the highway blur/Just call my name and let me ease the pain/I will remain.” I love those gospel backing vocals. That’s followed by another original tune, “40 Light Years,” this one written by Colin James, Tom Wilson and Jesse O’Brien. This one has something of a playful feel, and is kind of catchy. “I’d like to get to know you/But you’re forty light years away.” It features more strong work on harmonica. “Ooh Baby Hold Me” is another fun one, a totally catchy Howlin’ Wolf tune featuring a delightful jam. Then “Black Night” gets off to a great start on keys. This is a mellower, late-night blues number about regretting that another day has passed in loneliness. “Nobody cares about me/I ain’t even got a friend/Baby’s gone and left me/When will my troubles end?/Black night is falling/Gee, how I hate to be alone.” It features a really nice vocal performance, as well as some good work on guitar. “Black Night” was written by Jessie Mae Robinson, and was a hit for Charles Brown in the early 1950s.

“Soul Of A Man” opens with a bit of harmonica, then establishes a delicious groove. This is a seriously good rendition of the classic Blind Willie Johnson song, certainly one of the disc’s highlights. I like the use of backing vocals here. This track ends as it began, with harmonica. That’s followed by “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” a Blind Lemon Jefferson song that is sometimes listed as “One Kind Favor.” This one has been covered by a lot of artists over the years, including Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Canned Heat and the Grateful Dead. This rendition by Colin James opens with some good work on guitar, and has a great, dark acoustic feel. We then go back to an electric blues sound for a cool cover of Little Willie John’s “I Need Your Love So Bad,” featuring nice stuff on keys. Then Colin James’ rendition of “Tears Came Rolling Down” has a harder blues sound. The album began with Muddy Waters’ “One More Mile,” and it concludes with a different version of that same song. This second version is a cool, stripped down acoustic rendition, with good work on guitar and some wonderful backing vocals.

CD Track List

1. One More Mile
2. Still A Fool
3. Dig Myself A Hole
4. I Will Remain
5. 40 Light Years
6. Ooh Baby Hold Me
7. Black Night
8. Soul Of A Man
9. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
10. I Need Your Love So Bad
11. Tears Came Rolling Down
12. One More Mile (Acoustic)

Miles To Go was released on September 21, 2018 on True North Records.

Katarina Pejak: “Roads That Cross” (2019) CD Review

Singer, songwriter and keyboardist Katarina Pejak was born in Belgrade, and began performing in that city and other areas of Serbia while still in her teens. Then in 2011, she came to the United States after getting a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. She divided her time between the U.S. and Serbia, and released a few albums in Serbia. Now she is based in Nashville, and has recorded her new release in Texas, employing musicians like guitarist Mike Zito, who also produced and mixed the album, guitarist Laura Chavez, bass player Lonnie Trevino Jr. and drummer Damien Llanes. Roads That Cross features mostly original material, music that encompasses elements of jazz, pop, and rock, as well as blues, the musical genre for which she is known.

The album gets off to an absolutely fantastic start with “Nature Of My Blues,” a tune that has a seriously fun vibe, with a bit of a 1960s thing happening. And check out these lyrics: “She taught me how to act just the way I feel/I get all kinds of crazy/That I ain’t afraid to show.” I also really appreciate these lines: “So don’t say nothing if you’ve got nothing to say/I ain’t looking for a reason to cry.” This one was written by Katarina Pejak and Mike Zito, and is a delight. It’s a lead track that will likely cause you to fall for her. It certainly had that effect on me. From a song with the word “blues” in the title, Katarina Pejak moves to a song that has a good blues groove, “Sex Kills,” the first of the album’s covers, this one written by Joni Mitchell. It was originally included on Mitchell’s Turbulent Indigo, released in 1994. Katarina’s rendition features some good work on keys. The line “kids taking guns to school” (“little kids packing guns to school” in the original version) is sadly more pertinent now than it was in 1994.

“Moonlight Rider” establishes a good groove, which I dig. But it is Katarina’s vocal performance here that really grabs me. There is something sexy about her delivery, and her voice seems to comprise the blues, country and soul. “I’m the wind blowing from afar/In your bones and in your eyes/Feel the rush between your thighs.” This is one of my favorite tracks, and it’s followed by another of the disc’s highlights, “Old Pain,” a song she also included on her 2016 release, Old, New, Borrowed & Blues. This wonderful song has a classic rhythm and blues sound that I love, a vibe that always works for me. It also has a lot of soul. And its first lines are excellent: “If I were to say/I’ve never been this happy, I would lie.” I love her vocal performance here, her voice is full of honesty, without a need to sell any of the lines. It’s a beautiful performance. “Something ‘bout a first love/You can never get out of your head/No, you can’t/It takes from the next love/Leaves you counting off the days for it to end/And you get that old pain.”

The album’s other cover is “Turtle Blues,” a song written by Janis Joplin that was included on Big Brother & The Holding Company’s 1968 LP, Cheap Thrills. This track has a good blues groove, and features some delicious stuff on keys. That’s followed by “Down With Me,” an interesting track. It’s blues, but the rhythm on the guitar has a bit of a reggae vibe. And check out these lyrics: “I ain’t looking to be saved/That twinkle in your eye/Ain’t my cross to bear/So if you see me coming/Close the door/And if you see me falling/Let me hit the floor.” Those are some damn good lines. “She’s Coming After You” is another song that was previously included on Old, New, Borrowed & Blues, and is another of my favorites. It is delicious and sexy and jazzy, and features an excellent, enticing vocal performance. “I can only hope she stumbles/‘Cause she’s coming after you.” Then the disc’s title track, “Roads That Cross,” has a cool vibe, and is a strangely pretty blues song. Katarina Pejak can certainly write some memorable lines, a standout from this track being “We were stripped down to the pain.” The album concludes with “The Harder You Kick,” a blues song about trying to get rid of the blues even if it seems a futile endeavor, Katarina’s voice supported just by some cool work on keys. “So the harder you kick, the deeper you sink/And the more you resist, the deeper the ditch/The harder you kick, the deeper you sink/In the quick sand, baby.”

CD Track List

1. Nature Of My Blues
2. Sex Kills
3. Cool Drifter
4. Moonlight Rider
5. Old Pain
6. Chasing Summer
7. Turtle Blues
8. Down With Me
9. She’s Coming After You
10. Roads That Cross
11. The Harder You Kick 

Roads That Cross was released on February 15, 2019 on Ruf Records.

Evie Sands at The Federal Bar, 2-17-19 Concert Review

Evie Sands performing "While I Look At You"

I was surprised when Evie Sands came out on stage today. She looks at least two decades younger than her age, and has the energy of someone even younger than that. Her career began in the mid-1960s, when she was still in her teens, and she recorded several singles that decade (including the first version of “Angel Of The Morning”). Her first LP was released in 1969, and over the years several others followed. Her most recent release, an EP titled Shine For Me, came out in 2017. Gary Calamar mentioned that EP while introducing her today, noting that it is available on colored vinyl as well as CD (I am a sucker for colored vinyl and picked up a copy). Her show this afternoon was part of the Mimosa Music Series held at The Federal Bar.

When she took the stage, Evie Sands immediately started rocking, opening her set with “Don’t Hold Back.” And indeed, she wasn’t holding back at all. There was a lot of energy and joy to her delivery. She played electric guitar, and was backed by Jason Berk on guitar, Teresa Cowles on bass, and Eric Vesper on drums. With hardly a pause at all, the group followed “Don’t Hold Back” with “Another Night On The Other Side Of The Line” and then “I Can’t Let Go,” and Evie Sands was just totally rocking. After “I Can’t Let Go,” a song that goes back to the beginning of her career, she thanked the crowd. “Happy Sunday, everybody,” she said. And she asked what could be better than music and mimosas. You know, I didn’t really care for mimosas when I started going to these concerts, but now I enjoy them, even look forward to having them. I finished my second mimosa just before Evie started her set.

“While I Look At You” is a cool song from her Women In Prison album, a late 1990s release. “Oh, I love to look at you.” She followed that with another track from that same album, “Angel In Your Eyes.” Then she delivered a great cover of Barbara Lynn’s “I’m A Good Woman,” first mentioning she got to perform the song with Barbara Lynn a year ago, both of them being left-handed guitarists. This song was a whole lot of fun, and featured some nice stuff on guitar. But my favorite song of her set was the brand new one, “My Darkest Days.” Evie said today’s performance marked the song’s debut. It’s a cool song that begins in a mellower place, then kicks in. I’m excited that she’s writing new material, and I hope the next release will also be on colored vinyl.

“You Can Do It” begins with a great funky groove. This is a tune from her 1979 LP Suspended Animation, and is another fun one. She then played one of the tracks from her most recent release, “Without You,” which has a sweeter feel. That was followed by “Billy Sunshine,” a fun rock and roll tune, the song of the set that seemed to most excite the crowd. I really dug the bass line. Evie then switched to the keyboard for “Get Up,” another track from Suspended Animation. As she moved to the keyboard, she said, “Too many cords up here.” Jason Berk responded, “That last song was only four chords.” Evie Sands then concluded her set with “Shine For Me,” the title track from her EP, a really good, soulful number. She played keys on this one too. She then returned for an encore, switching back to guitar. She wished Amy Raasch a happy birthday, and extended birthday greetings to two other people. After a moment of confusion over which song they were going to do, they began “Take Me For A Little While,” a song she released as a single in the 1960s. “I’ve been trying to make you love me/But everything I try just takes you further from me.” They finished the concert with “Don’t Look Back, Don’t Look Down,” leaving us with another fun rock and roll tune. The show ended at 1:25 p.m.

Set List

1. Don’t Hold Back
2. Another Night On The Other Side Of The Line
3. I Can’t Let Go
4. While I Look At You
5. Angel In Your Eyes
6. I’m A Good Woman
7. My Darkest Days
8. You Can Do It
9. Without You
10. Billy Sunshine
11. Get Up
12. Shine For Me

Encore

1. Take Me For A Little While
2. Don’t Look Back, Don’t Look Down

Here are a few photos from her set:

"Don't Hold Back"

"Don't Hold Back"

"While I Look At You"

"I'm A Good Woman"

"My Darkest Days"

"Get Up"

"Take Me For A Little While"

The Federal Bar is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.

Amy Raasch at The Federal Bar, 2-17-19 Concert Review

Amy Raasch performing "Girls Get Cold"

No question about it, this is a month of excellent shows at The Federal Bar. Last Sunday it was Chris Price and Permanent Green Light. Today’s concert featured sets by Amy Raasch and Evie Sands. Mimosa Music Series host Gary Calamar took the stage promptly at 11:30 a.m. to introduce Amy Raasch. “Good morning, everybody,” he said, and then immediately replied to himself, “Good morning, Gary.” The audience picked up on it, repeating “Good morning, Gary.” These shows have a delightfully loose, friendly vibe, and Gary is certainly instrumental in setting that tone. On one of the fliers for today’s concert, it indicated that it was a birthday show, and Gary mentioned that several people had come up to him, wishing him a happy birthday. He thanked the crowd, then informed them it wasn’t his birthday. It was Amy Raasch’s birthday. He then demonstrated how to pronounce Amy’s last name, saying it rhymes with gosh. “Oh my gosh, it’s Amy Raasch,” he said by way of introduction.

Amy then continued the joke: “Thank you, Gary, and happy birthday.” Her set focused on material from her most recent album, Girls Get Cold, which was released last February. She opened the show with a beautiful rendition of “Weight Of A Man,” which featured cello and viola. “How I miss the weight of a man to hold me down.” Amy played flute on this one. She then switched to guitar for “We Got A Thing.” David Poe, who produced the album, also joined her on guitar and provided backing vocals.  “Nothing will go wrong.” Three female backing vocalists then joined Amy for “The Saboteur,” a song that Amy introduced as the “soundtrack to your February horror movie.” David Poe began that one with some whistling, accompanied by some atmospheric work on keys. The last line of this song is “Aren’t you concerned with disappointing God?” Amy then immediately broke the spell by shouting “Happy Valentine’s Day,” getting a laugh from the crowd. By the way, the venue was packed. This concert series seems to be getting more popular. The audience laughed again at the main line of “Straight Boys,” “Why can’t I be friends with a straight boy?” Amy played flute on that delightful number. She switched to guitar again for “Girls Get Cold,” the album’s title track.

“Breathe My Breath” was perhaps the most unusual song of her set, beginning as it did with some heavy breathing by Amy and the backing vocalists, a sort of orchestrated, multi-part breath. This is a strange and kind of gorgeous song, with Amy back on flute. She followed that with “Kitty Decides,” on which she played a series of cat sounds. This is a silly and totally catchy pop song with a strong dance beat (money raised from this song goes to an animal rescue fund). Amy Raasch then wrapped up her set with “What The Sun Kisses,” a mellow, groovy, jazzy tune. Her set ended at 12:07 p.m.

Set List

1. Weight Of A Man
2. We Got A Thing
3. The Saboteur
4. Straight Boys
5. Girls Get Cold
6. Breathe My Breath
7. Kitty Decides
8. What The Sun Kisses

Here are a few photos from her set:

"Weight Of A Man"

"Weight Of A Man"

"We Got A Thing"

"The Saboteur"

"Straight Boys"

"Girls Get Cold"

"Breathe My Breath"

"Kitty Decides"

"Kitty Decides"

"What The Sun Kisses"

The Federal Bar is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.

Band Vs. Brand DVD Review

Band Vs. Brand is a documentary about the music industry in the digital age, particularly regarding how the brand of a band might now be more important than the actual members of the band. A somewhat depressing idea, but an intriguing film. Narration at the beginning mentions that the idea of branding is rather recent, that music companies in the sixties and seventies didn’t imagine a long-term future for their artists. “Little did they know that rock and roll icons such as Elvis, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin would outlive their active careers and their brands would become more profitable than ever before.”

Interestingly, record company executive David Tedds says that this question of branding is not new, that big bands continued long after their leaders died because of the brand, the name recognition. He also makes a point about doo-wop bands that would continue with only one original member, or even no original members. (I went to see one of those bands several years ago – I believe it was The Platters – and was shocked and infuriated to find no original members. I left after two songs.) Other music executives are interviewed in this film, as well as band managers and publicists. But most of the people interviewed are musicians. Though doo-wop and big band music are mentioned at the beginning, this documentary focuses on hard rock. Those interviewed include Nadir D’Priest (of London), David Ellefson (of Megadeth), David Lombardo (of Slayer), Marc Ferrari (of Keel) and Jack Russell (of Great White).

“I think the argument can be made that the brand is more important than the band,” says Marc Ferrari. Bands make more money merchandising their name than selling their records, and apparently the profit margin is greater on the sale of a T-shirt than a record. The documentary includes a segment on band logos, showing plenty of examples, most of which you’ll recognize even if you aren’t familiar with the music. The narrator says, “It is vital to own the trademark, and to establish an eye-catching logo to imprint on everything from T-shirts, baseball caps and stickers to alcoholic beverages, tattoos and condoms.” And yes, there are examples of all. “KISS Kondoms: Tongue Lubricated.” Really? Bloody hell. I have never been a fan of KISS, and this little bit of information certainly did not endear the band to me. The narrator goes on to say, “No artist in the history of music has capitalized on the business of branding more than KISS.” True.

Several of those interviewed also talk about classic rock bands now re-uniting without all the original members. They use Queen and Journey as examples of bands whose bodies of work are popular enough that they can tour without their famous lead singers. A connection is drawn to bands who changed singers rather early in the careers, such as Black Sabbath and AC/DC. But of course it’s not the same thing, since those bands didn’t actually break up. Journey and Queen got back together without key members to tour, seemingly to capitalize on nostalgia and on the popularity of the music. At what point does a band become a tribute to itself? Someone once said to me that the Rolling Stones have become the world’s best Rolling Stones cover band. And that rang true to me, that the Stones had long ago ceased being a creative entity and are simply cashing in on the love people have for what they once were. This documentary does delve into the question of tribute bands. I’ve never cared for tribute bands, because there is nothing remotely artistic or creative about what they do. It’s interesting to me that someone in this film indicates that occasionally tribute bands make more money than surviving members of the bands they’re covering.

The documentary is divided into different sections, and there is a section on how the internet has changed the music industry. Mike Varney (of Shrapnel Records) says, “When you do away with the labels, you do away with a lot of the quality control.” It is mentioned how the internet is allowing bands to exist without them having to put in the time on the road to learn, to establish themselves, to develop creatively. So the market is flooded with a lot of garbage. That is true. But there is a lot of really good music out there as well, from artists the big labels probably would not have risked taking on. The film also includes a section on touring. What is interesting is that it helps to keep any version of the band on the road, because that generates income even for the original members or their estates, as keeping the brand name in front of the people does lead to sales of albums and T-shirts and so on. Toward the end, something is mentioned that I had been happily been unaware of: bands performing with holograms of dead singers. That is completely insane.

Though a good deal of this documentary’s topic I found rather depressing, I was still completely engaged. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Band Vs. Brand was directed by Bob Nalbandian, and was released on DVD on February 12, 2018 through Cleopatra Entertainment and MVD Visual. The DVD includes two different trailers for the movie, as well trailers for a few other music documentaries.

Marley’s Ghost: “Travelin’ Shoes” (2019) CD Review

I’ve been enjoying Marley’s Ghost for a decade (the group has been around for more than thirty years), and am always excited when they put out a new album. Travelin’ Shoes, the group’s latest offering, is an excellent album of gospel tunes. Yes, it’s that wonderful country and folk variety of gospel. When I hear music like this, I almost wish I were a believer. Yeah, it’s that good. Of course, for me this music is about spirit and humanity and not religion, and so we can all take part in it, we can all appreciate it. There is a lot of joy to the music on this disc, and some excellent vocal work. The album was produced by Larry Campbell, who also produced the band’s 2016 release, The Woodstock Sessions, which also featured a bit of gospel.

This album gets off to a fantastic start with its title track, “Travelin’ Shoes.” I completely love this song, even before it kicks in. This version opens with the line “Death comes knocking on the hypocrite’s door,” rather than “the sinner’s door” or “my mother’s door,” and I can’t help but think of all those so-called religious people who support Donald Trump. Hypocrisy is a way of life for them now. And when the song kicks in, it becomes an absolute gem, a sort of bluegrass gospel tune. Then, when you think it can’t get any better, it goes into this glorious vocal section with strong gospel tones. And who is it I think of when they sing “Death comes knocking on the liar’s door”? They follow that with a cover of “Hear Jerusalem Moan,” the first lines delivered a cappella. It then becomes a groovy, joyful bluegrass number. Wonderful stuff! This album is a lot of fun. This track features more great vocal work, and I love that fiddle. There is also some nice stuff on keys. “You Can’t Stand Up Alone” begins a cappella too, and kicks in to become a joyful, wonderful, upbeat number.

As I mentioned, Larry Campbell produced this album. He also provides a composition, “Someday,” a song that was recorded by The Dixie Hummingbirds and included on that gospel group’s 2003 release, Diamond Jubilation. It’s a catchy, delightful song, and Marley’s Ghost does a really good job with it. That’s followed by a cover of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ “So Happy I’ll Be.” The vocals are so bloody good, and this tune makes me happy. This is music that reminds us of how good life actually is, how incredible it is to be here at all. I mean, seriously, it’s kind of crazy when you think about it, the odds of existing at all. It kind of makes it even less understandable that people can be such shits sometimes. We then get a cool rendition of “Shadrack,” featuring more impressive vocal work. The bass is at the heart of this one. They then give “Run Come See Jerusalem” a distinct island vibe, which works surprisingly well.

The album’s only original composition, “Judgment Day,” written by Dan Wheetman, begins a cappella. When it kicks in, it takes on a more rocking country sound and is a powerful number. “Take pity on a wounded heart/Forgive me if you can/And pray that when I leave this world/I will find my heart again.” That’s followed by “When Trouble’s In My Home,” which has more of a bluesy folk sound at the start. And when it kicks in, you might find yourself singing along. “Sometimes I have to cry when trouble’s in my home.” And like the blues, by singing out about our troubles, this song makes us feel a whole lot better about them. Seriously, this should lift you straight out of the current gloom. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I think Donald Trump and his racist cronies can be defeated by music. There is no way their soullessness could stand up to music like this. I feel that their skin would crack and their horrid bodies would dry up completely and blow away at the sound of this music.

“Standing By The Bedside Of A Neighbor” has a delightful classic country and western sound, a jazzy feel, and features some wonderful playing, particularly during the instrumental section. That’s followed by “A Beautiful Life.” “Life’s evening sun/Is sinking low/A few more days/And I must go.” Has an imminent death ever sounded so good? I mean, if death is like this, with this music playing, none of us will fear or despair our passing. The album then concludes with “Sweet Hour Of Prayer,” a mellower, slower tune, with yet more excellent vocal work. “In seasons of distress and grief/My soul has often found relief.” Amen.

CD Track List

1. Travelin’ Shoes
2. Hear Jerusalem Moan
3. You Can’t Stand Up Alone
4. Someday
5. So Happy I’ll Be
6. Shadrack
7. Run Come See Jerusalem
8. Judgment Day
9. When Trouble’s In My Home
10. Standing By The Bedside Of A Neighbor
11. A Beautiful Life
12. Sweet Hour Of Prayer

Travelin’ Shoes was released on February 8, 2019.

Permanent Green Light at The Federal Bar, 2-10-19 Concert Review

Permanent Green Light performing "Ballad Of Paul K."

I’ve seen some seriously good shows at The Federal Bar in the last few years. Gary Calamar hosts a concert series there, Mimosa Music Series, and he’s managed to get some fantastic artists to perform. Today the bill consisted of Chris Price and Permanent Green Light. If you are familiar with Permanent Green Light, you know their show today was a true rarity. As Gary mentioned in his introduction, “This band only plays once every twenty-five years.” I’m not sure if that is even an exaggeration. The band broke up in the mid-1990s after only one LP, an EP and some singles. But in October of 2018, a compilation of their music was released. Titled Hallucinations, it features music from their earlier releases as well as some previously unreleased tracks. It’s a wonderful collection of music. The band, by the way, for those who don’t know, is made up of Michael Quercio on bass and vocals, Matt Devine on guitar and vocals, and Chris Bruckner on drums. And today they delivered a totally fun set of power pop.

Gary Calamar introduced them at 12:17 p.m., and helped establish the afternoon’s playful tone by holding up a single shoe that had been found and asking if anyone would claim it. I’m not sure if that shoe was reunited with its owner or not, but soon the band’s set was underway and everyone was having a good time. Permanent Green Light focused on material that was included on Hallucinations. In introducing “We Could Just Die,” Michael Quercio said, “All right, rock and roll.” And indeed, that song rocked. Apparently, the band rehearsed for this gig, and they sounded great. Sure, it might have been just a tad loud for the room, but was so much fun. “We Could Just Die” was followed by “The Goddess Bunny.” Then Michael took off his jacket, mentioning “I bought this jacket at Target.” He joked that he goes to that store because it’s convenient and he’s lazy.

Before “Street Love,” Michael introduced Matt: “On guitar, the wonder that is Matt Devine.” Matt sang lead on that song. That was followed by “Ballad Of Paul K.,” which Michael introduced as “a song about one of our old friends.” He then asked, “Is he here?” After “Lovely To Love Me,” Michael mentioned that the next song kind of boogies. “It doesn’t go on long enough to be a proper one,” he said. The song was “Wintertime’s A-Comin’, Martha Raye.” Michael then told the crowd, “We’d like to leave you with a message.” And the band went into “(You & I Are The) Summertime,” which totally delighted the audience. This song featured some great stuff on drums, and turned into a good jam. It was certainly a highlight of the set. They came out for an encore, and as Michael tuned, Matt told the crowd: “I tuned backstage. I’ve got a system worked out.” The encore was “All For You.” The show ended at 1 p.m. And it was clear that everyone present knew they had witnessed something special.

Set List

1. (I forgot to write down the first song – sorry, folks)
2. We Could Just Die
3. The Goddess Bunny
4. Honestly
5. Street Love
6. Ballad Of Paul K.
7. Lovely To Love Me
8. Wintertime’s A-Comin’, Martha Raye
9. (You & I Are The) Summertime 

Encore

1. All For You

 Here are a few photos from their set:

"We Could Just Die"

"We Could Just Die"

"Wintertime's A-Comin', Martha Raye"

"(You & I Are The) Summertime"

"(You & I Are The) Summertime"

"(You & I Are The) Summertime"

The Federal Bar is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.