The Monkees at The Orpheum Theatre, 6-2-18 Concert Review

The Monkees performing "I'll Spend My Life With You"

The Monkees were my first favorite band. I was four years old when I fell in love with this group, and my appreciation for them has only grown in the intervening decades. I saw them in concert in 1986, and several times since then, and I’ve always had an excellent time. But last night’s show at the Orpheum might have been the best show I’ve seen them do (perhaps even better than the show in Lowell back in 2011). It was certainly the best concert I’ve attended this year. There were a lot of surprises, a lot of songs I’d never seen them do before, including one of my all-time favorites. And there was a great sense of fun about the whole thing. The tour is billed as “The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show,” as Peter Tork is not part of it.

I had never been to the Orpheum before, and was pleased to discover it is a really nice venue, with a relaxed vibe and a friendly staff. I had purchased a ticket for a seat in the last row so that I could dance without bothering anyone. So glad I did. I danced the whole show, and had plenty of room. My seat was actually in the handicapped area. Good folks near me too, which helped make the experience even better. It’s great being with other knowledgeable fans. Before the show, the venue actually had Monkees music playing, including “All The King’s Horses,” “Salesman” and even “Me & Magdalena.” I was already really excited about the show because a few months ago Mike and Micky had indicated that they were going to play songs they didn’t usually perform.

At 8:04 p.m., the lights dimmed, and at 8:05 p.m., a screen came down at the back of the stage, which simply said “The Monkees Present The Mike & Micky Show.” They didn’t bother playing scenes from the television series, as they had at previous shows. And I certainly didn’t miss the visuals. This time it was all about the music. They kicked off the show with Michael Nesmith’s “Good Clean Fun,” a song from The Monkees Present. “I told you I’d come back and here I am!” Indeed! Micky was on acoustic guitar, and Mike played electric guitar. They followed that with “Last Train To Clarksville,” and man, there was a guy on banjo. After that song, someone shouted out, “I love you.” And Mike responded, “I love you too.” Micky then put down the guitar and picked up some maracas for “Sunny Girlfriend.” That song is always a lot of fun, and this was a good version.

After “Mary, Mary,” Mike joked, “Mary, Mary never answered.” They then played “You Told Me,” with Micky on tambourine, and followed that with “For Pete’s Sake.” Mike mentioned that song was written by Peter Tork, adding: “A big shout out to Peter Tork. Peter!” Peter has said that he wasn’t doing this tour because he’s focusing on other projects. Mike then also gave a shout out to Davy Jones, saying “This is for you, kiddo,” before getting into “The Door Into Summer.” Yes, Mike was pretty talkative at this show, which was great, even doing a running joke about missing a woman’s phone call. That running joke was not anything that was worked out beforehand, and Mike wasn’t sure just where he was going with it, and admitted as much.

Micky played acoustic guitar on “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” After that, one of the band’s technicians brought out an acoustic guitar for Mike. Rather than just taking it, he made the guy stand there holding it for a bit while he joked that he’d give him eight dollars for it. He then played “You Just May Be The One.” Mike left the stage for “Steam Engine.” This was the first surprise of the night for me, and it was absolutely fantastic. This song is a whole lot of fun. I used to have a compilation cassette titled Monkee Business, and I’d to listen to this song over and over. Micky then jumped ahead in the set list, starting to introduce a song from Good Times! before being corrected. Instead, they played “Some Of Shelly’s Blues,” another delightful surprise. Mike sang the last line as “You settle down and stay with me,” as he has done when performing the song solo. After that, Mike mentioned Good Times!, and they played “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster.” I love that album, and “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” was definitely cool, but it was the next song that really excited me. “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” led directly into “St. Matthew,” which completely thrilled me. What a fantastic surprise. If memory serves me (and it often doesn’t), I first heard this song on a compilation titled Missing Links Volume Two. It’s an excellent song, and they did a great job on it last night.

Mike then left the stage while Micky sang “Porpoise Song.” The lights along the walls and the lights above me were going all weird, a nice touch that I didn’t expect. That was followed by another song from Head, “Circle Sky,” which completely kicked ass. Seriously, this tune was powerful last night, and it was followed by my favorite Monkees song, “As We Go Along,” also from Head. It was a beautiful rendition, featuring violin, and was followed by another gorgeous song to conclude the first set, “Me & Magdalena.” Seriously, this version was so beautiful that I started to cry. What a great finish to the first set. The first set ended at 9:06 p.m.

Micky said they’d be back in five minutes. The usher had told me it was going to be a twenty-minute break. Neither was correct. It was fourteen minutes. The first part of the second set was a nice, acoustic segment. And in fact, for the first song only two musicians joined Mike and Micky. That song was the always-appreciated “Papa Gene’s Blues.” Then bass and drums were added for an interesting, cool rendition of “Randy Scouse Git.” And that was followed by another wonderful surprise, “Nine Times Blue,” with some nice work on pedal steel. This is a song that was included on Missing Links. There was more nice work on pedal steel on “I’ll Spend My Life With You.” The backing vocalists returned for this one, and there was also mandolin on this sweet rendition. And by “Different Drum,” the whole band was back on stage, including keys. After that, Mike announced, “That’s the end of the acoustic set.”

Micky talked about the band’s first single, “Last Train To Clarksville.” The flip side was “Take A Giant Step,” except apparently in Hawaii. “In Hawaii, this was the song that was released as the single, because there are no trains in Hawaii,” Micky said. It looks like the French version of the single also had “Take A Giant Step” as the A side. The version last night featured some nice work on violin. As great as that was, it was the next song that made the night an absolute treasure for me. I am a big fan of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, in large part because of “Auntie’s Municipal Court.” It’s a song I never expected to see the band perform in concert. But last night they did it, and I could not have been happier. And they did it with a bit of that extended ending. In a night of highlights, this one had to be tops for me. It almost didn’t even matter what they did afterward.

After that completely magical song, someone in the audience shouted out a request for “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and a lot of other people laughed in response. It seemed to me not only a stupid request (since the band was almost certainly going to play it), but an absolutely ridiculous thing to shout after being treated to such a rare gem as “Auntie’s Municipal Court.” It felt almost like that person didn’t appreciate the moment. I was glad to hear that the request was met by laughter by a lot of folks in the audience. Anyway, what they did choose to follow “Auntie’s Municipal Court” was a totally rocking rendition of “Sweet Young Thing.” How were other people not dancing? Actually, there were some people dancing near me, and some others down front, to the left of the stage from the audience’s perspective. At one point, a woman near me leaned in to say that the rest of the audience was demonstrating remarkable restraint. Ah, perfect!

“Sweet Young Thing” was followed by “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” and then another surprise, “Grand Ennui,” a song from Nevada Fighter, a  Michael Nesmith & The First National Band album. Micky sat this one out. This was a country rock song, with the emphasis on rock, and included a nice long jam. Then Micky came back for an unusual rendition of “Goin’ Down,” with no horns, but with violin. During this song, Micky introduced the band. Micky then sang lead on “Daydream Believer,” singing “how happy we can be” rather than “how happy I can be.” Toward the end, Micky indicated it was the audience’s turn to sing, and we were accompanied only by drums. That was followed by a wonderful version of “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?” and then “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”

Everyone except Mike then left the stage, and Mike began “Listen To The Band” solo, on acoustic guitar, an interesting country rendition. It was very cool. It wasn’t long before the band rejoined him, and the song then exploded. Fantastic! The second set then concluded with “I’m A Believer,” during which the crowd finally got to its feet. There was no encore, but I suppose none was needed. The show ended at 10:26 p.m.

Set List

Set I

1. Good Clean Fun
2. Last Train To Clarksville
3. Sunny Girlfriend
4. Mary, Mary
5. You Told Me
6. For Pete’s Sake
7. The Door Into Summer
8. The Girl I Knew Somewhere
9. You Just May Be The One
10. Steam Engine
11. Some Of Shelly’s Blues
12. Birth Of An Accidental Hipster >
13. St. Matthew
14. Porpoise Song
15. Circle Sky
16. As We Go Along
17. Me & Magdalena 

Set II

1. Papa Gene’s Blues
2. Randy Scouse Git
3. Nine Times Blue
4. I’ll Spend My Life With You
5. Different Drum
6. Take A Giant Step
7. Auntie’s Municipal Court
8. Sweet Young Thing
9. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
10. Grand Ennui
11. Goin’ Down
12. Daydream Believer
13. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?
14. Pleasant Valley Sunday
15. Listen To The Band
16. I’m A Believer

Here are a few photos from the show:

Folks gathering before the doors were opened

"Sunny Girlfriend"

"As We Go Along"

"Papa Gene's Blues"

"I'll Spend My Life With You"

"Pleasant Valley Sunday"

The Orpheum Theatre is located at 842 S. Broadway in Los Angeles, California.

Shotgun Jimmie: “Field Of Trampolines” (2016) CD Review

If you’re in the mood for some good, fun rock and pop tunes, with some interesting topics and unusual lyrics, you should definitely check out Shotgun Jimmie’s Field Of Trampolines album. The music has a joyous, youthful vibe – youthful, that is, without being stupid. It’s more about the energy and the sense of excitement, the sense of play. Youthful in that way. This album features original material, and these songs have plenty of great lines, some that made me laugh aloud, like these from “Project 9”: “It’s no one’s fault/All right, it’s mine” (his delivery of “All right, it’s mine” is perfect). And nothing is too polished; there is something of a raw punk energy here, which I appreciate. The band is Shotgun Jimmie on guitar and vocals, Jory Hasselmann on guitar and vocals, Marie-France Hollier on bass and vocals, and Cole Woods on drums and vocals. Joel Plaskett, who produced the album, joins the band on guitar, vocals, tambourine, organ and piano.

A few moments into CD’s opening song, “Join The Band,” I just started smiling. The music overtook me. Here is some good rock music that has a sense of play, a sense of enjoyment, and encourages everyone to join in. “Join the band/Come on tour/Get in the van/What are you waiting for?” It’s a song that mentions various places, and is certainly a song you want on your playlist if you’re traveling around to see a band (as we’ve all done at one point or another). There is some delightful goofiness, like these lines about the soundcheck: “Line check, mike check, soundcheck, mindset/Checkity check before you wreckity wreck.” And at the end, this song simply rocks. That’s followed by “Georgia OK,” about Georgia O’Keeffe. I dig how the bass is used in this song. “I’m losing sleep over Georgia O’Keeffe/I can’t compete, no, I can’t compete.”

I love word games. I tend to play Boggle more often than Scrabble these days (mainly because of the time involved), but once belonged to a somewhat casual Scrabble league. So when I first glanced at this CD’s track list, “Triple Letter Score” stood out as something I was excited to hear. In this one, Shotgun Jimmie sings, “Triple letter score wasted on a vowel.” Ah, only three points. But the song is mainly about camping at the beach, and it’s getting me excited about my own trip to Cape Cod (we won’t be camping, but we’ll be spending a lot of time on the beach). It’s a fun tune, and features some good lyrics, like these: “Find someone to love/Fall in love and fall apart/Get distracted by another/Change your mind and break her heart/As the sparks from the fire rise into the sky/Watch everything you know disappear into the night.”

“Field Of Trampolines,” the album’s title track, has something of a 1960s pop vibe, combined with touches of punk. This is a great sound for summer. “Are you ready for green/Are you ready for blue/Could you actually ever be blue/Do you know what I mean/When I’m telling you/I could actually never be blue/In the fields of trampolines.” That’s followed by “Love Letter,” which has kind of a quirky sound, thanks in large part to the addition of organ, which I love. But that vibe is also because of the song’s lyrics. Here is a taste: “I didn’t want to fail ya/You took me to Australia/And everyone got sick/We went down to Florida/And everyone adored ya/It was so romantic.” This is one of my favorites.

“Song For Julie, Chris, Rick + Mark” is a fun tune to get you bopping around, coming at you at a good clip with a great punk vibe. “You seem so angry, and it completely breaks my heart/To know I could feel like that about anything/It’s probably not that smart.” It’s a punk length too, at like a minute and a half. The album then concludes with “Walkman Battery Bleed.” This one definitely takes me back to those days I spent at Cape Cod in the summer when I was a kid. “Back in the summer when we were younger/Pockets of sand that we brought home from the beach/I watched the waves move in slow motion/I let the Walkman drain its batteries.” And at one point there is a playful nod to “Heart And Soul” on piano. “Whatever makes you happy/Whatever gets you through the day.”

CD Track List

1. Join The Band
2. Georgia OK
3. Solar Array
4. Triple Letter Score
5. Project 9
6. Field Of Trampolines
7. Love Letter
8. Constantine Believer
9. Song For Julie, Chris, Rick + Mark
10. Walkman Battery Bleed

Field Of Trampolines was released on both CD and vinyl on March 18, 2016 on You’ve Changed Records.

The Furious Seasons: “Now Residing Abroad” (2018) CD Review

As the world continues to spin in discouraging directions thanks to Donald Trump and all the racist morons who support him, we turn to music for solace, for cheer, for some honesty, for signs of life, for something good. The Furious Seasons provide all of that on their new album, Now Residing Abroad. Even the title is appealing to a lot of us these days. Honestly, who hasn’t entertained the idea of leaving the United States since that horrifying election in 2016? But no, this is not a political album, though it certainly contains some relevant ideas and situations. These songs have vivid descriptions, with some excellent lyrics, with both warmth and wit, delivered by three talented musicians. The Furious Seasons are a Los Angeles-based trio consisting of David Steinhart on acoustic guitar, vocals, and percussion; Jeff Steinhart on bass and keys; and P.A. Nelson on acoustic guitar, slide guitar, electric guitar and vocals.

You get a sense in the first track, “Expo Line,” of how good this band’s lyrics are. “And I just got old, I didn’t realize/I was ripe to be among the downsized/Feels like an elevator that just dropped a dozen flights/Now I’m invisible in the plain daylight.” Los Angeles always seems to be growing and expanding. Even in just my immediate neighborhood, several new buildings have gone up in the last year, changing the look and feel of the place. Sometimes it feels like it’s changing without me, trying to push me out.  “Because these days there is no place that I need to be.” That’s followed by “So Sorry Adele,” which takes us to London to attend a concert there by a woman whose vocal cords snap. The line that always stands out for me is, “And a voice that could make you believe/In god or aliens.”

“Tethered” is one of my favorites. A lot of us can relate to this song’s opening lines, “The days of relative calm/Gave way to a season of storms/With less to fall back on/So much for our comfortable norms.” And I like this line: “Like you woke up in outer space.” The song is actually tender and loving. “I want to be your soft place to land.” Ah, yes. We all need that now, and I am thankful that I have it. Yes, the song turns out to be a love song, and it offers some comfort. “To be alive and be with you/The only thing I need be tethered to.” That’s followed by “The Loyal Canadians,” the song whose lyrics give us the album’s title. This one does mention the election, and so I suppose is the most overtly political, though, honestly, I don’t like to even use the word political, because what is happening these days extends far beyond politics into all aspects of our lives and of our nation’s personality. And the song is more about personal identity in a screwed up political climate than about the politicians themselves. “Before the election was set/The idle threats began/You’re all moving north/To become loyal Canadians/Though I’d never give over my land/For this idiot/Now residing abroad/I admit has a pretty nice ring to it.” And I love these lines: “It’s a been a long fall/All this anger, fear and doubt/And if they build that wall/It sure as hell won’t keep me out.” I particularly appreciate the double meaning of “fall.” This song also features some seriously nice work on guitar.

More wonderful work on guitar begins “Marathon.” And check out these lines: “Jet-lagged and windblown/You live by the light of your phone/More alone than when you were alone.” It’s interesting to me how the lines “The days fly away/And I know how badly you’re longing to stay” stand out, positioned as they are between two nice instrumental sections, giving them more prominence and weight. And toward the end, the lines “But if all goes as planned/I’ll be here when you land” remind me of a similar thought expressed in “Tethered,” and so those lines too are given a bit more stress than they perhaps otherwise would. And this is actually another good argument in favor of purchasing albums and listening to the songs in the order the artists chose, rather than just downloading specific tracks online. Sometimes ideas or lines or even words are repeated from one song to the next, developing themes over the course of an album. You lose that if you just download a few tracks. It depresses me when people in their twenties tell me they don’t own any albums.

“Status Quo” opens with the lines “The chaos subsides as the seasons change/And I will calm down enough to carry on.” Those lines hit me, because I wonder sometimes if carrying on is enough. I am torn these days between wanting to just carry on with my own life and wanting to get more involved with some sort of protest or revolution. You know? Bring those bastards down. That’s not really exactly what this song is about, but that’s where my thoughts went nonetheless. “I’m a machine that often needs a reset.” The album then concludes with “Come To LA,” in which they reach out to someone who needs a change. It’s a song that offers comfort, offers a hand. “You can stay with us for as long as you want.” And who could resist the call to “Come out west”?

CD Track List

1. Expo Line
2. So Sorry Adele
3. Easy To Find
4. Tethered
5. The Loyal Canadians
6. Whatnot
7. Fort Knox
8. Marathon
9. Airtight
10. Understood
11. The Muse
12. Status Quo
13. Come To LA 

Now Residing Abroad is scheduled to be released on June 22, 2018 on Stonegarden Records.

Notes From The 2018 Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, Day Two

Eddie Money

After catching the Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore concert in North Hollywood, I raced back out to Simi Valley for the second day of the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival. I knew I was going to miss some good artists, but would get there in time to catch Lost Bayou Ramblers, as well as Eddie Money, who was the headliner at the blues stage. As I pulled into the lot, while the guard looked for my name on his many lists, I could hear The Chamber Brothers playing “Time Has Come Today.” It took a while, but my name was finally located, and I drove in to park. Fortunately, The Chambers Brothers did such a deliciously long version of the song that I was able to park, walk in, and get to the front of the stage to snap some photos while they were still playing it. What I caught of the song was excellent, and I knew the band must have put on a really good show. I was totally energized just from the few minutes that I was able to see.

After a couple of beers, I was ready for the next band, Lost Bayou Ramblers. They are from Louisiana, and had performed on the Cajun stage Saturday, but at that point I was seeing The Wild Magnolias on the blues stage. It’s difficult sometimes to plan your schedule at this festival, because you’re bound to miss at least a couple of good sets. This year, however, I managed to see basically everything that I wanted to, thanks to bands like Lost Bayou Ramblers performing both days. The microphone stand came apart during their first song, leading to some good jamming while it was being repaired, and immediately you got the sense that this was a fun band, with a whole lot of energy. And I love to see a band that includes fiddle and accordion totally rock the way these guys did. They got the audience dancing. At one point, they even had some folks waltzing. It was that kind of crowd, you know? Good people.

It seemed more crowded on Sunday than it was on Saturday – both out front and backstage. And it turned out that was at least partly due to Eddie Money being the headliner. Folks were excited to see him, though of course he’s not really a blues artist, not by any stretch of the imagination. I have his early material on vinyl, but guess I didn’t know all that much about him, because when he arrived backstage with a saxophone, I was caught by surprise. I didn’t know he played sax. I had also forgotten just how many hits the guy had recorded. He opened his set with “Baby Hold On,” a song from his 1977 debut LP, and followed that with “No Control,” on which he played harmonica. After that, he talked a bit about his television program. Apparently, he has his own so-called “reality” show, which I knew nothing about. He joked, “I wish they’d shot it ten years ago and ten pounds ago.” The band then played a song called “Tonight” without him. That was followed by “We Should Be Sleeping.”

Then Eddie Money brought out his saxophone for “Wanna Be A Rock And Roll Star,” a song from his first album. (I just pulled that record off my shelf, and – sure enough – it mentions that he plays saxophone on it, so I guess I did know that and just forgot. Ah, my memory isn’t perfect.) He got the audience singing along, shouting out “Star.” He followed that with “Endless Nights.” His energy was impressive. By the way, he wore a Dodgers shirt, with his name on the back, with the number “00.” As it was Memorial Day weekend, his “One More Soldier Coming Home” fit perfectly. On the line “We salute you,” he actually offered a salute. He followed that with “Walk On Water.” He then asked the crowd if they wanted to go back to the 1980s. Some people near me screamed, “I wanna go back!” And, indeed, Eddie Money then did “I Wanna Go Back,” playing saxophone on it.

He wrapped up his set with three of his most popular songs – “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Think I’m In Love” and “Two Tickets To Paradise.” When he started “Take Me Home Tonight,” a woman near me exclaimed, “I know this song!” The audience sang along with that one. Before beginning “Two Tickets To Paradise,” he dedicated it to his wife, joking that he might get lucky that night. He also said something about the crowd being on television, so apparently someone was filming his set for that “reality” show. The encore was “Shakin’” and he finished just before 6 p.m.

As always, a portion of the crowd left after the headliner. But those who stayed were treated to an excellent set by 3 Sista Blues, which is a group led by three female vocalists – Kelly Zirbes (of Kelly’s Lot), Deb Ryder and Shari Puorto. The set consisted of original material, with each of them singing lead on a few songs, while the others provided backing vocals. Yes, we were back to the blues, with this group delivering some good, thumping, rocking blues numbers. The band backing them was great, and included Perry Robertson (from Kelly’s Lot) on guitar. And at one point, there was the welcome addition of trumpet (Shari introduced the trumpet player as being her boyfriend). The last couple of numbers then featured all three vocalists. Their set ended at 7:17 p.m. What an excellent conclusion to a fantastic weekend of music.

Here are some photos from the day:

The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers

Lost Bayou Ramblers

Lost Bayou Ramblers

Lost Bayou Ramblers

Eddie Money

Eddie Money

Eddie Money

3 Sista Blues

3 Sista Blues

3 Sista Blues

The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is an annual event, and is located at 5005 Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley, California.

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore at The Federal Bar, 5-27-18 Concert Review

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, "Downey To Lubbock"

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

1. Downey To Lubbock
2. Silverlake
3. The Gardens
4. Stealin’
5. Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)
6. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
7. Billy The Kid And Geronimo
8. Get Together

Encore

1. Honky Tonk Song

Here are a few photos from the show:

"Downey To Lubbock"

"Silverlake"

 

"Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)"

"Billy The Kid And Geronimo"

"Honky Tonk Song"

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

We Are The West at 701 Santa Monica Blvd., 5-26-18 Concert Review

We Are The West

I was turned onto We Are The West only recently, with the release of the band’s new full-length album, The Golden Shore. But these guys have been making excellent and interesting music for several years, releasing several EPs and putting on a series of concerts at a parking garage in Santa Monica. That is where I saw the band Saturday night. Apparently, they’ve been doing this for six years, every month on the Saturday before the full moon. And if you’re thinking that a concert in a parking garage doesn’t sound all that appealing, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. These guys do the place up right, making it feel cozy and warm. There were carpets on the floor where the band performed, and lights. Artwork was hung on the walls. There was even a DJ spinning records before the band went on. And chairs were set up for everyone, helping to give the place a relaxed vibe. And though the crowd was fairly young (I might have been the oldest person in the place), they were all respectful and mellow.

Opening for the band on Saturday was Little Wings, the project of Kyle Field. As he started his set, Kyle called the place a living room. And yes, surprisingly, it had that vibe. I really enjoyed Little Wings’ set. Kyle went in some directions vocally, sort of in the way that Martin Sexton does. Some of his songs were truly pretty, with lyrics that you could connect to. “What can I say about paradise that everybody doesn’t know?” he asked in one song. His set ended at 9:40 p.m.

At 10:07 p.m., We Are The West took the stage, and John immediately quieted the crowd by making some soft, delicate sounds on his bass using the bow – like the creaking of a wooden ship. It was kind of a fascinating way to start the show, mesmerizing and haunting. This was “Siren,” the opening track from the band’s new album. They followed that with “Cauliflower Ears,” from one of the band’s EPs. The crowd was completely silent, attentive. I became a fan of We Are The West’s music when I first heard the new album, but at this show I completely fell in love with this band. Paul and Jason then joined them on piano and drums respectively as they eased into “The Golden Shore.” This song was gorgeous and exciting, music you can wrap yourself in and float away. Paul then switched to the keyboard for “The Hammer.”

Before I saw We Are The West perform, I had wondered how the music from the new album would translate into a live setting. And if I had to guess one song that they wouldn’t even attempt to do in concert, it would have been “More Machine Than Man.” But these guys are adventurous and undaunted, and they followed “The Hammer” with that very song. It was a completely captivating performance. Paul then stepped away for “Hold On,” a sweet and pretty song featured on another of the band’s EPs. Brett introduced “For Me, For You” as a “feel-good number.” (I think I said something similar about the song in my review of the album.) That was followed by “Sea Of Light (Dirty Ditty)” and then “Crops,” both also from The Golden Shore. Paul did some particularly nice stuff on piano during “Crops.”

Brett then announced they were going to play a song that Jason had never heard before. And they started “Don’t Worry About It, Michael,” singing the beginning a cappella. They followed that with “The Watchers,” and then concluded the set with “Good Luck (And All That Stuff),” which had such a delightfully cheerful sound and lifted my spirits tremendously. The audience called for an encore, and Brett said, “Let’s go into the dark.” And indeed, the band led the audience into the dark area of the parking garage for the encore. They performed “From The Bower” unmiked and in the dark, the audience gathered in a semi-circle in front of them. And it was perfect. Honestly, I live for these moments. It was a beautiful ending to an incredible night.

Set List

1. Siren
2. Cauliflower Ears
3. The Golden Shore
4. The Hammer
5. More Machine Than Man
6. Hold On
7. For Me, For You
8. Sea Of Light (Dirty Ditty)
9. Crops
10. Don’t Worry About It, Michael
11. The Watchers
12. Good Luck (And All That Stuff)

Encore

1. From The Bower

Here are a few photos from the night:

Little Wings

Little Wings

We Are The West

We Are The West

The garage is located at 701 Santa Monica Blvd., in Santa Monica, California.

Notes From The 2018 Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, Day One

Dave Mason

It has been a fantastic weekend of music. For me it started Saturday at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park in Simi Valley. Plenty of good music on two stages (set far enough apart that the music from one doesn’t bleed into the other), as well as food, drinks and positive vibes make this an event I enjoy every year. Saturday’s lineup featured Dave Mason, Bo Dollis Jr., Devon Allman Project and Chubby Carrier.

I started the day off at the blues stage, where Lightnin’ Willie got things underway with a really good set featuring music from his 2017 release No Black No White Just Blues. I’ve been digging this album, and was glad to get a chance to see him perform. When introducing “Eyes In The Back Of My Head,” he said it was a song about cheating, and urged folks not to cheat because they’d end up hurting themselves more than the other person. That tune featured some cool work on harmonica. He had a horn section come out for “Locked In A Prison,” and I loved Lightnin’ Willie’s cool and passionate delivery of lines like “She used to love me/She used to call my name.” That song had a great slow blues groove, and those two saxophones sounded wonderful. Lightnin’ Willie also gave us some delicious work on guitar, not scrimping on his solo, but letting it go on long enough for the audience to get caught up in it. After that guitar solo, the next line he delivered was “Well, that’s my story,” as if the guitar itself had told the story, which of course it did. The horn players then remained on stage for “Heartache” and “Phone Stopped Ringing.”

The set-up was a bit different from last year. There was still that fenced-off section in front of the blues stage for people who purchased what they called “Super Tickets.” But the size of the photo pit was cut in half, and just behind it, but in front of the Super Ticket section was a new area for folks to dance. And they certainly made good use of this new section. Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias got folks moving, opening their set with “Hey Pocky Way.” (They started while I was in the bathroom. The beer was going right through me that day. By the way, the bathrooms backstage were like palaces. Seriously, those portable toilets were bigger than my bathroom at home.) The Wild Magnolias delivered a completely fun set, and a couple of the band members wore beautiful, elaborate costumes with lots of feathers. A couple of times, Bo Dollis Jr. stepped down off the stage, even entering the Super Ticket area and popping over to the sponsors’ tent, while continuing to sing. (He wisely walked around through the backstage area to get back on stage, rather than trying to jump back up.) Things got funky with their very cool, fun rendition of “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” featuring delicious work on bass. Somehow things got even funkier from there, with some wonderful stuff on keys and drums. Their set felt like a celebration, and the crowd was really into it, even joining in with tambourines and whistles. In addition to some band members going out into the audience, a few audience members were invited on stage toward the end of their set, as the line between performers and audience was blurred.

I wanted to get over to the Cajun stage for Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band, but decided to first catch a bit of the Devon Allman Project. The band members huddled toward the back of the stage before beginning their set, and when they started, they immediately began jamming. No talk, no nonsense, no easing in, just straight into a good, heavy jam. The crowd was certain appreciative, as were other musicians (I saw Lightnin’ Willie down front snapping a couple of photos of Devon Allman). After two or three songs, Devon said, “What a perfect day, y’all.” Indeed!

I then made my way across the park over to the Cajun stage to see Chubby Carrier. He was already into his set when I got there, and folks were dancing. There is an actual dance floor set up in front of the Cajun stage, and lots of folks were enjoying themselves there, grooving and moving. As in previous years, I got the sense that this stage was where the party really was. “We’re going to have a Louisiana gumbo in California,” Chubby Carrier told the crowd. He did a good rendition of “Josephine,” rock and roll with that great New Orleans flavor. And that washboard player seemed to be in a glorious state of ecstasy throughout the set. After a great instrumental number, Chubby Carrier tossed some items out to the crowd, asking them to visit Louisiana. And in introducing “Zydeco People,” he told the crowd, “You are my zydeco people, you know that?” At one point, drummer Jayme Romain stepped to the microphone to deliver a nice rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey,” while Chubby Carrier took over on drums. He sang another number, and then the bass player took over on lead vocals and squeeze box, while the drummer played bass, and Chubby Carrier remained behind the kit. Then Chubby Carrier returned to his spot at the microphone for the ridiculously fun “Jalapeno Lena.”

I headed back to the blues stage because I didn’t want to miss a single second of Dave Mason’s set. He opened with “World In Changes.” And, hey, was that a plush teddy bear attached to the drum kit? Yes. “Nice to be here,” Dave said after the opening number. He then added, “Nice to be anywhere, as a matter of fact.” He then played “Rock And Roll Stew,” a song from the Traffic days, and one that got the audience excited. That dance area in front of the stage was packed with folks. Gretchen Rhodes then joined the band for a very cool rendition of “Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys,” singing lead on a verse. Oh man, there was a moment when Dave Mason held onto a note on guitar, and it was so delicious. The crowd responded enthusiastically. Gretchen also sang on “We Just Disagree.” Dave Mason followed that with “Look At You Look At Me,” which featured a really nice section on keys. Gretchen returned for “Can’t Find My Way Home.” She then sang lead on a cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride And Joy,” with Dave Mason stepping aside (he didn’t play on this one). Gretchen really belted out the lyrics, totally owning it. They followed that with “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” a song I used to love seeing the Grateful Dead perform. “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave” and “Only You Know And I Know” followed, with Gretchen playing tambourine on the latter. Dave Mason closed out the set with “Feelin’ Alright,” first mentioning that he was nineteen when he wrote it. “I want you to join on the chorus of this song, ‘cause I know you know it.” Indeed, everyone knew it. But I think everyone knew all of the songs from his set. At any rate, everyone around me was dancing and singing. He did an encore that began with a good dose of classic rock and roll, “Shake, Rattle And Roll,” which had everybody dancing and smiling. He followed that with a great, rocking version of “All Along The Watchtower,” Dave delivering a short guitar solo at the end. It was a really good set, and it ended a little after 6 p.m.

I had intended on staying to catch at least the first couple of songs of Alex Nester’s set. I had missed her last year, and had heard only good things about her performance. But it took quite a while to get her band set up, and I had to get down to Santa Monica for the We Are The West concert. Perhaps next year I’ll be able to see her?

Here are a few photos from the day:

Lightnin' Willie

Lightnin' Willie

Bo Dollis, Jr. And The Wild Magnolias

Bo Dollis, Jr. And The Wild Magnolias

Devon Allman Project

Devon Allman Project

Chubby Carrier And The Bayou Swamp Band

Chubby Carrier And The Bayou Swamp Band

Dave Mason

Dave Mason

The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is an annual event, and is located at 5005 Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley, California.