Taylor Hicks, August 25, 2010, San Francisco, California, Audio Recording

A friend and I caught Taylor Hicks at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco last week.

It was my first time at the venue. It had a great vibe and great sound.

It was my zillionth time seeing Taylor Hicks. He also had a great vibe and a great sound. I thought it was one of the better TH shows I’ve seen. I still think The Roxy was the best TH show I’ve ever seen, but this Rrazz Room show is now my second favorite. That’s my second favorite out of a zillion shows, so that is saying something.

He was relaxed, but serious. He rocked it out, mixed it up, was liberal with the tags, and had an entertaining set list. It was a treat to have LiMBO band members Jeff Lopez on the sax, Brian Less on the keys, and Sam Gunderson on guitar. Those guys seem like old friends I haven’t seen in a long time, and it was great to see and hear them again. They were joined by the excellent Leif Bondarenko and Matt Kimbrell on drums and percussion and the excellent Brandon Peeples on bass.

The venue had an aura of ‘cool,’ and the crowd was cool, too.

We had good seats and I had planned to record the show as usual so obviously I brought my recorder. Unfortunately, but I forgot something I needed to make my mics work, so I couldn’t use them. It’s too bad too, because the sound was great at our seats and it would have been a pretty good recording.

At the last minute I decided to try my luck with using the internal mics on my recorder. I hit record, and let it go.

I think it doesn’t sound too bad for using the internal mics, so I’m going to go ahead and post the recording…

Samples:

Can’t You Hear Me Knocking

Soul Thing (love the tags starting around the 6:00 mark…)

Back to Louisiana

Seven Mile Breakdown

Hold On To Your Love

Bulletproof

Download after the jump

Setlist:

Love the One You’re With
The Deal
Soul Thing —tags: San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair), East Bound and Down
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
Nineteen
What’s Right Is Right
Hold On To Your Love –tags: It’s a Man’s Word, Ghost In This House, (not really a tag: he said, “Bay Blues. San Francisco Bay Blues”
Maybe You Should — said “Sausalito town” instead of “Alabama town”
Back To Louisiana
Seven Mile Breakdown tag: The Valley Road
The Fall
Bulletproof

Jamie Lidell Live, June 18, 2010 @ The Independent, San Francisco recap/audio

I thought I was getting two Jamie Lidell shows for the price of one yesterday, but I got stuck in traffic on 101 and missed the 6:00 show at Amoeba Records. By the time I got there, the band was packed up and waiting outside the store for their ride. On the bright side, I was in the City for the show at The Independent early and I got to say ‘hey’ to JAMIE LIDELL in front of Amoeba Records. (!!)

His show at the Independent was an hour and a half of happy, funky, satisfaction. He looks and sounds healthy and at the very top of his game. He says he is in love right now. That may explain why he seems so…buoyant.

I had a blast at the show. More fun than I’ve had in a while. I reinforced my decision to be sure to never miss a Jamie Lidell show when he comes to town. He’s just phenomenal.

Bonus: The recording came out pretty good!

Here are some samples:

The Ring

Multiply

Telephone

Completely Exposed

When I Come Back Around

Your Sweet Boom

Downloads will be up in a few days!

Paul Thorn, The Little Fox Theatre, August 9, 2009 recap w/ audio

What I like about Paul Thorn’s songs is their honesty, truth and humor. ‘Real’ is the word that comes to mind again and again.

‘Intimate’ and ‘fun’ are the words that come to mind when I remember the show he played at the Little Fox Theatre in Redwood City August 9th, 2009.

I had a great time at this show, and I will never miss Paul Thorn when he comes to town again. (I really wish he would come to the San Francisco Bay area more often.)

The set list with a few audio samples from that night:

Long Way From Tupelo
Are You With Me
Doublewide Paradise
Mood Ring
I’m Still Here

Crutches
Every Little Bit Hurts

Better Days Ahead
Hammer and Nail
Temporarily Forever Mine

I Bet He Knows

Honky Tonk Neanderthal (this one has a lot of banter before the song starts, but it’s worth it!)

Everybody Wishes
Pimps and Preachers
Black Rainbow

What Have You Done To Lift Somebody Up
Weeds In My Roses (new song)

Ain’t Love Strange

I Have A Good Day
Lovers Vacation
Mission Temple Fireworks Stand

Encore:
Burn Down the Trailer Park
Rise Up

(The downloads of the show should be up over the weekend.)
ETA: The Downloads are up!

Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, July 28, 2009, Stubb’s, Austin TX, recap/audio

stolen placeholder pic until Art hooks me up with his cell phone pic from the show

It was a hot show: hot as hell inside the lower level of Stubb’s in Austin, Davy’s tea was hot, and of course the music was hot, with Davy burning up the strings and melting faces all night long.

Each time I listen to the recording of the show I am blown away all over again.

Here’s some samples:

What In the World (Rory Gallagher)

Commotion (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Coming Up For Air

Walk On Hot Coals (Rory Gallagher)

New song…unknown title…?

Downloads of the entire show should be up over the weekend.

ETA: The downloads are up HERE.

Taylor Hicks, thanks to Linda T, 8-16-09, Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta

(Photo credit: rajrae, on the Boogie Board)

When Linda T let me know a short while ago that she was getting her first recorder and jumping into taping, I was pretty excited.

When she dropped one of her first shows in my mailbox, I was thrilled!

Check out a sample of new taper extraordinaire Linda T’s August 16th 2009 audience recording of Taylor Hicks:

Battlefield

Don’t Let Me Down

Runnaround

‘A Blues tune…an old Tibetan folk singer song’ (Gonna Move)

So, what do you think? Pretty good, right?

Thanks to Linda T, downloads will follow shortly!

Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, May 8, 2009, Hotel Utah, San Francisco, recap/audio

I already sorta recapped the vibe of the show in the first post, so I won’t add too much here. It was a late night, a rowdy night, a great night. I felt like I had been waiting to see Ryan Bingham for years, but really it had only been a few months since I first heard of him.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dude downstairs who kept yelling out requests. At the time I didn’t appreciate him much, but looking back… Gracias, brother. You requested some good stuff.

Audio downloads should be up in a few days. (ETA: downloads HERE)

Here is the set list with samples of the audio:

1. Roadhouse Blues

2. Dollar a Day

3. Hard Times
4. Day Is Done (maybe a little clipping. Sorry.)
5. Tell My Mother I Miss Her So

6. Sunrise

7. Dylan’s Hard Rain

8. Boracho Station

9. South Side of Heaven

10. Endless Ways

11. Change Is

12. Hey Hey Hurray

13. Bluebird

14. Sunshine

15. Bread and Water

Encores:

16. Ever Wonder Why

17. A Long Way From Georgia

18. Sweet Louisiana (Charlie Daniels)

19. Wishing Well>>White Freight Liner Blues (Townes Van Zandt)

Taylor Hicks Live -Cafe Du Nord- April 14, 2009, Recap w/ Audio

As he tours the country in Grease, Taylor Hicks has been playing some little after-hours shows in some cities along the way. I went to see one of those shows at the Roxy in Hollywood, and then when he came up to San Francisco, I caught another one of those shows at the Cafe Du Nord on a Tuesday night.

(photo credit: soulkaren)

This is where it all starts: Right here at the Roxy Theatre (concert recap w/ audio)

(thanks to Cali50 for the picture)

Last night I saw Taylor Hicks at the Roxy in Los Angeles. (March 18, 2009)

I loved it. It was my favorite TH performance. He brought his A+++ game. Great music. It was the best vocals I’ve ever heard from him, and that’s saying something.

The crowd was pretty cool, the venue was cool, the band was great, and like I said, Taylor seriously BROUGHT IT.

And that encore…remember Taking It to the Streets? Remember how he just rocked that song out and we all shouted ‘HELL YES!’ at the end? Well, that’s how he rocked out My Sweet Lord. It was electric. I wish you could have seen it.

I can’t give much more of a recap because I am running on very little sleep and…I just can’t. I’m beat.

The recording should be up in a few days, but here’s some samples while you wait:

ETA: The Right Place

Gonna Move

Seven Mile Breakdown

My Sweet Lord

Back Door Slam 10-03-2008 recap w/audio

Friday October 3, 2008 I went to see Back Door Slam. The venue was The Hotel Utah, and I had never been there before.

Photo courtesy of “Bluezman” Thanks, Bluezman!

The place turned out to be nothing but a little bar with a stage and two tiny audience spaces: one on the floor and one on a balcony above the stage. Both audience spaces were hardly larger than the stage itself. The guy at the door said that the place sold out…120 tickets.

Being in that place was more like being on the stage with the band than being in the audience. Very cool.

They opened with Outside Woman Blues. There was a problem with the amp and another had to be brought in before the next song. And that’s kinda how the night went: It was a night of blistering music in a small space with some technical problems that, to me anyway, just lent more charm to the evening.

I also have to say that I have never met a nicer bunch of people than the fans I met at this show.

And the show was great. I will never forget the blur of Davy’s hands on the guitar that night… it was something else. Amazing. The real deal.

Set list, with some audio samples from the show, recorded by yours truly:

1) Outside Women Blues (Cream)

2) Heavy On My Head

3) Riding With The King (John Hiatt)

4) Gotta Leave

5) Almost Cut My Hair (Crosby, Stills and Nash)

6) Tear Down The Walls (new original song)

7) Come Home (It seems Davy kicked so much ass on this song he actually injured himself. Somebody in the audience has the bloody guitar pic to prove it…)

8 ) Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon)

9) Back Door Slam (Robert Cray)

10) Country Girl (new original song)

11) Won’t Let It happen (new original song)

12) It’ll All Come Around

13) What In The World

Encore:
14) Been Down So Long>>unknown>>Red House

Downloads of the show in Flac or MP3 will be along soon.

Also, do go see my friend Boolz for a download of the Denver BDS show that happened earlier in the week!

Jamie Lidell LIVE, 05-28-2008, San Francisco, Recap with Audio

All audio recorded by TandJam at Bimbo’s 365, 05-28-08.

Time for the Jamie recap!

Jamie was dressed in a light colored suit, had the short hair and the glasses and was constantly reminding me of Buddy Holly. The big news was he had a band. Guitar, drums, keys and sax. (I’m still looking for their names.)

They opened with:

Another Day

He played it pretty straight. And we moved quickly on to:

Figured Me Out

This one made use of some electronic voice thingy, and I wasn’t feeling it at the start.

Sure it was fun, like back in the 80’s when you went roller skating and they always played that song: “Egyptian Lover”….damn. Remember that song? Good times. Anyway, at about 4 minutes into the song I was won over…mostly I think by nostalgia for “Egyptian Lover.”

Figured Me Out

Next, Jamie treated us to 10 straight minutes of music, starting with:

Out of My System…played pretty straight…

…then came a long bit of Jamie’s freestyle techno stuff, now mixed well with sax, drums, keys and guitar… and the whole big enchilada of sound slid into…

…The City. It was pretty cool how that worked out. The enchilada sliding, I mean.

….and thus ends 10 minutes of insane mixed-up sound that actually made sense, 100% pure Jamie, topped off at the end with a dollop of “Egyptian Lover” sour cream, if you will. (I know. You love the enchilada metaphor.)

Out of My System>The City (10 minutes of the not so radio friendly Jamie…ETA: ok the first 3 minutes are very radio friendly. But after that we are in old school Jamie territory. It’s all great.)

Now it feels like he is warmed up and really in his groove and so Jamie takes off into this long freestyle, spacey, techno thing. It’s 7 minutes long. Jamie doing what Jamie does and it’s so cool. I love listening to it.

Does anyone have the name for this?

Freestyle, spacey, techno jam thing…

This piece ends by turning into:

A Little Bit More. 7 minutes of Jamie. MMmmmMMmmm. 5 stars, baby!

At this point that there is, for the first time since the start of Out of My System about 29 minutes ago, a break in the almost continuous music. That break is about 3 seconds. Or it seemed like 3 seconds.

The room is dark and hot and sweaty. It feels good. And we dive right into:

Little Bit of Feel Good. It struck me that I would like to hear Jeff Lopez on the sax on this song…I also thought that at around the 5:30 mark that I could hear Ray Charles…

What a great version of this song. I loved it. 5 stars again! (Sorry about the audience yells at the end.)

….The audience is really loud at the end of this song, expressing their appreciation…

At this point Jamie engages in some banter about dreams, bloody noses and his nephew before signing:

Green Light

Next:
Where’d You Go?

Then, one of my favorites from the album:
Wait For Me

–audience calls for the encore—

Game For Fools

Multiply

And thus ends another great Jamie Lidell show. What a brilliant guy. What a great voice.

Downloads of the show will be up soon.