Welcome to my summer guide to literature and live music. For
books, I *cannot* recommend J. K. Rowling’s latest novel, the 869 page “Order
of the Phoenix”… to any adult who cannot withdraw from the world for a week.
I’m on page 770, but I’ve a column due tomorrow. I see the book across my
darkening room: its big, fat, fabulous adventure tempting me to abandon my
responsibilities, yet again.
Better go to the music. I can’t imagine a better place than
Northern California to hear good live music. Over the past year, my wife and I
have taken in some great shows from artists we’ve “discovered.” I’ll tell you
about them here, hoping you will be motivated to check them out next time they
pass through, or that you will be delighted to learn that one of your favorites
has a new fan. (Note #1: almost all of these artists can be found on the web,
via Google. Note #2: many of them, like Richard Thompson, defy easy
classification.)
It began in September, at the Sebastopol Celtic Music
Festival. The Friday night program rocketed to a start with fiddler Alasdair
Fraser fiddle teaming up with young cellist Natalie Haas. They played a
jaw-dropping Celtic traditional/jam set, with top-end virtuosity and bottom-end
power to match the best of Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (I would pay a pretty
penny for a recording of that performance.) Karan Casey sang sweet and strong,
followed by the raga-like instrumental weavings of violinist Martin Hayes and
Dennis Cahill on guitar. Over the weekend, we were delighted by Barachois, a
Canadian Cape Breton music-dance-comedy foursome, the Scottish roots revival
band Old Blind Dogs, and the pioneering English folk-rockers Fairport
Convention.
On a musical roll, next Friday found us at Slim’s in the
City (you have to be slim to stand on a tightly- packed “dance” floor for four
hours) for some “Americana.” Sweethearts Mark Stewart and Stacy Earle opened
for Buddy and Julie Miller, the latter featuring unmatched vocal duets and
Buddy’s honkin’ guitar. The next two days we attended the “Strictly Bluegrass”
free festival in Golden Gate Park, where we heard our first live shows from the
legendary Emmy Lou Harris and Steve Earle (with his “Bluegrass Dukes”). We also
got our first taste of bluegrass giant Hot Rize, along with the richly eclectic
rock of Chuck Prophet and the Dolly-meets-Janis singing of country rocker Tift
Merrit.
Sebastopol and Santa Rosa brought us other great shows,
including soulful choruses from the Blind Boys of Alabama; the phenomenal trap
drumming of Wally Ingram paired with wailin’ slide guitarist David Lindley;
mind-boggling percussive guitar work from newcomer Kaki King; and bottleneck
steel guitar/ harmonica blues from John Hammond (by far the best use of a
harmonica holder I’ve ever heard.)
There’s been an abundance of great shows right here in
downtown Petaluma, at our Mystic Theater. No empty calorie pop music here. We
heard Cajun from BeauSoleil; American rock punk-a-billy from the Blasters; Tejano boogie blues from Los Lobos; and the
bluegrass jams of Yonder Mountain String Band. Clear me a place on the dance
floor!
One classification we’ve especially enjoyed is the
“singer-songwriter”, many of whom generate more guffaws than the best stand-up
comics. Cheryl Wheeler and Todd Snider talked and sang of their travels and tribulations,
taking you from heartbreak to belly laugh in the space of a song. Loudon
Wainwright exposed his soul while spinning the most intricate of story rhymes,
interwoven with his sophisticated sense of humor. John Hiatt, with the Goners,
turned in two sets that combined first-rate lyrics and music, animated by
Hiatt’s engaging stage persona.
Last but not least is Richard Thompson. Though he’s a
regular Mystic visitor, we saw him at the Fillmore with his electric band. RT combined the most impeccably
lyrical/poetic songwriting and sizzling rock-jazz guitar with a powerful voice
to create a show unlike any other. Check him out.
(Only one complaint: I love powerful music, but too many of
the rock concerts were pumped up to the eardrum-buzz level. Drop it a few dBs,
if you please.)