Rhett Miller, lead singer and rhythm guitar player for the band Old 97’s, played two sets at McCabe’s in Santa Monica on Friday, November 20, 2015. This post covers the first set. McCabe’s is one of those venues that does not permit photography or video, so sorry for the lack of photos of Rhett in this post. Rhett stepped onto the stage wielding his Gibson J-200 to kick off the evening with Old 97’s song, “Melt Show,” a classic track from their excellent album Too Far to Care. I felt extra special since I was sitting in the front row,
Tag: singer
I’ll Be Doing the Same Things
Friday, November 13 was a heart-wrenching day in the world as we learned of the terrorist attacks in Paris, but particularly for music lovers who sadly learned that one of the attacks took place at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan. One of my friends had attended an Eagles of Death Metal concert in California only a couple weeks earlier, so this made it feel even more unreal. I was greatly disturbed and angered by these attacks, but already planned for the evening was Jon Brion‘s monthly show at Largo. I had mixed feelings about attending a
Put Down the Laptop and Get Outta That House
Some musicians are so much fun you have to see them more than once. Bass player, jazz scatting pro, and former American Idol contestant Casey Abrams is one of those guys. It just so happens that I was also already familiar with the two gentlemen opening for him on the night of October 7, 2015 at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA. First on stage for the night was alt-country singer Danny Hamilton. I’d seen Danny a few months earlier at the same venue opening for Dana Fuchs and picked up one of his self-recorded albums. I like the quality
You Are Everything
There are some musicians whose work becomes a part of your life story. You latch onto their words to find the meaning in your life; they help you navigate the rough parts and celebrate the high points. I think everyone who likes music has a singer or a band that fills this role and for me that person is Glen Phillips. Glen is the lead singer of the band Toad the Wet Sprocket, whose hits in the 1990s included “Walk on the Ocean” and “All I Want” (I just heard the latter at my local grocery store on Thursday). Glen later
And Just Be Who You Are
On Saturday night I headed to Amplyfi in Hollywood, CA to see my friend Kapali Long play a short set. This is a small, all ages venue with platinum records and music-themed posters on the walls, band stickers plastered all over an inner door, and an eclectic choice of chairs to sit on. This would be an ideal space for budding artists to play or perhaps for an intimate secret show. Kapali performed with his usual level of passion and obvious love for music. He started the show with his sweet song, “Double Tall Non-Fat Latte,” a story of love