Christmas Show at Capitol Center for the Arts - featuring local guitar legend Myron Kibbee

       
   
   

      Rocking Horse Studio in Pittsfield, NH put on a Christmas show at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, NH recently.  First off, I want to apologize for any of the performers that I don't mention here.  I forgot to bring my little notebook to jot down what I saw, so I am doing this from memory.  Some of you may have seen a version of this show on WMUR's "Chronicle" show last year.  The show was nominated for an Emmy.  It was rebroadcast this year.  This Rocking Horse Studio has quite a stable of talented musicians (see how I linked horse and stable? can't teach that).
 

Myron playing at my friend's wedding

   
     I first heard of this place from the super cool and super talented guitarist, Myron Kibbee.  He plays on a lot of the recordings that take place there.  He also was onstage most of this night providing fantastic guitar work on a variety of songs.  On a side note, I am nearly related to Mr. Kibbee.  He is my good friend's brother in law.

     Some of the performers that I saw were Dusty Gray Band, Rachel Vogelzang, Pat and the Hats, Chris Peters, Delanie Pickering, The Connection, Steve Blunt, The Four Legged Faithful, Seth Wonkka, Gina Alibrio, Mike Dunbar and Hannah Michaud.

     I am not a huge Christmas music fan, but I enjoyed nearly every song I heard this night.  The arrangements and talent of the performers seemed to bring new life into most of these traditional Holiday tunes.
 
     Next, I will mention some of the songs that have stuck in my murky memory banks.  "Merry Christmas Baby" performed by Delanie Pickering, featured some soulful vocals and bluesy guitar work.  "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses was performed by Michelle Coombes and Brittany Laine (the female singer from Pat and Hats) on vocals and backed by Pat and the Hats and other folks.  Pat and the Hats stayed on stage to perform a a sizzling version of "Father Christmas" by the Kinks.

     Chris Peters did a beautiful original song entitled "Christmas Angels" which hit me right in my single-guy heart.  I happened to meet him after the show and he gave me a couple of things that I am told you can download this song with.  He also gave me a copy of his latest full-length CD.  Chris was very kind and generous and a great representative of what the night was all about.

     One last song I would like to mention was the playful version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" performed by Mike Dunbar and Hannah Michaud.  I have included a video of this song and you can see the fun they had performing this classic.  Hannah also had the nicest Christmas sweater at the show.

             
     Special mention should go to Brian Coombes, who apparently is the head honcho at Rocking Horse and without him this great night would not have happened. If this show comes around again next year, you should buy your tickets fast. The event sold out this year.  Bring your family, a loved one, a friend, or just bring me.  whatever, just go.  Happy Holidays!
       

             

A Musical Weekend (Part One - Friday)

          I had the pleasure of seeing two of my favorite local bands in the same weekend, a few weeks ago. On the Friday night, I saw Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers in Lowell, MA and on the Saturday night ,I saw Pat and the Hats in Warner, NH.  Both bands have been featured in this world famous blog previously, so I am not going to rehash all of praise I have already tossed on them. Instead, I am going to try and share the fun you can have with the local music scene within sixty miles of Nashua, NH.

The Friday night show took place at the Back Page in Lowell, MA.  I have a limited knowledge of traveling around Lowell, but my traveling partner, Abbi, allegedly had a GPS-type feature on her fancy phone. This alleviated any fears I had of getting lost in Lowell and not getting good seats for the show and quite a number of other catastrophes I envisioned.  The only trouble with this GPS thing was that any time we reached a part of the trip where we needed to make a decision on which way to turn, Abbi or the phone would lose contact with our GPS instruction deliverer. I heard the word "recalculating" quite often.
This GPS service raised some concerns right from the start, as the woman's voice guiding us, sounded like it came from someone with the flu. I seriously felt like I was going to catch something from her. Anyhow, we overcame that somehow and arrived at our destination on time. I would never be able to retrace the route we took to get there however.
After parking the car, we walked by a group of youths that all must have been battling glaucoma, as they seemed to be sharing their medicinal marijuana to combat their affliction.
Next, we walked by a finely dressed middle-aged couple sharing a bottle of wine in a bag near a dumpster outside a sushi palace. This already had the makings of a good night.

     The bar opened at 7pm and we arrived at roughly 7:03pm.  We walked in and the place was empty, except for a bartender who was setting up her cash register for the night. The bartender asked what we were doing there so early. I told her we were there to see the band and she responded with "you know the music doesn't start until 9pm."  I told her I was aware of that, but wanted to be sure that we got good seats. She said "it doesn't get crowded here until 10:30pm."  None of what she said helped me with my friend Abbi, who skipped dinner to fit into my strict time constraints. I scanned the empty bar and picked the perfect seats and settled in for a fun-filled evening.

They had a nice selection of beers and fancy martinis to help us kill a couple of hours.  As far as food goes, they have what would best be described as a "limited" menu. The only other negative that I found was that no matter what I tried I could not lock the men's room door. It was a one man at a time setup, but there was no way for me to prevent the door from being flung open when I was in there.  I was quite jittery during my visits there. I am not sure if the other male patrons had the same problem, but I really had no idea who to ask and if I even should ask.

     Eventually, the band came on and we enjoyed their music and the celebration of their their new CD release, entitled "Love Whip Blues."

A local radio station also broadcast the show. Our bartender wasn't lying either, there was a good crowd there by 10:30pm     The entire night would have went off without a hitch, if I did not make a colossal social gaffe when saying goodbye to the one and only, Erin Harpe.
I gave her a hello hug like a normal human would.  We talked about the new CD and that the band sounded great, and the crowd was good, and then I ran out of things to say. So... I hugged her again.  It was way too soon since the initial hug and was awkward for both of us. I am afraid in the future, I will have to enjoy the band from a distance. It is a shame because I think we were on our way to becoming friends. I think I was just starstruck from the excitement of the radio broadcast and the CD release party. I was done in by the double-hug. Embarrassing.

Asleep at the Blog and Asleep at the Wheel

Me & The Bride

          So I missed an entire month of blogging.  I am not sure if anyone noticed, but it's true.  There are three reasons for this lengthy break.
   The first reason is that my birthday was at the end of September. Any of you that know me, know I need to celebrate my birthday until everyone around me is sick of hearing about it.
   The second reason is that my friends Abbi and Matt got married in early October and you know how time consuming other people's weddings can be.
   The third and final reason was due to a personal change in my acknowledgement of Columbus Day.  I made the switch over to Indigenous People Day, rather than the traditional Columbus Day and I found that gave me a deeper meaning of the Holiday.  In fact, during a celebration toast to Indigenous People Day, a nearby Micmac Indian came over and gave me a hug for my thoughtful cheer. It did not take long for this change to impact my life. Okay, let's get to a recent show that I took in.

Asleep at the Wheel

I saw the band Asleep at the Wheel at one of my favorite places, the Bull Run in Shirley, MA.  These folks play a brand of music called Western Swing.  I would think Country should be part of that description as well, but I do not name my own musical categories yet.  There cannot be too many Western Swing bands still around, although I do not really have verification of that fact.  Apparently they are carrying on in the tradition of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, who were big in the 1940's with this Western swing thing.

Katie Holmes

     Ray Benson is the leader of the band and has been in charge since the band started in 1970.  They have won nine Grammys and recorded a total of over 25 studio and live albums.  I have seen the band a few times over the years and was surprised to see they changed up their lineup recently. They added Emily Gimble on piano and vocals and she can really belt out a tune. Also new is Katie Holmes on fiddle and vocals and she is talented and perpetually smiling. Gone is stalwart fiddle player, Jason Roberts, who has his own band now.

The man to watch perform however, is Eddie Rivers on the steel guitar and occasional saxophone. He is a captivating performer on his steel guitar. Second to that would have to be singer Ray Benson's ball-juggling that ends with him catching the last ball in his cowboy hat.  You cannot put a price in that type of entertainment.


                   

     Perhaps their most famous song is their rendition of "Get Your Kicks (On Route 66). "  An interesting little fact about their history with that song is that they have recorded and released different versions of that song four times in four different decades.  That's pretty cool. A couple of other songs that they perform in their concert that you may have heard are "Don't Fence Me In" and "Hot Rod Lincoln."  "Miles and Miles of Texas" and "Big Balls in Cowtown" are a couple of other Asleep classics.  The show always ends with "Happy Trails to You".

I would recommend seeing Asleep at the Wheel if no other reason than to checkout their unique style and fabulous musicianship.

   

                    

Paul Thorn Should Be Pricking Everybody!

       

Paul Thorn should be known by the entire United States, but I don't think he is.  My brother, Steve, introduced me to his music and I am darn happy that he did.  I immediately added this to the list of reasons why I love my brother.  Paul's musical styles bounce around quite a bit.  I know he is a member of that Singer/Songwriter category and he also does well in that wide-ranging Americana genre that the rootsy hipsters enjoy nowadays.  He throws in some Blues, Rock, and Gospel as well.  I have never been part of a Revival, but I think his shows have a piece of that in them as well.  He might play a bit of Swamp Rock too, as I was pretty swampy at the end of this show.  That may have been caused by the high temperature inside however.

                    
Mr. Thorn has a great way of connecting to his audience through his songs and storytelling.  He speaks and acts in a genuine and heartfelt manner.  He also makes sure to go throughout the crowd, hugging folks and posing for pictures and such during the show.  After the show, he is always available for autographs and photos as well.  I have included a picture of Paul with my super cool niece, Heather.

    Paul returned to the Bull Run in Shirley, MA earlier in the month, after a successful appearance there last year.  He even remembered meeting my niece from his last visit.  To give you an example of how he connects with his audience, he noticed my young niece standing up in the crowd and said "I see some people brought their children with them.  That's good because some of my fans are dying off and we need to replace them!" Paul got a good laugh from the audience for that one and provided a special memory for my family.
   
The audience received a little Paul Thorn bonus on this night, as the scheduled opening act did not appear.  Paul did an acoustic set  to get the night rolling.   This provided me with a great opportunity to focus on his lyrics and not be distracted by how talented his band is when they are plugged in and rocking out.  Bill Hinds is one bad man on the guitar.  Michael Graham AKA Dr. Love, is a dynamo on keyboards.  He can Boogie Woogie, Barrelhouse, or Chopstick the hell out of those keys!  The bass player has similar hair to the late Robin Williams, which provided me with an odd feeling of reassurance and sadness.

     I almost forgot to mention that there was a special guest appearance by Al Kooper.  He joined Paul for a song during the acoustic set.  Al Kooper is not to be confused with Alice Cooper, with the snakes and "School's Out" fame.  This Al Kooper was one of the original members of Blood, Sweat, and Tears. He also discovered a band named Lynyrd Skynyrd.  He has done a bunch of other things too.  Google him.  Learn something.  Someday I won't be around to teach you all of this.

     Another interesting tidbit about Mr. Thorn is that he was a professional boxer from 1985 to 1988.  In fact, he fought Roberto Duran in 1988 (yes, that Roberto Duran) in Atlantic City.  Duran's record was 82-7 at the time and Thorn's was 9-1-1.   Paul lost in the 6th round due to a cut that couldn't be closed.  It is an experience he speaks fondly of.  I included some of the fight here.

 

 If all of this doesn't make you want to check him out, then I don't know what will. His recorded music is excellent as well.  Buy a CD or download whatever people download on their mysterious gadgets.  These guys have developed quite a following and I think tickets will go fast next time they come around.  Don't miss out!

 

Chris Isaak - More Than Just A Wicked Game

 

 Chris Isaak made his annual visit to the Club Casino in Hampton Beach, NH a couple of Fridays ago.

Lori & I from Chris Isaak 2012

 I have lost track of how many times I have seen him in concert.  I know this was my fourth time with Lori, my other Chris Isaak fanatic and great friend.

The first time that I saw him was performing outside of a radio station in Portland, Maine when his giant hit "Wicked Game" first hit the airwaves.  I am fairly certain he still plays the same guitar that he was playing that afternoon.  Lots of people only know him from his song "Wicked Game," which was a national Top 10 hit back in 1991.  It also had one of the greatest videos of all-time featuring model Helena Christensen and filmed in black and white on a beach.  Needless to say that video will be included here in this blog and will easily be the best part of this entry.


 

 I think some people think a Chris Isaak show would be filled with lots of love songs and old women throwing underwear at the stage.  And they would be right.  Just kidding, there are a few love songs and limited underwear being thrown.  Chris is a fabulous showman and entertains throughout the night.

A few things you can expect to enjoy at most of his shows are:
 
     1. A song sung while walking throughout the audience giving hugs and posing for pictures with his loving fans. (all of the Reserved Seating was sold out for this show and most of the General Admission area was filled too)
 
     2. He will make you laugh loudly with his between song banter
 
     3. He and the band will throw in a little acoustic break in the middle of the show and sit in a circle and zip through some great songs. This part looks like the band is immensely enjoying themselves.
   
     4. Chris will wear some outlandish suits! I believe his mother used to make his suits. I am not sure if that is still the case, but let's assume it is.

His last cd was released in 2011 and was entitled "Beyond the Sun." This disc was a tribute to the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.  Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbision, all recorded there when they were first starting out.  Their songs, as well as many other famous artists are covered here by Chris on this superb 2-cd set.  I had the good fortune to be able to visit Sun Studios.  It isn't in the nicest part of Memphis and the day I was there, the historical marker that should have been out front, was in the lobby because someone tried to pull it out of the ground the night before with a truck and chains.  The tour of the place was perfect for me. You walk in the studio and then never move from there!  The studio has been kept in its original condition with the same ceiling tiles and floor that you see in all of the famous early pictures of the artists that recorded there.  The tour folks tell you stories about the artists and the recording sessions and play you samples of the music.  It is one of the coolest musical places that I have ever been in.

     So back to Chris Isaak, he is a whole lot more than a "One Hit Wonder" and you should get out and see him.  You will not regret it!

Racky Thomas Stirs the Strange Brew Tavern

       

   
     I have seen Racky Thomas numerous times over the years, as he is a regular on the Strange Brew rotation.  One thing is for certain, there could be 5 people or 105 people in the place, and Racky is going to give it his all and entertain you.  Although he may be small in stature, he has a huge stage presence.  His vocals and harmonica playing are top notch.  He always has a tight band with him as well.
They do a great job getting crowd participation as well, through either dancing or clapping along to their infectious beats.
Racky mixes original tunes and cover songs in his show and though the songs sound old, they seem brand new at the same time.  You should go see him for no other reason than to hear his version of "Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly.  Man, he delivers this song straight to your bread basket and knocks the wind out of you!  My musical life hasn't been the same since I heard him do this song. Sadly, I could not find a video of it. I did find a couple of other good tunes however.
                       

            I am going into a sidebar here to talk about an audience member from this night.  So this guy comes in with what looked like a fishing tackle box and what may or may not have been an easel (turns out it was a mini-easel).  He proceeded to setup shop near my table.  Inside his tackle box were a bunch of tubes of paint.  He began to paint using only his fingers, no brushes.  I believe in the Art world that is called "finger-painting."  His subject was the band, but I really couldn't tell that until about 45 minutes into the painting.  Long story short, the painting turned out to be a masterpiece and is pictured somewhere in this blog.  My friend Bowler Aimee, who you heard about in the Barnful Of Blues entry, bought the painting from him.  I don't want to talk money, but it was double figures.



          During one of the band's breaks I got into a conversation with this genius of the paint tubes.  He told me a great story about visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as a youth. He came over to me because he noticed the super cool Reggie Jackson shirt that I was wearing. Now I can't type that whole story here, or I might as well make this a blog about mysterious finger painters of New Hampshire.  He already got as much ink as Racky.

          Anyhow, go see Racky at the Strange Brew or wherever else he pops up. He will make it well worth your while.
                   

The Pat and the Hats Band are the Cat's Pajamas!

     

      I know what all of the cool kids in NH are doing now.  They are following the Pat and the Hats band all over the state.  I had read quite a bit about them, but had not seen them until recently.  My friend Gorden and I took a trip to my second home, the Strange Brew in Manchester, NH to check this band out for ourselves.  Between the two of us, we have roughly 90 years of listening to all sorts of music.  Surprisingly, we both still have decent hearing.  I reserved some prime real estate right in front of the stage, so we could capture the whole experience.  Good thing I did because this band has quite a following. The front of the stage area was packed with their fans.  I don't know if their followers are called "Hatties," but quite a few of them were sporting hats.  Gorden and I were surrounded by thousands of these young adults, or maybe twenty of them.  It was hard to count with all of them moving around.  It seemed kind of funny to me that the only person there that night that was close to our age was the owner of the place.  It is times like these when I realize that I am still cutting edge.

     The leader of the band is Patrik Gochez.  He sings, writes the songs, plays guitar and piano, then cashes you out, calls a cab for you if needed, and then looks for more to do.  He does it all.  The Hats cannot be discredited however.  They are all ultra-talented and make this band top-notch.  The poor guys in the band may get overshadowed by their charismatic frontman.  These guys put on a fantastic show and were exciting to watch.  I guess you could call them Alternative-Pop if that is a category?  They can play many styles and would be hard to pigeonhole into one category (I don't get to use "pigeonhole"enough in my writing).
   
     After their first set, I went up to the "Merch table" (that's what I called it to fit in with the hipsters) and scooped up the band's first CD which just came out in June 2014.  Patrik released a solo CD in 2012.  The name of the disc is "fake it 'till you make a hit."  They didn't use capital letters in the title, so neither did I.  The songs on the disc are phenomenal.  I have not heard song variety like this since the Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" back in 1967.  Ironically, that album was also released in the month of June.  Coincidence, or a musical milestone that will be discussed by future generations?

Okay, hold on, let me calm down.  The Beatles stuff may have been over the top, but I was trying to show that these guys are good.  You should check them out for yourself.  If you go to their website you can see a list of where they will be performing.  There were no high-quality videos of the band to share, but if you scroll down to bottom of their website you can hear some songs by clicking on the Play arrow on little Soundcloud thing.   Hopefully that makes more sense when you get to website.
                                                       http://www.patandthehats.com/

Barnful of Blues Festival in New Boston, NH

     

The Barnful of Blues Festival in New Boston, NH is "an annual fund raising event in support of the Webster House, Manchester NH a supportive environment for adolescents."  If that isn't a good cause then I don't what is.  Apparently this was the 12th annual festival here.  I am not sure why this was only my first time attending, but I will definitely go again.  I went there with my friend Bowler Aimee, who became Bowler Aimee over ten years ago due to confusion with my other friend, Regular Amy.  I don't think I was ever in New Boston for any reason.  It is a nice drive out there, very pretty.  I would have seen more if my driver obeyed the local speed limit.  It seems like Bowler Aimee has a dream to become Nascar Aimee, but that is a story for another day.

The Festival takes place at the 4-H Youth Center and it is setup perfectly for this type of event.  We did not bring chairs, which was a mistake, but we did have a blanket.  The only problem with that is I haven't sat on the ground for any length of time in roughly 42 years.  Now sitting on the ground was rough, but the toughest part was gracefully lowering my large carcass down to the ground.   A couple of times I looked like a giant sea turtle on its back.  Thankfully Aimee was there to roll me onto my side.  She is a great friend as she did this with limited laughter.  I wish the people around us were as kind.
   
                  
The festival ran from 12pm to 8pm with 7 bands featured.  We arrived at 2pm and stayed until 6pm, catching the middle part of the show.  The first performer we saw was Sweet Willie D with Delanie Pickering on slide guitar.  This was some old school Blues singing and playing.  He sat and belted out some heartfelt vocals which matched up quite nicely with Delanie's guitar.  It was an enjoyable set.  Sweet Willie D also has a BBQ business which was one of the vendors at the show.  Aimee gave his BBQ two messy thumbs up!

                     
The James Montgomery Blues Band was the next band to play.  They were supposed to be the closing act, but were switched to the middle of the day due to a scheduling conflict.  This didn't work out so well, as the band was late due to severe rain in Massachusetts.  Delanie Pickering returned to the stage and did a nice job entertaining the crowd while we waited for James.  Eventually the band arrived and took the stage.  They are a polished bunch for sure.  I don't think I caught them on their best day.  They seemed rushed and did as much hawking of merchandise as they did playing.  I think everyone in the band had their own cd's for sale which was mentioned many times.  The bass player did a couple of his own songs which seemed unnecessary.  The highlight of their set was when James named great guitar players and his guitarist, George McCann, would imitate their style with his own excellent guitar playing.  I have heard nothing but good things about James Montgomery and would definitely give him a second chance to win me over.  I would think that would be important to keep his musical career of 30+ years going.


                     
Next up was Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers.  Now before I get started, I have to confess I have what some would call a major "band crush" on these folks.  I could easily change this whole blog thing into just the Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers blog and write about them every week, but I feel that might be obsessive.  They won the 2012 Boston Music Award for Blues Artist of the Year so I am clearly not the only one that thinks they are great.  The whole band is crazy talented.  Erin sings and plays guitar and is an appealing blend of sass and sweetness.  I have to stop my description there due to her marital status and a very detailed restraining order.  Just kidding, a little wholesome Blues humor there.  Anyhow, their set was tremendous as expected.  They will be at the Strange Brew in Manchester, NH on October 3rd.  You should see them now before they become an international sensation!

     So here is what you should have learned from all of this nonsense:

1.  Go to the Barnful of Blues Festival in 2015 and bring a chair.
2.  I did not give James Montgomery a great review, but I might be jealous of all of the famous musicians he has played with.
3.  Go see Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers and you will be smitten just like me (bonus pic of me with Erin and my niece Heather when I saw them at the Governor's Inn in Rochester, NH)!
 

Sarah Borges - Radio Sweetheart - (Someday I Hope)

       
 
  Sarah Borges is an up and coming performer from Taunton, Ma..  Her new cd "Radio Sweetheart" should add to her popularity.  I heard about her because she frequently does shows with one of my new favorite bands, Girls Guns and Glory.  I figured if I liked them, and they liked her, then I should like her.  Makes sense right?  I can put one plus one, plus one, together thanks to my schooling in Merrimack, NH.
     The disc has a great pace to it.  The first song, "Girl With A Bow," reels you in with nothing but visions of sunshine and flowers.  This is followed by a couple of slower numbers.  When you reach song number four, prepare to be punched in the gut.  "Think of What You've Done" is a down and dirty tune which showcases Sarah's gritty vocals.  Think of Lucinda Williams with a splash of Janis Joplin for a point of reference.  I included the solo acoustic version of this song at the end of this piece of literary wonder.  Wait until you hear it all plugged in with her full band!

     Next the songs continue to build momentum until you reach the final two songs.  "Heavy Dreams" is the second to last song on the cd.  This happens to be the only song on the disc that Sarah did not write.  This is one of my favorite songs on the cd.   The vocals are fabulous.  There is also a bass line running throughout this tune that reaches out and grabs you by your eardrums and doesn't let go.   I also enjoy the guitar sparks provided by guitarist Lyle Brewer in the song.  There is also a strong likelihood that Lyle is married to Sarah.  This is the usual spot in my blog entries where I provide sketchy facts.   Anyhow, the song is fantastic.  The disc ends with "Record On Repeat" which is an old school Rock and Roll scorcher.   In fact, it kind of reminds me of "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin, which is some lofty praise.   I view the end of this cd like the Season Finale of your favorite TV show.   This was a great episode and you can't wait to see what comes next!

Check out her website to find out more about her , buy her CD or catch her at an upcoming show:
http://sarahborges.com/index/


                    

Uptown At The Nashua Downtown Music Festival

I attended the first of three installments of the Nashua Downtown Music Festival recently.  It is pretty exciting to see this type of thing in Nashua, NH.  They have landed some good bands to perform here in the first Summer of this event.  The Boston-based Love Dogs, opened up for a band born in Rhode Island 45 years ago, the Roomful of Blues!  Nashua closed down a few blocks of  Main St in order to setup the stage and concert area.  The area was pretty much right in front of Martha's Exchange Restaurant, a popular destination on Main St.

I liked the setup for the show.  The sound was good, vision was good, and beer was good.  They had a good turnout and great weather as well.  I think with a few tweaks it can even get better.  People seemed to come and go easily from inside and outside the gated concert area.  It is highly likely that not all of the concert goers had paid for their tickets to get inside.  I, of course, paid for mine as part of being a fine citizen of Nashua.


So, I was preparing for the show with my longtime buddy Erik (pictured with me to the left).  He is the first of a long line of Eriks and Erics that I like to spend time with. Pre-show preparations were going well until we unexpectedly got hungry.  We both ordered delicious pastrami sandwiches and proceeded to enjoy them immensely. 

The downside to the sandwich story is that by the time we finished our sandwiches and walked downtown, the Love Dogs were leaving the stage.  We got a "F" for pre-show prep.  Like a cat dropped from a rooftop, I landed on my feet however.   I went to the merchandise table and bought a live cd by the Love Dogs!   Next best thing to actually seeing the show, right?  I even got to meet lead singer Ed Scheer, who was quite nice.  The cd entitled "Alive and On Fire" is excellent by the way.   I have seen the Dogs many, many times over the years and can safely tell you they put on a great show.  Two standouts in the band are Alizon Lissance on keyboards and Myanna on saxophone.  The Love Dogs play often at The Strange Brew in Manchester, NH in case you missed them in Nashua, you can catch them there or wherever else you might be lucky enough to find them.
              

 I did actually see the Roomful of Blues perform on this night in downtown Nashua!  Like I mentioned earlier, they have been around in various forms for 45 years!   They still sound as good as ever in my book.  I love their current vocalist Phil Pemberton.  This guy can sing any style and his emotion draws you in.  Lead guitarist Chris Vachon has been with the band since 1990 and he can really play.  He follows a long line of Roomful guitarists which includes Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl.  Saxophonist Rich Lataille is the only member of the band that has been there forever.  He has been part of the band since 1970!  The horn section is still a huge part of what makes the Roomful special.  They played their usual high energy show with lots of opportunities for the audience to dance.  I don't dance much, so it wouldn't be right for me to criticize the people that tried to dance that night.  The only drop in the crowds energy came during back to back instrumentals by the band.  One featuring the guitar and one featuring the horns.  They may want to break those up in the future, but what do I know?

             

I would like to mention one Roomfuller that wasn't at this show.  Trumpet player Bob Enos(pictured below) passed away in 2008.  I remember seeing him and he was a captivating performer.  He grabbed your attention every night with his skill and seemingly love of performing.  I missed him at this show.  Rest in Peace Bob Enos.  You will never be forgotten.

The next installment of the Nashua Downtown Music Festival is August 16 and features Entrain with opening act Hot Like Fire.

The third and final installment of the concert series will feature local legends The Fools paired with the beloved Stompers on September 13th.

Hope to see you there!

George Thorogood Is Still Thoroughly Good

 I went to see George Thorogood at the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, NH. My little review of it somehow got deleted, so I am writing it again. I am fairly certain that I deleted it, but there is no need to place blame anywhere. It is a shame because the first one I wrote was the greatest thing I have ever written. It was filled with knowledge and humor and punctuation. This one may not have much of any of that. Anyway, here it goes.


 George is 64 year old now. He and his band, the Delaware Destroyers, are celebrating their 40th anniversary. I can tell you that George can still bring it. His formula of searing guitar riffs, wailing saxophone and good time songs is still a hit, as evidenced by the nearly sold out crowd. He played all of his hits including "Bad to the Bone, I Drink Alone, One Bourbon One Scotch, One Beer, and Madison Blues." After the show there was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the parking lot. On the way home, I listened to his "2120 South Michigan Ave" cd, which I believe is his latest studio release. (My research staff for this blog is pretty weak.) This cd from 2011, sounded pretty darn good. Special guests Buddy Guy and harmonica wizard Charlie Musselwhite are great additions to George's band. There are some songs on there that have a different style than your normal George recording. Perhaps you will want to check that out for yourself. Now I am not musical in any manner and enjoy George's guitar playing, but I never hear his name mentioned with the great Blues guitarists. Could he be underrated? Could there be jealousy to his crossover success in the world of Rock and Roll? I have no idea, just wanted to ask some questions.

 Tom Hambridge was the Opening Act for George. I had never heard of him before this night. Apparently, he is a big time songwriter and producer in addition to being a performer. He has worked with Susan Tedeschi, Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy and a bunch of other famous folks. His brand of music fit in well as an introduction to George, as he also has some Bluesy, let the good time roll tunes. My favorite song of his was "Upside of Lonely" which hit me where I live. Tom was very entertaining.

Prior to the show, I went to the Sea Ketch right on the Boardwalk. If there is a better place to sit outside and enjoy the coastal atmosphere, I would be surprised. They have three beautiful decks and usually have a talented menstrual show to enjoy. I was joined by my friend Eric, who is a tremendous family man and window artist extraordinaire! It was his first time there and he didn't want to leave. Next time you are at Hampton you should drop in there. I suggest you try their world famous "Matador" drink while you are there. Do not have more than two however, or your day will certainly change.

Jimmie Vaughan Has Come And Gone

Jimmie Vaughan's 2014 Tour brought him to New Hampshire and Massachusetts recently for a couple of sold out shows. I attended the show at Tupelo Music Hall In Londonderry, NH. He is so darn good that even other guitarists want to go and see him play. International guitar legend Ronnie Earl took in the show at The Bull Run in Shirley, MA with my friend and local guitar legend Larry Lusignan.

My night started at 7Star Pizza & Restaurant located at 235 Main St, Nashua, NH, with my friend Kevin the Poolbuilder. 7 Star is always a fun place to go. They have a tremendous owner named Nick and a kitchen staff filled with a bunch of great guys. All of the bartenders are friendly and beautiful. The food is great, there are sports on the 4 TV's, and a jukebox. What else do you need? After preparing for the show at the 7 Star, we took off to the Tupelo.

 

The Tupelo has a little beer and wine cave downstairs, so we headed down there to get some beverages so as not to dehydrate during the show. I got there just in time as one of the younger patrons was having a difficult time locating the domestic beer that he needed. Thankfully I was able to help him right away and guided him to the proper area. He was very appreciative. It made me feel good to help out the youngster and share some of the wisdom that I have acquired.

Most of you know Jimmie Vaughan's story. Older brother to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan and also founding member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He also survived a heart attack in January 2013, which you would never know by watching him perform now. Jimmie takes his time putting out new music since he began his solo career. Five cd's in 20 years I think is the pace he is on. I believe his last two were his best two. In 2010 he released "Plays Blues, Ballads, and Favorites" and then followed that up in 2011 with "Plays More Blues, Ballads, and Favorites." He really seems to have found his niche playing the music that he listened to growing up in Texas. The choices of songs fit his voice and guitar style perfectly. He has always seemed to use a less is more approach to his guitar playing, much like BB King.

His show was rocking from the start with his fabulous "Tilt-A-Whirl Band" backing him him up. He also had his frequent guest singer and Vaughan family friend, Lou Ann Barton with him. She brings some grit and sass with her to the stage. Her voice is also perfect for the material and contrasts nicely to Jimmie's vocals.

I was clapping along so much to with the songs that I felt like one of those windup monkeys with the cymbals on its hands. There is a chance that those monkeys have more rhythm than I do.

In a poignant moment of the night, Jimmie performed the "Six Strings Down" by himself as a tribute to his late brother. The only thing that possibly could have made the show even better was if they played "Like It Like That, which is one of my personal favorites. I included the link to that song below for my own selfish reasons. I recommend seeing him in concert if you get the chance. He is a Blues legend in my book.

 

 

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The Mavericks Capitalize On Enthusiastic Concord Audience

The Mavericks came to Concord, NH on Saturday May 10th.  They broke up back in 2003, but reunited last year with an excellent CD entitled "In Time." They lost none of their greatness as a band  during their ten years apart.

My night started with a couple of pre-show brews and a bit of food at the Draft Sports Bar across the street from the Capitol Center where the concert was taking place. I was joined by my dear friend Hamburger Heather and we started off with the chicken "minions." These were little chicken tenders that were fun to eat. It was an appetizer but you got roughly 100 of these little chicken chunks. My friend Hamburger Heather got a hamburger for dinner.  Did not see that coming. I went with my health-conscious grilled hot dog. My only complaint was they do not serve sauerkraut. I have lost countless hours of sleep worrying about the future of sauerkraut in our great nation. Hopefully only New Hampshire is neglecting these strings full of deliciousness.

Next it was off to the Capitol Center For The Arts to see the show. A cool, relatively new feature to the Cap
Center is you can get a glass of wine or a beer in the lobby and pour it in a nice sturdy plastic cup and bring it right to your seat. Not that it is necessary to do that at a concert, but it is a neat option.

The crowd was a bit on the older side, but what they lacked in life expectancy they more than made up with enthusiasm! I was surprised to see so many people head to the stage to dance as soon as the music started. Besides the five core members of the band, they featured a horn section, an accordion player and an upright bass player.  Singer Raul Malo is still the focal point of the band. He has an amazing voice and can sing all sorts of musical styles. The band played quite a few songs from their 1994 breakout cd "What A Crying Shame." They won all sorts of awards that year, way too many for me to type. The Mavericks came out for a couple of encores and their last four songs, were quite possibly their best four songs! I could have listened to them all night.  They will be playing at the Indian Ranch in Webster, MA on Saturday August 9th if you want to check them out this Summer. The Indian Ranch is a cool place to go. It is like a classy trailer park next to a beautiful lake that somehow gets good musical acts to perform there.

Junior Brown Was Just In Town

Junior Brown, the inventor of the pretty famous "Guit-Steel" guitar, recently performed at the Bull Run in Shirley, MA. This guitar has a double-neck, one of which is an electric guitar and the other is a lap steel guitar.  Junior would be considered a Country performer, but he also adds some Blues and Jazz, and Surf music into his shows. He also showed he can rock as he went through about a dozen classic Rock guitar riffs from the likes of Jimmy Page and Dave Davies. Junior also has a unique singing voice like Ernest Tubb, deep and barrelly. His two most famous songs are likely "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" and "Highway Patrol." With his combination of guitar virtuosity, his voice, and his interesting songwriting, Junior is an excellent person to see in concert.  I saw him for the first time around 1997 and he is still great today. He has a new song entitled "Hang Up And Drive" which fits nicely in the Junior Brown catalog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PWSmMuBNK0

The venue for this show was the Bull Run in Shirley, MA as I mentioned earlier.  This place is super cool. It has been around since 1740 and there is a rumor that Paul Revere swung by there on his famous horse ride. I know for a fact that Martin Van Buren, Andy Van Slyke, Abigail Henry, and Soupy Sales stayed there when it was an inn. It also has a covered bridge in the parking lot overlooking the majestic Mulpus Brook.

I think it is a great place to see a concert and I am sure you would too.

As a side note, which won't mean anything except to about four people, I attended this show with 4 friends all of which I have been friends with for 35 years or more! I think that was a cool little chunk of information. It was like the 5 of us flashed back to the 80's for a few hours. All of this added up to a memorable night.
These pictures were taken by my friend Barry and though they may appear dark, they are called "art" and you should appreciate them as such.

Nick Waterhouse is cool

This new cd from Nick Waterhouse is so cool it should have come wrapped in  a piece of Fonzie's leather jacket. You can tell right away that Nick is a West Coast guy. His music exudes a kind of old Hollywood glamour with a hybrid combination of smooth jazz with a splash of surf music. I would love to hangout in a club that featured this type of music.  The place would be so hip, all of the selfie's taken in there would come out in black and white. The disc is entitled "Holly".  It has a picture of a pretty girl in a field on the cover, who may or may not have a mustache. I can't tell for sure, but it probably isn't important either way.  I have never been good at finding hidden meanings in songs or titles, but I like to think title is referring to Hollywood. Ordinarily if an artist throws in a secret meaning in something, it will stay secret from me. I need obvious references or forget about it, I am moving on.  I have lots to think about during the day and can't devote lots of time to just a few items. This is going to be one fantastic cd to cruise in the car with!  It has everything you need; dynamic vocals, good lyrics, horns, organs, background vocals, all good!  I consider myself one of the few cutting edge senior citizens, so just to add to my street cred, the last couple of Rolling Stones magazines have had this cd on their Top 10 College Albums list.  So there you have it.  Check it out.

                                             

 

Saints Go Marching Out

This has been one wild offseason for the New Orleans Saints. They whipped up their own brand of March Madness this year. They released four of their defensive starters from their 2009 Super Bowl winning team, Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Roman Harper and Jabari Greer. There are no longer any defensive players left from that squad on the current roster (I don't have anyone to do research for me, but I believe that to be true.) They also released wide receiver Lance Moore, who made a fantastic catch on a two-point conversion in that Super Bowl victory. He had been with the Saints since 2006 and was one of their all-time best receivers. Then came rumors that they were going to release running backs Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas. It was then I started to regret my Saints tattoo again. Darren Sproles has been one of the most exciting players in the NFL for quite a few seasons now. He was personally recruited by quarterback Drew Brees to join the team after the departure of the beloved Reggie Bush.  Sproles was one of the most effective weapons in the Saints offense for the past three seasons. The thought of losing him and Thomas was not a pleasant one. Well, they ended up trading Sproles to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 5th round draft pick, which was better than just releasing him, although Mrs. Sproles would not agree with that as she so eloquently shared on social media.  Also, from the last 8 of the Saints 5th round draft picks, a good solid 5 or 6 of them turned out to be good NFL players. Rob Ninkovich of the New England Patriots happens to be one of them (the Saints didn't need him making big plays every weekend.) They did end up keeping Pierre Thomas which was good, partially because I love saying his nickname "PT Cruiser" every Sunday. Now that a couple of weeks have gone by, I am still pledging my faith to General Manager Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton that they have a master plan which will make them successful next season. I believe they are trying to make the team younger and stronger and faster in order to battle the top NFC teams like the current Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers, the Carolina Panthers and those sneaky Green Bay Packers. They have to go through all of this for a chance to meet next seasons winner of the Denver Broncos versus the New England Patriots in their inevitable meeting in the AFC Championship game. As they say in Cajun Country, "Geaux Saints!"

Ronnie Earl with special guests The L&M Rhythm Kings

Great night at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA on Saturday March 8, 2014!  If you haven't been to this place, you should go. The sound is great, the place is beautiful and reasonably priced. I have to tell you that even though Ronnie Earl was the headliner, my main reason for going to the show was to support the opening act, the L&M Rhythm Kings.

I have been following these guys around Massachusetts and New Hampshire in various forms of this band for about 20 years. Shockingly they have never put a restraining order on me. You can't find a nicer group of guys than these four and they deserved to play in a nice place like this with a great audience.  They played their usual top-notch mix of Blues and Funk and were well-received by the crowd. These guys can play it all. Keep your eyes and ears open and if they are in your area you should go check them out!Well, enough about those lovable lads for now.

What can I say about the world-famous Blues guitarist Ronnie Earl that hasn't already been said better by someone else?

He has few peers as a guitar player. Some might call him a virtuoso, but I am not exactly sure what that means. From what I have heard about him, his generosity and warmth is also off the charts.  Ronnie and his band were great and mesmerized the audience with their musicianship. I have seen him play a few times and he always puts his heart and soul into each note he plays. It was a fabulous night near the end of a long Winter.  The timing could not have been better.

Girls Guns and Glory

A new CD has taken over my musical life. It is from a Boston band called Girls Guns and Glory. The name of the CD is "Good Luck." The CD came out in February 2014 and I was lucky to see them perform soon after I bought it. I guess for a genre you might throw them under the Americana umbrella. They do some 1950's style rock and roll and some old school country as well. Think Chris Isaak without Helena Christensen. The disc is a fifty-fifty mix of rockers and slower country tunes. For rockers I love "Shake Like Jello" and "Be Your Man." For the slower tunes I enjoy "All The Way Up To Heaven" and "One Of These Days." The best song however might just be "Rockin' Chair Money" which shows off the dynamic vocals of lead singer Ward Hayden.I strongly suggest that you buy this CD and if you get a chance, go see them in concert. These guys have got it together.