The Dirty Lowdown– Boz Scaggs at the Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL 5/7/13

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Dan Smith

Boz Scaggs, definitely NOT taken at the Florida Theatre on 5/7/13. And we’re all better for it!

” I know she’s a good girl… but at that time I just didn’t understand….” – Boz Scaggs, ” Loan Me a Dime ” (original lyrics by Fenton Robinson)

The gravelly voice came over the squawkbox overhead the pre-show crowd milling about Forsyth Street outside the historic Florida Theatre, sounding a cautionary alarm to those about to be rocked: ” No cameras or recording of any kind will be permitted during the show”. What a concept! You mean, no incredibly annoying cell phones pointed at eye level throughout the show? No hopelessly self-absorbed patrons endlessly twitting, posting, and preening as if the show were in their pants, instead of on stage? No shameless Rudees standing to shoot low-resolution video that even they will never watch? ( Hint: some of us came to watch the artist, not take part in your streaming Reality of One). Flowers, hugs, and kisses to the pioneering new artist taking such bold strides in laying down the law against this tide of …. what’s that you say? You mean the guy thrusting this groundbreaking shovel into the social media landfill has been around since playing with Steve Miller in 1967 ???

Striding onstage just behind his band, Boz recoiled in mock Dracula fashion as the center spotlight flooded over him. No opening act, no stage props, no laser light show, not even a banner behind the band. Or a merch table in the lobby! This would be a night focused on the music and the players, befitting a veteran singer/songwriter/guitarist never known for drawing attention to himself; a guy who basically took the 80s off and walked away from the business because the muse had left him and he refused to simply recycle the 1979 multi-platinum ” Silk Degrees” like a prison inmate stamping out license plates. ” We’re trying out some new material ” , he explained, cranking out selections from his latest CD, ” Memphis “, recorded in the Cradle of Rock at the original Royal Studio of now-deceased Willie Mitchell, where those great Al Green records of the 70s were created. Introducing numbers with short vignettes about the songwriter or the selection of the tune to cover, Boz hit the highlights of the current release, including Willy De Ville’s ” Mixed Up Shook Up Girl “, the traditional ” Corrina, Corrina “, and a tender version of Tony Joe White’s ” Rainy Night in Georgia “. Boz was in fine voice, able to find his upper register without strain, and his guitar playing was tasteful and bluesy.

Yet the crowd of aging Boomers rendered only polite applause and muted approval until Boz stepped back from the mike to let ” the shy one “, the dynamic Los Angelino singer, Ms. Monet, whip the crowd to its feet with a medley of Sly Stone’s ” Thank You ( Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) “, and Isaac Hayes and David Porter’s Memphis classic, ” I Thank You “. The fiesty Ms. Monet’s gospel-flavored scatting and call-and-response to Boz’ solos immediately kicked the show up a notch. Scaggs didn’t miss the momentum change, stepping on the gas to segue into his most popular, infectious material from ” Silk Degrees”, firing off ” Georgia”, ” Lowdown”, and ” Harbor Lights” before closing with a pulsating ” Lido Shuffle ” that had the crowd yearning for the glory days of 1979, when they “could do all night what now takes all day to do”, as Billy Wirtz says. He even dropped down a mirror ball from the ceiling to create an 80s disco feel to the end of the set.

At that point, all of the AARPs in front had either stood or been helped to their feet, and the applause was deafening for the first time all night. Boz returned for a rollicking ” What Can I Say? “, and seemed sincerely amazed to be brought back for a second encore, wondering aloud, ” Tuesday night? ” No doubt knowing that the Allman Joys started here before Gregg’s fateful call to Duane, Boz noted that ” we’re in Allman Brothers territory here “, and dedicated the closer, Fenton Robinson’s ” Loan Me A Dime “, to the memory of Brother Duane, who played on the 1969 studio version of the song when Boz had the incredible good fortune to be backed on his first major release by the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The song’s slow organ lead simmered through two verses before the tempo and volume began to build, and able guitarist Drew Zingg ripped through a credible version of Skydog’s solo crescendo to finish off the show.

As the lights came on and the band finished their bows, the patrons scrambled to whip out their IPods, Droids, IPads, and cameraphones, desperate to show proof to their followers that they had, indeed, been present. As if the moments were not enough!

—– with love from your Luddite correspondent, Nanker Phledge

Local rock star Gorgeous Jackson poses with roadie outside the Boz Scaggs show at the Florida Theatre.

Short Takes: Catching up on late April shows

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Dan Smith

(Harry’s been a busy boy lately – too busy, it seems, to stay on deadline. To make up for the long hiatus between posts, Harry offers this trilogy of brief reviews of recent shows of note.)

GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!: JIM JAMES, FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/21/13

Jim James and band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/21/13

Artists draw their inspiration from all sorts of unusual places, as we know. For his first solo effort, My Morning Jacket front man Jim James found his inspiration in the 1929 book, “God’s Man: A Novel In Woodcuts,” The resulting album, “Regions Of Light And Sound Of God,” is a challenging work for the listener, full of overt religiosity and thoughtful musings about life, relationships, and our place in the cosmos. Far from evangelical proselytizing, the references to God and the biblical imagery in the songs provide a framework for us to contemplate the mysteries of life, both great and small. Clearly, there’s a lot going on in Jim James’ head these days.

The album was played in its entirety at First Avenue, with a touring band made up of musicians other than James’ band mates from My Morning Jacket. The production was fittingly high tech, with lots of loops and tapes augmenting the on-stage instrumentation. Sonically, it was one of the more impressive displays in recent memory.

Jim James on the stationary Flying V guitar.

James himself focused primarily on his singing, stepping up to a Gibson Flying V affixed to a mike stand for the occasional solo, as well a few surprising forays on the alto sax. He is blessed with one of the finest, purest, most emotional voices in all of rock music, and he knows how to use it to its best advantage. Starting out with the hushed opening lines of “Daylight Come, Daylight Go,” James and the band moved smoothly through the nine songs on the new CD. A certain r & b-flavored vibe runs through a number of the tunes, allowing James to let out his inner Marvin Gaye on selections like ‘”A New Life,” and “Know Til Now.” The beats were hypnotic and infectious, rippling through the crowd while James alternately prowled the stage like a caged tiger or glided from side to side like an awkward figure skater.

One comes away from a show like this with a clearer understanding of the motivation behind Jim James taking a temporary hiatus from My Morning Jacket to record this album. Far from being a mere vanity project, “Regions Of Light And Sound Of God” is an album James had to make, apart from the band. The themes come from a different, more spiritual, place than that which provides the source for My Morning Jacket’s material. Never fear, however; the more profane side of Jim James will be on full display when he returns with My Morning Jacket for this summer’s Americanarama tour, with Bob Dylan, Wilco, and Richard Thompson.

JOY TO YOU, JOSH RITTER, FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/25/13

Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

It hasn’t been an easy time for Josh Ritter lately. As he explained to the First Avenue audience midway through his energetic set, he came home from a tour not long ago to learn that his marriage to fellow musician Dawn Landes was ending. Eventually, this personal crisis became the source for much of the material that appears on his new album, “The Beast In Its Tracks.” Far from being a buzz-kill, this brief mention led to a longer commentary about marriage and relationships, leading to a nice segue to the catchy, upbeat “In Your Arms Again” from the new CD. Making lemonade out of lemons, that’s what true artists do.

The son of college professors, Josh Ritter has been writing and recording music since 1999. His wordy, narrative lyrics, clever imagery and catchy melodies merit comparison with Bruce Springsteen’s early recordings, such as “Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ,” and “The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle,” albeit with a lighter pop sound than Sprngsteen’s barroom rock. Meet the new Boss, not quite the same as the old Boss.

Josh Ritter, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

Ritter took the stage alone, strumming his acoustic guitar to the wistful “Idaho,” a paean to his home state, from his breakout 2006 release, “The Animal Years.” One by one, he was joined by the members of his longtime backup group, The Royal City Band (who take their name from a line in one of the other songs on “The Animal Years,” “Thin Blue Flame.”). From there, the wistful tone continued with “Southern Pacifica,” from 2010’s “So Runs The World Away,” before changing the mood with “Hopeful” from the new album. Ritter was energized now, bouncing up and down and urging the Royal Citizens on.

The set list was well chosen, mixing in ample selections from the new disc with all the favorites the crowd came to hear. “Lillian, Egypt,” was an early highlight, with its driving, clap-along beat and colorful silent movie imagery. “The Curse,” a waltz tune about a love affair between a mummy and a museum worker (I told you he was imaginative!) led to the single from the new album, “Joy To You, Baby.” with longtime friend and band mate Zach Hickman switching from electric to upright bass for this ballad. The kiss-off “New Lover” segued nicely into “In Your Arms Awhile,” both from the new record. Taking a chance on the sophistication of the crowd, Ritter began playing one of his earliest recordings, “The Starling,” then stepped away from the mike to let the audience take over. They did not disappoint, with a respectable portion of those assembled singing out verse and chorus, to Ritter’s obvious delight.

After the very catchy, upbeat “In Your Arms Again,” (not to be confused with “In Your Arms Awhile” also from the new album), Ritter dropped to his knees, cupped his hands around his mouth and howled at the unseen full moon outside. The audience, taking its cue, began howling as well, which could only mean one thing: “Wolves,” was next. This song, from “The Animal Years,” exemplifies the best of Josh Ritter’s writing, with its dance-happy beat, clever lyrics and singalong chorus. It was a true crowd pleaser, with most of the main floor audience happily bouncing up and down in time to the catchy beat.

Ritter and the Royal Citizens were on a roll now, moving into “Right Moves,” and the power ballad “Kathleen,” with the crowd with them all the way. By the time the show ended, with another wordy, infectious tune, “To The Dogs Or Whoever,” Ritter had a grin on his face so wide it looked as if it was locked in place. While it was no doubt cathartic, post-break up, to channel his emotions into his writing, it had to be equally cathartic to cut loose in front of an appreciative audience. Here’s to the healing power of rock ‘n roll!

GARY LOURIS TO THE RESCUE! DAKOTA JAZZ CLUB, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/29/13

When Nanci Griffith had to cancel her 2-night engagement at the Dakota for the second time in less than a year [hoping all is well with you, Nanci!], it left the booking agents at the Dakota scrambling for a replacement. Fortunately, a worthy replacement was found in the form of Jayhawk-in-chief, Gary Louris.

Gary Louris, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 4/29/13

Louris has been out of circulation for awhile, wryly noting early on in his set that he had been “shipped away, due to problems with my ‘usage,'” a euphemistic way of stating that he’d been in treatment. Sporting a shorter haircut but looking and sounding healthy, Louris was backed initially by the opening band, Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets. Eschewing his trademark red Gibson SG electric guitar, he instead accompanied himself on a Gibson acoustic all night, as well as harmonica. This would not be a night for showing off his underestimated guitar chops; instead, the focus was on his songs, and, in particular, his collaborations with other writers and his lesser-known solo work.

“True Blue” from his as-yet only solo album (another is in the works, he assured us), “Vagabonds,” was the set opener, followed by a self-described “B-side” from “Vagabonds,” called “Three Too Many.” Louris’ voice was strong, self-assured, and apparently well-rested. He introduced another B-side from the “Vagabonds” sessions, “Baby Let Me Take Care Of You,” by wryly noting “as if ‘Vagabonds’ isn’t obscure enough!” The song had a gently rolling folk-rock cadence, vaguely reminiscent of 70’s country rockers Poco.

Switching to more familiar territory Louris and the band played the first of several old Jayhawks faves, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” from the 2000 “Smile” album, before closing out the Okemah Prophets portion of the set with the hard driving “The Love That Binds.

Louris next did a brief solo set, featuring a number of his collaborations, starting with “Everybody Knows,” co-written with The Dixie Chicks, and featured on their 2006 album, “Taking The Long Way.” Louris strained to reach the high notes in that song, displaying both his courage and vulnerability in tackling a tune intended for female voices. The solo set also included “Need You Tonight,” a collaboration with the band Sugarland, and “Jennifer Save Me,” from the 1998 Golden Smog album, “Weird Tales.” The latter is an easygoing alt-country song, similar in style to many Jayhawks compositions. Another Golden Smog tune, “Gone,” was followed by a song Gary Louris co-wrote with Chris Thiele of Nickel Creek, called “Jealous Of The Moon”.

At this point, the first of several guests was introduced, sister Jayhawk, Karen Grotberg, who took to the grand piano onstage for the Jayhawks’ classic “Smile” Grotberg added beautiful but compact solos to the song, where Louris might have otherwise stepped out on electric guitar. “Morning Star” featured sweet harmonies between the two long-time band mates, after which Louris turned his head toward the stage entrance and hollered out “Are Tim and Marc there?” Sure enough, drummer Tim O’Reagan soon emerged, along with bassist Marc Perlman, and from that point on it was a mini-Jayhawks concert, with only Mark Olson missing.

Four-fifths of The Jayhawks

The songs included “One Man’s Problem,” “Better Days,” “It’s Up To You,” and the crowd-pleasing finale of “I’d Run Away” and “Save It For A Rainy Day.” For the encore set, Louris trotted out another “Vagabonds” outtake, “In The Window,” then back to the Jayhawks treasure trove for the rollicking “Tail Spin.” Yet another guest was waiting in the wings to join him, Chan Poling, keyboardist for the beloved local dance-punk band, The Suburbs, and more recently with the quirky jazz trio, the New Standards.

Chan Poling, sitting in with Gary Louris

Poling provided the spare piano accompaniment for the only cover of the evening, Harry Nilsson’s “Without You.” Once again, Louris strained to hit the high notes of the climactic chorus to the song, but hit them he did. For the finale, O’Reagan and Perlman rejoined Louris for the rousing Golden Smog classic, “Until You Came Along.”

As much as it was a treat to see Gary Louris performing again, and with old friends and band mates, it was encouraging to hear that he has taken steps to get sober and healthy. Judging by this performance, there’s plenty of life and lots of new songs left in this highly-regarded, veteran musician. We’ll be the first in line when the new CD comes out.

Bluegrass in a white-out; Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 4/18/13

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Dan Smith

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder: L – R: Andy Leftwich (fiddle); Cody Kilby (lead guitar); Ricky Skaggs; Eddie Faris (baritone vocals; rhythm guitar); Paul Brewster (tenor vocals; rhythm guitar); Justin Moses (banjo, dobro, background vocals); rear – Scott Mulvahill (upright bass, bass vocals)

It began the night before, with a cold rain gradually turning to sleet, then snow by daybreak. The flakes got heavier and more intense as the morning progressed, and by mid-day the blizzard was on. Schools closed, traffic snarled, and businesses let their employees leave earlier, to flee the last blast of this endless winter for the warmth and comfort of their homes.

Frequent checks of the Dakota’s website gave no indication that the show would be canceled. If the boys from Kentucky were determined enough to make this gig, then by God us Minnesotans had no reason not to show up. Snowstorm be damned! Time to saddle up the Subaru and ride her through this mess and into downtown!

Ricky Skaggs took the stage as scheduled, promptly at 7:00, his youthful Kentucky Thunder arrayed on either side of him like disciples around the Messiah. Mr. Skaggs, was warm, friendly and engaging, thanking the audience for showing up on such a miserable night and making no mention of what must have been a harrowing bus ride to get to Minneapolis. Ricky and the band hit the ground running, starting off with the up-tempo “How Mountain Girls,” featuring classic bluegrass four-part vocal harmonies, as well as solos by Ricky on mandolin, Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Justin Moses on banjo – a pattern that would be repeated often during the set.

: Mandolin master Ricky Skaggs

Mr. Skaggs has (how to put this delicately?) become a man of some substance as he’s entered middle age, yet his nimble fingers flew over the mandolin fretboard with the speed and dexterity of a man half his size. Small wonder, given the fact that he started playing the instrument more than 50 years ago, at the tender age of five. Later in the set, while introducing “Lovin’ You Too Well,” Ricky noted that the well-worn instrument he was playing once belonged to Pee Wee Lambert, who was a member of the Stanley Brothers band in the late 40’s – early 50’s.

From “How Mountain Girls” the band shifted gears to the slower, country weeper, “Selfish Heart,” with Messrs. Leftwich, Kilby and Moses once again taking solos, sandwiched around Ricky’s turns on the mandolin.

Deviating from the set list, Ricky chose a tune by the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, called “Toy Heart.” Ricky noted the enormous contributions that Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs made while they were members of Bill Monroe’s band, before pursuing their own career, and also paid homage to Nashville radio station WSM, a 50,000-watt clear channel station most noteworthy for broadcasting the Grand Ole Opry across the country.

“Bluegrass Breakdown,” was another fast and furious rave-up, featuring the by-now familiar mandolin-fiddle-banjo-guitar-mandolin series of solos. From Ricky Skaggs’ most recent album, 2012’s “Music To My Ears,” came the Kirk McGee-penned tune “Blue Night,” originally recorded by the estimable Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys. This was Ricky’s best vocal turn of the night. With no harmony vocals, his earnest, plaintive, yet impassioned voice had that “high lonesome” quality to it that is the hallmark of traditional bluegrass singing. Switching gears, Ricky introduced the humorous “You Can’t Hurt Ham,” as “a song about the durability of cured pork,” with its whimsical chorus: “No refrigerate, no expire date / You can’t hurt ham.”

He’s a guitar man, too!

Ricky switched to guitar, and Justin Moses exchanged banjo for dobro, for the gentle, country-flavored title track to “Music To My Ears.” Ever ready to pay tribute to his musical forbears, Ricky paused to offer a reminiscence of the late Doc Watson, before introducing one of Doc’s signature tunes, “Tennessee Stud.” He commented that the version by Gid Tanner & The Skillet Lickers, with Riley Puckett on guitar, was lively enough to “make a one-legged fella get up & dance!” Unfortunately, there was no room for dancing in the Dakota, or several folks might have taken the hint.

Switching back to mandolin, Ricky closed the set with the instrumental “New Jerusalem,” from the current album, followed by the Bill Monroe tune “Sally Jo,” featuring a sort of instrumental call-and-response between Ricky on mandolin, Andy Leftwich on fiddle, and Cody Kilby on guitar. The lone encore was the overtly Christian-themed “A Work Of Love,” from his 2010 release, “Mosaic.” Although he is a man of faith, Ricky is careful to gauge his audience and the setting, carefully avoiding any proselytizing while playing in a secular context.

Apparently, the inclement weather caused a number of persons holding tickets for the second show to stay home, as the announcement came over the house PA system that anyone who wanted to stay for the later show was welcome to do so. For The Missus and me, we were pleased and satisfied with the set we had just seen, so we passed on the opportunity for a second helping and turned our attention to the grim business of navigating through the snow-filled streets, back to our home, with the sound of mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo and bass pleasantly ringing in our ears.

No Monkee-ing Around: Michael Nesmith at the Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN, 4/5/13

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Dan Smith

Mike Nesmith, Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN, 4/5/13

Quick, name a figure from popular culture who has: (a) penned a Top 40 hit that helped launch another artist’s career; (b) starred in a top-rated TV show; (c) pioneered a certain style of popular music; (d) executive-produced a cult movie classic; and (e) created a breakthrough format for presenting music. Give up? It’s none other than old Wool Hat himself, Mike Nesmith, who (a) wrote “Different Drum,” the song that made Linda Ronstadt famous; (b) along with Davey Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork, was a member of the Prefab Four, otherwise known as The Monkees; (c) with his post-Monkees band, The First National Band, is credited with forming the style of music that became known as “country-rock”; (d) was the executive producer of “Repo Man,” and (e) created a music video program called “Pop Clips” for Nickelodeon, which was later sold to Time Warner and became the format for what came to be known as MTV. Whew!

With that formidable of a résumé, and having just recently turned 70, one would think that Mr. Nesmith would be content to rest on his laurels and enjoy retirement. Not a chance. Instead, he has just embarked on his first solo tour in 21 years, landing at A Prairie Home Companion’s home base on Friday, April 5.

Taking the stage without the trademark wool cap of his Monkees’ era (although he probably needed one outdoors on that blustery, cold night), Nesmith looked remarkably trim and fit for a man his age. Clearly, he was way too smart to get caught up in the rock ‘n roll lifestyle that shortened the life spans of many of his contemporaries. He even set aside the stool that had been placed onstage for him, preferring instead to stand and strum his 12-string for the entirety of his 90-minute show.

: Chris Scruggs

After opening the show with the only song he would play from the Monkees’ catalogue, “Papa Gene’s Blues,” Nesmith took special pains to introduce the members of his band right away. Although they are all seasoned touring musicians (with individual credits ranging from Pink Floyd to Rascal Flatts), the one name that resonated most loudly with this reviewer was Chris Scruggs, grandson of legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs, and himself a former member of the progressive country band, BR 549. Young Scruggs did yeoman work on acoustic, electric and steel guitar, and mandolin, all night long.

The format for the evening was somewhat unusual. Nesmith noted that he would be playing favorites from his solo career, more or less in chronological order, introducing each one by describing a particular setting for the audience to imagine, as the backdrop for the song. On occasion, the setting would be used for two or three songs played back-to-back, but for the most part each song had its own introduction. The danger in following such a format is that the momentum created by the previous song will be lost during the exposition of the next selection. Indeed, by late in the set the process had become somewhat tedious and not terribly enlightening.

From the urban apartment-dweller setting for “Propinquity,” Nesmith led us to the 1930’s, where the ubiquitous He and She encounter each other at a diner, on a moonlit night, but they each drive off alone, in opposite directions, musing about what might have been. The song, “Tomorrow And Me,” featured a big, orchestral-like arrangement, thanks to the synthesizer work of keyboardist Boh Cooper and Joe Chemay, who did double duty on bass and keys. 1950’s Paris was the backdrop for a couple at crossed paths: “She wants to be a mother; He wants to be a lover,” intoned Mr. Nesmith. The song, of course, was “Different Drum,” done in waltz time, with Chris Scruggs on the mandolin and Boh Cooper adding accordion-like touches on his keyboard.

Perhaps his most well-known post-Monkees song, “Joanne,” was coupled with “Silver Moon,” with Scruggs’ pedal steel bolstering Nesmith’s falsetto on the familiar extended verse endings on the former. Scruggs then employed the unusual technique of using the back of his hand to coax steel drum-like sounds from his steel guitar, for the calypso arrangement on the latter tune.

“Some Of Shelley’s Blues,” was done in slow, deliberate style, a far cry from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s signature country-rock version. Boh Cooper’s mournful organ intro eventually gave way to a more grandiose solo, with Chris Scruggs once again providing tasteful fills. Returning to more South of the border rhythms, Nesmith paired the bossa nova of “Rio” with “Casablanca Moonlight,” with drummer Paul Leim doing a nifty job of driving the island beat on the latter on his electronic drum set.

Up to this point, it is unlikely that any of the musicians had broken a sweat. That would soon change, with a rocking version of “Running From The Grand Ennui,” featuring a monstrous slide solo by Chris Scruggs. The follow up, the oddball “Cruisin’ (Lucy and Ramona),” with its strange lyrics about three characters meeting on Sunset Strip, was slower, but still forceful, with a bass line that MC Hammer might have borrowed for “Can’t Touch This.”

Nesmith wrapped up the set with a trilogy of songs from his 1974 short story and accompanying EP called “The Prison.” The “Opening Theme (Life,The Unsuspecting Captive),” was a return to the big, orchestral synthesizer arrangements that marked the early songs of the set, where the pace picked up in the samba-like “Marie’s Theme,” ending, appropriately enough, with the “Closing Theme.” The final song of the set was another Latin-sounding tune, “Laugh Kills Lonesome,” inspired, according to Nesmith, by a Charles Marion Russell painting of a group of cowboys sitting around a campfire, laughing about something. Perhaps Mel Brooks drew inspiration from the same painting for the notorious campfire scene from “Blazing Saddles.”

The lone encore was further evidence of Nesmith’s tech-savviness. He recalled his good friend from The First National Band, the late Red Rhodes, whose steel guitar work was the foundation of the band’s seminal country-rock sound. To pay tribute to his dear friend, Nesmith was able to cull one of Rhodes’ solos from an old concert recording of “Thanx For The Ride,” which he and then band then proceeded to play, with Rhodes’ taped solo meshing perfectly with the live performance. It was a touching moment, and a generous display of friendship. And with that, Nesmith and the band linked arms for a farewell bow and left the stage. One need only look at Nesmith’s website to see where he’s playing next. However, what direction his amazing and innovative life will take next is anyone’s guess. Perhaps he himself doesn’t even know.

Chris Scruggs (almost off camera), Mike Nesmith, Boh Cooper, Paul Leim, and Joe Chemay

See You At the Blues Fest! Springing the Blues– Jacksonville Beach, FL 4/5-7/13

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Dan Smith

The Seawalk Pavilion Main Stage on Friday night in Jacksonville Beach. Yes, those are palm fronds and the mighty Atlantic Ocean in the right margin!

” I’m gone back down to Florida…where the sun shines damn near everyday” – Muddy Waters

For more than twenty years, the arrival of spring in Northeast Florida is heralded by the Springing the Blues fest on the first weekend in April at this oceanfront venue. The format has all bands save headliners and local openers playing not only the main stage pictured above, but the smaller West stage a block inland, where you don’t have to buy a VIP badge to stand or sit within spittin’ distance of the band. Having thrown in with the hoi polloi eons ago, it was my pleasure to eschew the daily surcharge and dodge Mr. Sun’s rays with the Eighth Avenue sailors, bikini-clad teens, professed former surfers, and Westside Tush Hogs on Budweiser who are all drawn to this open-container deadzone at the end of Beach Boulevard and the start of the Atlantic Ocean at this time every year like keg-seeking lemmings.For one weekend a year, it’s hard to get arrested in Jax Beach!

Friday night was highlighted by the Parker Urban Band, an eight-piece ensemble led by the formidable chops of guitatrist/bandleader John Parkerurban, and fronted by twin lead singers Myrna Stallworth and Juanita Parkerurban. John whipped the band through a string of originals ” Chicken and Rice”, ” Writing a Letter” , and ” Heroes Journey” ( John is ex-USMC and Semper Fi ), as well as funky covers of Tower of Power’s ” What Is Hip?” and The Meters’ ” Just Kissed My Baby”. The sax, keyboards, and blues harp additions to the lineup delivered a broad, forceful sound that melded blues, jazz, and funk to great effect.

Parker Urban Band at STB 2013. John is center stage, with Juanita and Mryna on the wings.

Saturday was a gorgeous day in Jax Beach, with high 60s temps, a mild ocean breeze, and a huge turnout of fans who responded with indifference to the recently elected mayor’s cornpone Beaches Welcome sellout to the Chamber of Commerce and pimping of local merchants. Mayor, I know Fland Sharp, and you’re no Fland Sharp! But back to the music.

Perhaps the Saturday crowd favorite was the Austin-based Peterson Brothers Band, featuring the teenaged sibs Alex on bass and Glen Jr. on lead guitar, offering Stevie Ray-style Texas blues with some R and B flavor on tunes like ” If You Love Me Like You Say”. The kids managed to stir both the VIP-ringed Main Stage and the more intimate West Stage with their poise, proficiency, and enthusiasm. Sure, a sixteen-year-old lacks the gravitas to sing most wisened blues lyrics, and you have to chuckle to hear a teenager croon, ” I know the rules; I’m not a fool “, but these kids kids appear to be speaking their minds and playing from their hearts, and I’ll take that at any age. Go see them before it gets expensive!

Glen Peterson, Jr. and Alex Peterson at STB 2013

The West Stage was still cookin’ from the Petersons when the Cedric Burnside Project began laying down the classic Hill Country Blues of Fred McDowell, Junior Kimbrough, and Ced’s grandaddy R.L. Burnside. The stripped-down lineup of North Mississippi natives Ced on drums and vocals with Trenton Ayers on guitar evoked memories of the fine sets at STB by Cedric and Lightnin’ Malcom, who was last seen on bass with the North Mississippi Allstars. Cedric’s powerful drumming and choices of crowd-pleasing tunes like ” Po’ Black Maddie” and ” Goin’ Down South”, coupled with deft ringing slide from Trenton, made for a compelling groove in the Florida sun that had young and old shakin’ ’em on down.

Cedric Burnside and Trenton Ayers, Springing the Blues 2013

A tough act to follow, no doubt, but shredmaster Damon Fowler was undaunted, leading his band through originals and covers on slide, lead, lap steel, and dobro. The Brandon, FL native traffics in roots rock, swamp boogie, and slide blues, and fired off a hot set with originals ” Sugar Shack”, ” You Go Your Way”, and an unexpected inspired cover of Merle Haggard’s ” Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down”.

Damon Fowler Group on the West Stage at Springing the Blues 2013. That’s Damon on lap steel, natch.

Sunday brought blazing sun and summer-like temps to the fest venue, and the promise of headliners The Lee Boys and the influential late 60s guitarist Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown. But first, some fast, nearly psychedelic trippings from New Yorker Dave Fields, who evoked Hendrix, Trower, and the recently departed Alvin Lee, as well as more jazz-influenced players like Bonamassa and Trucks, in his wildly received sets on the Main and West Stages.

Dave Fields, West Stage, Springing the Blues 2013

Fields wowed even the hardcore devotees with his tuneful runs and melodic fills, peaking with a choppy version of the Booker T./ William Bell classic, ” Born Under A Bad Sign” and a masterful crescendo on his instrumental, ” Lydia “, from his new ” Detonation ” CD. And later at the merch tent, Fields was so open and unguarded that he admitted to family from Palatka. I begged him not to admit that around Floridians!

Typical pushy New Yorker; Dave Fields stalks remaining unbelievers.

Kim Simmonds lead his power trio onstage to welcome applause; many of the boomer dudes in the audience had talked of having Savoy Brown LPs among the stacks in the garage or somewhere of equal irritation to their spouses. Simmonds played a set of 1967- 1970s Savoy tunes on amplified accoustic guitars, noting that the sound of those early rock tunes seems to ring true without electrics, including Charles Brown’s ” Black Night” and my personal fave, ” Shot In the Head”. Simmonds shifted to electric on newer blues-based material in the second half of the set before closing with a spirited uptempo ” Rollin’ and Tumblin’ ” that I suspect would have moved McKinley Morganfield himself. That’s the great thing about the blues; anything that’s out there is fair game for anyone to play, or even make Their Own. Heck, Muddy ripped that ” signature tune” from Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers’ 1928 ” Roll and Tumble Blues”, so there’s no tellin’ how far back some of these songs go.

Having seen the great Lee Boys twice at STB and from the front row opening for the Tedeschi-Trucks band last winter at the Florida Theatre, I felt no remorse in passing on their rollicking set and making one last swing through the food booth midway as I walked to my car for the Ride Back Across the Ditch ( that’s the Intracoastal Waterway for you townies!). The sun was setting on Florida’s largest free outdoor music festival, but never on the blues.

———————– Your humble Northeast Florida correspondent, Nanker ” Next stop, Waneefest ” Phledge

The Mavericks Ride Again! Pantages Theater, Minneapolis, MN 4/3/13

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Dan Smith

The Mavericks (Jerry Dale McFadden off camera, far right), Pantages Theater, Minneapolis, MN 4/3/13

The Mavericks – that genre-blending country/rock/Latin/rockabilly/swing/Tex Mex band – are back in the saddle again, after an eight-year hiatus.

Boy, howdy, are they back!

Their new album, “In Time,” is a strong contender for comeback album of the year, and on the current tour they have added four musicians to the official five-man roster. The expanded lineup enables the band to recreate the full, rich sound of its studio albums, with spectacular results, ranging from subdued, nearly orchestral interludes to full-on dance hall numbers.

The incomparable Raul Malo

The centerpiece of the band is, of course, Raul Malo – or, more specifically, the stunning vocal prowess of Mr. Malo. His pitch-perfect tenor voice has that rare combination of sweetness, strength and emotion that inevitably draws comparisons to Roy Orbison. But, in truth, his tone, phrasing and clarity bring to mind any number of great operatic tenors. He even bears a vague, slightly less hefty, resemblance to the late Luciano Pavarotti. Regardless of who he brings to mind, hearing the man sing is a privilege and a pleasure.

In a pre-concert interview with writer Jon Bream in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Raul Malo noted that the reunited Mavericks are taking a much more businesslike approach to their work now, to the point of holding weekly group meetings. The businesslike attitude carried over to the stage, as it was nine songs into the set before Raul made his first off-the-cuff comments to the audience, other than a few obligatory thank-yous. This is not to say that the band lacked passion – far from it! – rather, they were fully focused and poured all their energy and emotion into the songs themselves. Save the chit-chat for later, boys; we’ve got a job to do!

The show opened with the first three tracks from the new album. “Back In Your Arms Again,” the bouncy, swinging opener, is classic Mavericks, an infectious melding of mariachi horns and reggae rhythms They had us in their sway right from jump street. From there, the band moved to the more uptempo “Lies,” with Eddie Perez switching to baritone guitar for the big, gut-bucket solos.

Eddie Perez on the Jazzmaster

Perez was outstanding all night, changing instruments from the phalanx of guitars (and one ukulele) at stage right, to fit the mood and the song. Not only was his playing superb, but he provided complementary harmony vocals to Raul Malo’s lead.

Malo and The Mavericks channeled Roy Orbison on the following number, “Born To Be Blue,” an easygoing country song that featured the first of several accordion solos by Michael Guerra. Another mariachi/reggae mashup from the new album followed, with the Raul Malo/Al Anderson (formerly of NRBQ) collaboration, “All Over Again.” Malo stepped out for a solo on his Jazzmaster, Guerra took his turn on the squeezebox, and Perez followed with his own solo. By the end of the song, the band members were beaming at each other, huge smiles on their faces. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones having fun!

Robert Reynolds on acoustic guitar, unidentified bassist, Michael Guerra on accordion, Jerry Dale McFadden on keys

Three songs from The Mavericks’ 1994 release, “What A Crying Shame,” followed, including the flirty “Pretend,” (“You don’t have to love me, just pretend.”); the 50’s-style rock ‘n roll of “There Goes My Heart Again,” and the Byrds-like title track, with Eddie Perez doing a Roger McGuinn turn on the 12-string. “I’ve Got This Feeling,” from 1998’s “Trampoline” album evoked memories of Jay & The Americans, while “That’s Not My Name,” from the new album, seemed like an homage to 50’s teen heartthrobs like Bobby Vinton and Dion, with its casual references to “Mr. Lonely,” and “Runaround.” Malo switched to a nylon string classical guitar for the ballad “Oh What A Thrill,” leading into the uptempo “Every Little Thing,” featuring a blistering solo by Eddie Perez that earned him a much-deserved standing ovation.

Now, it was time to get the dance machine rolling, starting with the Tex-Mex, “Fall Apart,” followed by the Latin rhythm of “Dance In The Moonlight,” both of which included more stylish accordion work by Michael Guerra. The rockabilly-flavored “As Long As There’s Loving Tonight,” gave everyone a chance to step into the spotlight, starting with Jerry Dale McFadden’s Jerry Lee Lewis-like intro, and eventually including the two-man horn section. Everyone was up on their feet for the set-closer, “Dance The Night Away,” including one boisterous Boomer who leaped onto the stage, only to be politely but firmly persuaded to return to the floor by the security folks.

For the first encore (yes, there were two!), Raul Malo returned to the stage alone, with the nylon-stringed guitar, for two songs : the power ballad “Here Comes The Rain,” from the band’s 1995 release, “Music For All Occasions,” followed by an exquisite cover of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams.” The band returned for the gentle, samba-like “Amsterdam Moon,” then a couple more unexpected covers: the Sinatra father-daughter hit “Something Stupid,” done Latin-style (down to the cha-cha-cha ending), and the venerable Cuban folk song “Guantanamera,” with the whole audience shouting out the familiar chorus. “Guantanamera” segued into a raucous “Twist And Shout” and this encore set closed with the ska-happy “I Said I Love You.”

All the encore set did was whet the audience’s appetite for more, and more they got, in the second encore, the highlights of which were the first single from the new album, “Come Unto Me,” and the classic Texas Tornadoes sound of the Flaco Jimenez/Raul Malo composition, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.” Michael Guerra did his best Flaco impression and a beaming Raul Malo kept making circles overhead with his index finger, like a cowboy twirling a lasso, urging the band on for another repeat of the chorus.

As the band set down their instruments and gathered at the front of the stage to acknowledge the wild applause of the audience, Raul Malo pulled out a cell phone and took several photos of the crowd. It’s satisfying to know that, just as we music lovers cherish and preserve the experience of a memorable concert, the musicians themselves have similar feelings toward an appreciative audience. Chalk this one up as the best show of 2013 so far.

Delivering The Goods: Hayes Carll, with Warren Hood and The Goods, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, 3/30/13

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Dan Smith

(Editors’ Note: We apologize for the long March hibernation on this site. The new posts should be coming with more regularity in the future.)

Hayes Carll, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, 3/30/13

Pity the poor folks who sauntered in late to the sold-out Hayes Carll show. Sure, they got a healthy dose of Warren Hood and The Goods, in their role as Hayes’ backing band, but they missed out on a fine opening set by the young Austin-based quintet.

Boyish band leader Warren Hood is an accomplished, Berklee School of Music-trained violinist, the son of well-known Austin sideman Champ Hood, and a member of the San Francisco-based acoustic/newgrass band, The Waybacks. Equally adept at classical, Cajun, Western swing and gypsy jazz styles, Hood’s violin/fiddle playing was captivating, from the opening notes of the Doug Kershaw-like opener (“Going To New Orleans”) through the end of their set (regrettably, most of the songs were new, titles unannounced, other than that they will appear on the band’s CD coming out on June 4) . And Hood is not the only member of the band with impressive musical genes. Keyboardist/singer Emily Gimble is the granddaughter of pioneering Western swing fiddler Johnny Gimble, a former member of Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys. She has a sultry, soulful voice and a deft touch on the keys, complementing Hood’s soaring violin solos.

Warren Hood and The Goods

Hood and The Goods provided complementary backing for Hayes Carll’s set, which was less rocking than his previous two visits to the Twin Cities. The first four selections came from Hayes’ 2008 release, “Trouble In Mind”: the gentle, unrequited love ballad “Beaumont;” the stone-cold country of “Wild As A Turkey” (minus the pedal steel of the original); the lively Texas two-stepper, “It’s A Shame;” and “Girl Downtown,” a wry story-song about two ordinary folks who “maybe could be the one” for each other.

Mixed in with the set were a number of hilarious stories, including one where Hayes described living in Croatia, “where about half the country was unemployed, so there were a lot of people to hang out with.” He described playing handball with a handball team there and heading to the shower one day after a match, only to find the entire team blocking the entrance to the shower. Puzzled, Hayes looked to the one team member who spoke the best English, who announced, “OK, let’s see! Is everything REALLY bigger in Texas?!” As the laughter from the audience died down, Hayes remarked, self-deprecatingly, “There were a lot of disappointed people that day.”

“I Got A Gig” was prefaced with a lengthy tale about his early days, playing a tiny bar in coastal Texas, where a local drug dealer named Mike would use his profits to stock his own private zoo. Hayes remarked that Mike would occasionally load up his lion in a barred trailer “just like a circus trailer” and drive it to Hayes’ gigs at Bob’s Sports Bar & Grill, where Hayes could turn around onstage and gaze out the window behind him, at the lion staring back at him from his cage. Hayes was in England later that year, when Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf, and, anxious for news of the event, he picked up a London newspaper and was stunned to see a picture of Mike’s lion on the front page. It seems that Mike had turned all of his animals loose, to fend for themselves, before he evacuated inland, and the lion wound up inside a church, along with four other poor residents who’d decided to ride out the storm, in an uncomfortable stand-off for several days. (Sounds vaguely like a recent popular book and movie, doesn’t it?)

Back to the music. Hayes and Emily Gimble reprised his duet with Cary Hearst (Shovels and Rope), “Another Like You,” from his 2011 release “KMAG YOYO,” with Emily giving as good as she got on that whimsical tale of sexual attraction overcoming political and personal differences. After the “Subterranean Homesick Blues”- like title track to “KMAG YOYO,” Hayes sent The Goods offstage, leaving just he and Warren Hood to do a 3-song mini-set, consisting of a new song co-written with Darrel Scott called “The Magic Kid,” (about his 9-year old aspiring magician son), followed by his “license plate song,” “Live Free Or Die,” from his 2002 debut album, and culminating in the hilarious road misadventure song, “Bible On The Dash.” Hayes and Corb Lund trade verses of the song on Corb’s current album, “Cabin Fever,” but for some reason Hayes sang the whole song himself, rather than enlisting the assistance of Mr. Hood.

The rest of the band gradually returned to the stage as Hayes strummed and began singing the opening lines of one of his signature tunes, “Bad Liver And A Broken Heart.” Where the song is normally a rave-up high point of the evening, here it was played at half speed, making it mournful and melancholy, rather than rowdy and rocking. Personally, I prefer rowdy and rocking.

Hayes is a great collaborator, as witness the various duets and co-writing noted above, and he spent a short time near the end of his set talking about a tongue-in-cheek side project of his and Johnny Evans’, that they call The Ego Brothers. Corb Lund was just made a member, Hayes announced, and his contribution is a brief couplet that Hayes sang, that went “I wonder what all the ugly people are doing tonight?” Hayes then sang The Ego Brothers only official composition, “Ain’t Enough Of Me To Go Around.” Classic braggadocio about being so sexually attractive that, for the sake of womankind, “When Momma had me, she should have had two or three.”

Hayes closed out the set with his Ray Wylie Hubbard collaboration, “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” followed by the uptempo “The Lovin’ Cup,” and the wistful “I Wish I Hadn’t Stayed So Long.” The encore set closed out with the witty, blasphemous “She Left Me For Jesus,” (somehow fitting, Hayes announced perversely, for the night before Easter) and a rollicking “Stomp And Holler.” Before playing “She Left Me …” Hayes noted that this was only the third night that he and Hood and The Goods had played together, and they had not actually worked that song up as part of their set list. But, the band played with confidence and the smile on Hayes’ face betrayed a good deal of satisfaction at his choice of the band to tour with.

A Woody Guthrie Celebration, Gingko Coffee House, St. Paul, MN, 2/23/13

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Dan Smith

Charlie Maguire, Tony Glover, Pop Wagner

Woody Guthrie is the gift that keeps on giving. Twenty-eight years after his death in 1967, his daughter, Nora, approached British folk singer/rabble-rouser Billy Bragg, with the idea of having him put to music some of Woody’s unpublished lyrics. The resulting collaboration yielded two splendid compilations, “Mermaid Avenue” (1998), and “Mermaid Avenue: Volume 2,” (2000), with Wilco backing Billy on both releases. A similar project, this time with a quartet of indie rock notables calling themselves “New Multitudes” (Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yim Yames) produced another collection of new music set to Woody’s lyrics, in 2012. Recently, a manuscript that Woody wrote, entitled “House Of Earth,” was discovered by Douglas Brinkley at the University of Tulsa, and published this year to glowing reviews. What’s next, Woody? A screenplay? Oh, wait! That’s already been done (his earlier novel, “Bound For Glory,” was made into a movie in 1976).

The publication of the new novel was the impetus for a celebration of Woody Guthrie’s music at the Gingko Coffee House, featuring a trio of well-known, well-traveled Twin Cities musicians. Charlie Maguire is closely identified with the state and national park service, having been appointed the official “Centennial Troubadour” for the Minnesota State Parks in 1991, a title he still holds. In the ensuing months, he traveled to all of the MN state parks, composing songs and conducting interpretive events to educate campers and visitors about the parks, in word and song. Stepping up to the big stage, Charlie became “The Singing Ranger” for the National Park Service from 1995 – 2003, writing and performing across the country.

Pop Wagner is a walrus-mustached, Stetson-wearing singing cowboy, in the tradition of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. A popular and frequent performer at festivals, clubs, coffee houses and dance halls, Pop is a talented finger-picking guitar player and fiddler. And, like the cowboys he emulates, he knows the business end of a lasso.

We could – and probably should – write an entire post about Tony Glover. As one-third of the legendary Koerner, Ray & Glover trio, he was part of the folk music revival of the early 60’s. It’s hard to believe, but KRG’s seminal debut album, “Blues, Rags & Hollers,” will be 50 years old this year. Tony has literally written the book on how to play blues harp, and has played at festivals from Vancouver to Newport, with folks as diverse as J.J. Cale and John Lee Hooker. A gifted writer, his liner notes have graced many an album, including, most notably, the multi-page booklet for 1972’s “Duane Allman: An Anthology.”

Together, these three have been playing regular gigs on and around Woody Guthrie’s July 14 birthday, evoking the sound of the Woody Guthrie – Cisco Houston – Sonny Terry trio of the 1940’s. This special event, coinciding with the release of Woody’s novel, drew a full house to the comfortable little coffee shop on the corner of University and Minnehaha in St. Paul on what turned out to be an important date in Woody Guthrie’s history.

The performers were loose and engaging, yet focused and in synch when playing. “Baltimore to Washington” was the show opener, with Charlie handling lead vocals in his strong tenor voice, while Pop and Tony took turns soloing. Pop’s finger-picking leads weren’t flashy, but were entirely in the moment. After all, this IS Woody Guthrie we’re talking about, not Led Zeppelin!

All three took turns reading from “House Of Earth,” throughout the evening,choosing passages that fit the songs. Charlie’s choice, for example, was an excerpt in which the protagonist talks about bringing electricity to the Texas Panhandle, which led into “End Of The Line,” with Pop switching from guitar to fiddle.

Charlie Maguire was a wealth of information about Woody throughout the evening, noting that Woody wrote “around 3,000 lyrics, but only recorded 250!” This factoid came by way of introduction to a song of Woody’s that Pop Wagner had put to music – a la Billy Bragg and The New Multitudes – a humorous ditty about the misadventures of navigating the New York City subway system. Before playing “Oklahoma Hills,” Charlie related an anecdote about Woody’s cousin, Jack, having taken credit for writing the song, before he and Pop traded verses and brought the audience into the singalong chorus.

: “I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.”

Tony Glover is a man of few words onstage, but he made a crack about the steamy opening pages of Woody’s novel being “D. H. Lawrence stuff,” before reading a less raunchy excerpt from the book, about having a place of one’s own. Tony rarely sings, but his rendering of “I Ain’t Got No Home” was suitably spare, mournful and plaintive.

“Pretty Boy Floyd” was rendered a cappella, for the most part, with Charlie and Pop setting their guitars aside, leaving just Tony’s harp for accompaniment. That was followed by “Talking Dust Bowl Blues,” with sleepy-eyed Pop Wagner handling the lead vocal duties.

From there, it was time for another history lesson – or two. Charlie noted that the date of this show, February 23, marked the 73rd anniversary of the most famous song Woody wrote. “But, this is the song he wrote next!” Charlie commented, by way of introducing a rollicking version of “The Government Road.” “Woody wrote 26 songs in 27 days,” Charlie pointed out, “after being awarded the contract by the U.S. government to write songs for the Columbia River Project.” And, in an interesting historical coincidence, the day he was awarded the contract was the day Bob Dylan was born, in a Duluth hospital. You could look it up – and, apparently, Charlie did!

“Roll Columbia” led to “Hard Travelin'” before another reading, this time by Pop Wagner, about putting down roots. Again, Tony made a sharp, incisive comment, querying whether perhaps Woody was trying to one up another populist writer, John Steinbeck. “New Found Land,” was quite apropos as the follow-up song to that excerpt.

The slightly naughty “Wild Hog Song,” was the final offering before THE BIG ONE: “This Land Is Your Land,” which, we were told, was written 73 years ago this very day! The popular version taught in schools leaves out the more subversive verses (such as: “Was a high wall there that tried to stop me / A sign was painted, said: ‘Private Property’ / But on the back side it didn’t say nothing / That side was made for you and me”). We all sang along with the chorus gleefully, as well as the encore of “Roll On Columbia” before the old boys called it a night.

It seems fitting, in a way, that Woody’s birthday falls on Bastille Day, the day that commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution. Granted, it would have been more appropriate had it fallen on our own Independence Day, but either way there’s a connection to be made between the man whose guitar bore the slogan “This machine kills Fascists,” and a popular revolution that led to the overthrow of a tyrannical government. Charlie, Pop and Tony will be celebrating the old left-wing folk hero’s birthday with an evening of song at the Eagles Club in South Minneapolis on July 14. Start making plans to attend now.

An Evening with Sam Llanas and Kevin Bowe, The Icehouse, Minneapolis, MN, 2/22/13

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Dan Smith

Kevin Bowe and Andy Dee

You’ve heard us sing the praises of Kevin Bowe before (check out “Mid-Week Treat” in the Archives). This particular gig was noteworthy for a couple of reasons, however. First, Kevin was playing without his usual bandmates, The Okemah Prophets, opting instead to bring along lap steel whiz Andy Dee to accompany his own acoustic guitar. Second, he pulled out a couple of surprise older tunes, rather than drawing exclusively from his excellent new CD, “Natchez Trace.” The net effect was a most satisfying opening set, showcasing his versatile songwriting skills to good effect.

Even the opening song was a pleasant surprise: a straight-ahead reading of Dylan’s “From A Buick 6.” The follow up, “Waiting For The Wheel,” from the “Natchez Trace” album, was similar to the Dylan tune in tempo and phrasing, unashamedly showing off one of Kevin’s major influences. Andy Dee’s lap steel solos were strong and assertive on both songs; no fluff, no cliché; just the right stuff and just enough of it. Bowe wise-cracked that “The guy’s so broke he can’t even afford frets!” in reference to the lap steel, a humorous but subtle acknowledgment of the intricacies of this particular instrument.

Bowe switched back and forth between his 6-string Taylor and 12-string Guild guitars, as the song dictated. After the slow, melancholy “Every Little Bit Hurts” from the new CD, he introduced “Riverside” by relating an anecdote about a time in his life when he was working a crappy job and reading books about songwriting. “They all told you two things: be uptempo and positive. So, I wrote this song, which is downbeat and negative, and it was recorded by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, it went platinum, and I haven’t worked a day job since!”

Admonishing the sound man to “Turn up the sadness,” for “My Favorite Pain,” Bowe was content to strum the rhythm while Andy Dee was out front with suitably mournful sounds on his lap steel. More name-checking followed, as Bowe noted that Jonny Lang “sings the crap out of this one, but I sing the piss out of it,” leading into “Leaving To Stay,” from Lang’s double-platinum and Grammy-winning 1998 release, “Wander This World.”

Kevin closed out his set with three tunes from the new CD, starting with the wistful “Fallen Satellites,” picking up the pace with “In Too Deep,” (Dee’s steel work subbing nicely for the Scarlet Rivera violin solo on the original), and closing with a rocking “Just Restless.” It was a brief, efficient, and thoroughly enjoyable warm-up for Sam Llanas, who seized on the momentum for his headlining set.

Sam Llanas and band

Along with boyhood friend, Kurt Neuman, Sam Llanas (pronounced “Yan-as”) was one of the founding members of BoDeans, whose popularity expanded from their Wisconsin base nationwide, thanks to college radio-friendly songs like “Good Things,” “She’s A Runaway,” and “Closer To Free.” Llanas left the band a couple of years back, for reasons not entirely clear, and his most recent solo recording is 2011’s “4 A.M.” What was most striking about his performance at the Icehouse was how much more robust and passionate were his vocals, compared to the relatively hushed – almost whispered, at times – recorded version. Clearly, being on stage is energizing for him.

A bad pun could be made about this being a bass-less show, since neither act employed a bass player, but that would be playing for cheap laughs. Instead, we’ll simply note that Llanas was accompanied by Mike Hoffmann on the Telecaster, and Ryan Scheidermayer on drums and percussion. Mike’s Telecaster was an object of interest all night, not just because of his tasteful playing, but also for the autographs of various guitarists (Junior Brown, Dick Dale, Link Wray, Tommy Allsup, Chuck Berry) that graced its front and back.

Sammy and the band came out smoking, including a more forceful version of “Shyne” than appeared on the “4 A.M.” album. The set list alternated between BoDeans’ material and songs from the solo album, with “Something’s Telling Me” from the former giving way to a heartfelt rendering of “Nobody Loves Me” from the “4 A.M.” disc. Schiedermayer’s percussion work on the latter was particularly effective, utilizing just a single mallet and a shaker. “Paved In Gold,” a sad song about broken dreams, showcased Sam’s passionate singing, while the Los Lobos-like “Two Souls,” featured a terrific solo by Mike.

Chuck Berry signature

F. Scott Fitzerald once famously remarked that in the real dark night of the soul, it is always 3 o’clock in the morning. It’s fair to assume that Sam Llanas had that quotation in mind when he wrote the title track to “4 A.M.” “4 a.m. can be the hardest time / If you feel a little blue or lonely inside,” he sings, closing with the refrain “4 a.m., 4 a.m., / Amen.”

The mood improved and the tempo picked up for the strident, insistent beat of “617,” followed by the country-flavored, “Lookin’ For Me Somewhere,” with Ryan’s brushwork standing out.

Sam Llanas, standing tall

It was time for the big finish, starting with the familiar opening chords of “Closer To Free,” which seemed to energize both the band and the crowd. Sammy went back to the first BoDeans album for another crowd favorite, “She’s A Runaway,” followed by a twisted love song from his solo album, “Cherry O” (“I never meant to hurt you quite as bad as I did / I only wanted to hurt you a little more than you hurt me”). Mike coaxed gorgeous echoey effects from his Telecaster on the “summery sounding” (as Sammy described it) “Brand New”.and the 90-minute set ended with “Feed The Fire,” a rousing finale that morphed into snippets of “Gimme Shelter,” “Midnight Hour,” “Light My Fire,” and “I Wanna Take You Higher,” all propelled by Mike’s powerful lead guitar..

Regrettably, by this time the crowd had dwindled to the point where there weren’t enough of us left to coax an encore from the hard-working trio. Speaking with Sam afterward, he commented that he regretted the late start time for the show, noting that his demographic would definitely prefer an earlier show. No complaints here, but, by all means, hold that thought for next time, Sam.

(P)Residents Day at The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, 2/18/13

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Dan Smith

Wrong holiday, guys!

Who goes out on a Monday night (holiday notwithstanding) to see The Residents? A quick visual survey of the Cedar Cultural Center revealed the answer. There were teeners, seniors, and all in-betweeners. They wore leather, leopard skin and lace; Levi’s and low-risers; flannel and faux fur; Carhart and Calvin Klein. Dreadlocks and ducktails, pompadours and pony tails, baldies and bangs were scattered throughout the crowd. We saw piercings, smelled patchouli and heard other languages. Some were stoned, some shit-faced, some sober. So what was the unifying characteristic of this community? In a word: curiosity. What’s the deal with these three dudes and what kind of shit are they going to pull this time?

The weirdness started early, before The Residents even took the stage, with suitably strange ambient music being played over the house PA system. The inflatable stage backdrop (pictured above) featured smiling snowman and Santa figures, holding up massive candy canes, propping up The Residents banner. Of course! Makes perfect (non)sense, for mid-February!

Although it was rumored that The Residents (frontman/vocalist Randy, guitarist Bob and synth player Chuck) would be unmasked for this 40 Years of Weirdness Tour, they took the stage in full costume and remained that way all night. Frontman Randy (last names are never given – and who knows if the first names are their real ones) was resplendent in his open-front Santa suit (revealing a series of tear-off T-shirt/bibs underneath), oversized boots and hook-nosed/bald pate half mask. Randy doesn’t so much sing as chant over Bob’s distorted guitar work, Chuck’s synthesizer, and whatever taped tracks get looped into the mix. In this respect, a case can be made for him being a rap pioneer.

Bad Santa

Chuck came out in a multi-hued orange sweat suit, with full be-goggled and dreadlocked black head mask. Bob was the most sartorially impressive of the trio, sporting white tails fringed in gold lame, atop his black tuxedo slacks, also in full black mask with insect-like feelers protruding randomly. True to form, neither Chuck nor Bob spoke a word all night.

“Is everybody ready for the picnic in the jungle?!”

The Residents’ music never shifts into high gear, favoring instead mid-tempo rhythms that compliment the industrial/metal sounds produced by Chuck and Bob. Unlike their previous visit, this was not a multi-media event, with the only visuals being those provided by the band members and their bizarre backdrop. The Residents’ opening track,”Picnic In The Jungle,” was surprisingly accessible and could easily be added to a DJ’s house music playlist.

Randy stepped out of character frequently during the first half of the show, introducing songs and giving background information on the band and its history. Of course, that assumes that one could believe everything he said, even the believable stuff. For example, introducing the next song, “Santa Dog,” Randy noted that it was written in 1972 for Snakefinger (a fellow traveler from the Bay Area). “We sent it to The Beatles, Black Sabbath, even NIXON! I wanted to GIVE IT to someone else, but no one would take it!” Truth or myth? Does it really matter?

During Bob’s guitar solo on the next number, Randy walked over to stage left, pulled something – a cell phone? – out of his pocket, looked distressed, put it back in and returned to center stage, rubbing his head in a worrisome manner. The cause of the distress would be revealed later, after the shtick was repeated a couple more times during the course of the evening. A song about “a confused transsexual” was followed by Randy’s comment that “one of the great things about being a rock star is all the blow jobs,” as a way of saluting their tour manager of the past 28 years “who lines up all the babes for us.”

After leaving the stage momentarily while Chuck and Bob carried on, Randy returned to talk about the various costumes the band had worn over the years. The iconic Residents’ headpiece is the top-hatted eyeball. A couple of folks in the audience even had large, inflatable eyeballs on hand, which they raised on cue as Randy noted the problem with the original design: “you couldn’t see out of it and you couldn’t breathe.” Picky, picky, picky!

The Residents’ song material is as bizarre as the band is visually, with “Touch Me” being introduced by Randy as “a song about an individual in a co-dependent relationship with a giant, and they’re into rough sex.” Its jungle-like rhythm got the crowd bobbing and swaying in time, as Randy prowled the stage moving (you couldn’t really call his exaggerated hand and arm gestures “dancing”) to the beat.

More of the same odd behavior followed, as Randy moved stage right this time, once again digging something out of his Santa suit and contemplating it with an anguished look on his face. Returning center stage, Randy began free-associating (perhaps “continued” free-associating is a better way to describe it), this time digressing into a lament about a friend, Philip Linman (?), a member of The Vestal Virgins, who died in 1987. He sank into his chair onstage, as Chuck and Bob revved up the heavy metal-sounding “The Man In The Dark Sedan.” Fully animated now, Randy began ranting about how down on their luck the band is: “Chuck lives on a goddam CHICKEN FARM; Bob, nobody knows what the fuck he does! My life partner is a CAT!” On and on about how his agent got him the part of the donkey in Shrek, “But that asshole Eddie Murphy stole my part, then my wife, Sheena, left me . . .” At which point he left the stage again and we all looked at each other quizzically.

Returning slowly to the stage following another slow-core interlude by Chuck and Bob, Randy seemed to have it together, and started talking about the “Freak Show” album and DVD for sale at the merch table when – here it comes again! – more diatribe spewed forth! This time, he spoke about obsession: “It’s like a whirlpool, with a bear trap at the bottom; it happened to me 11 times and I married every one of them!” Whaaa? More random talk about his breakdown, traveling to Hot Springs, Arkansas for mud baths and crystal-gazing, becoming obsessed with porn websites, . . . You had to have been there. No, wait. Being there would not have helped.

Suddenly, the Santa/snowman set began deflating. Randy’s cell phone rang (loudly, over the PA system), he answered it and “Scooter” on the other end, tells him that he needs to come home because his cat/life partner “Maurice” has been hit by a car. This brings forth more bad memories, of The Residents’ first tour of Europe: “we had 2 vans, 16 people, and we lost EVERYTHING!” One last song about “marching to the sea,” as – what’s this? – a huge Christmas tree began inflating stage right, bedecked with the iconic top hat-sporting eyeball!

“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely is thy eyeball!”

With the sad remnants of their original stage backdrop behind them, The Residents gathered around the tree in silent adoration, as “Auld Lang Syne” played over the PA system. Then, with no further ado, they slowly walked offstage. The house lights went up and the bewildered crowd filed out, to the strains of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

As we left, I spotted a middle-school aged child walking out with his too-hip parents. The Missus and I looked at each other and nodded knowingly. That child will never be normal.

seeyouattherockshow

The fan's concert review site!

Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Dirty Lowdown– Boz Scaggs at the Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL 5/7/13

Short Takes: Catching up on late April shows

Bluegrass in a white-out; Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 4/18/13

No Monkee-ing Around: Michael Nesmith at the Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN, 4/5/13

See You At the Blues Fest! Springing the Blues– Jacksonville Beach, FL 4/5-7/13

The Mavericks Ride Again! Pantages Theater, Minneapolis, MN 4/3/13

Delivering The Goods: Hayes Carll, with Warren Hood and The Goods, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, 3/30/13

A Woody Guthrie Celebration, Gingko Coffee House, St. Paul, MN, 2/23/13

An Evening with Sam Llanas and Kevin Bowe, The Icehouse, Minneapolis, MN, 2/22/13

(P)Residents Day at The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, 2/18/13

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: