Warren Haynes 30th Anniversary Christmas Jam – Second Night: 12/8/2018

The second night of the Christmas Jam was faced with a winter storm, which dumped significant snow on Asheville. Because of the expected difficulties, those who did not feel comfortable venturing out were given the option to stream the show from home. Since I live only about a mile from the venue, I of course went and brought a warm jacket so I could walk home afterwards.

I went with my friend Seth, and we grabbed some barbecue before heading over to the show. When we got there, I was elated to see throngs of scalpers desperately trying to sell off their tickets for below face value in a lame attempt to recoup some of their money. It makes me happy to see scalpers suffering and losing money. I have no sympathy for those vampires who feed off others.

Anyway, the second night boasted a stellar lineup of headline acts:

• Joe Bonamassa
• Jim James
• Dave Grohl and Friends
• Eric Church
• Gov’t Mule

In addition, there were also the guest musicians who graced the stage on the first night of the Jam.

The show began with a collaboration of guest musicians jamming and warming up the crowd. That was followed by Joe Bonamassa, who I was probably the most excited to see. As a guitarist, I was eager to see the blues great perform live. He did not disappoint. After he played, all I could think was that I would hate to be a musician having to follow that guitarist. But, the rest of the show was right up there in caliber.

Sadly, my friend Seth left right after Bonamassa’s set. Snow was already piling up and he was concerned about not being able to make it home. Thankfully, I had other friends who were there, and I made the rounds, sitting with various friends throughout the evening.

There were many high points that night, but probably the best for me was when Gov’t Mule kicked off their set with Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” segueing into Hendrix’s “Machine Gun,” then back into “Rockin’ in the Free World,” with Dave Grohl playing guitar with them. UNBELIEVABLE! Here is a video recording on YouTube for those who are interested.

Not long after that, I decided to cut out a little early and start walking home. It was already past 1:00 am, and I knew it would be a cold trudge through the deep snow. But actually, it was kind of nice, in the surreal early morning darkness. Here is a picture I snapped on the walk home.

Here are the setlists from the headline acts. Hope you all have a rockin’ New Year, and may 2019 bring you lots of live music!

Setlists:

Joe Bonamassa:

• Beck’s Bolero >
• Rice Pudding
• Spanish Boots
• SWLABR
• I Can’t Quit You Baby
• How Many More Times

Jim James:

• Just a Fool
• Throwback
• All Over the World
• Here in Spirit
• Over and Over
• Better Get Together While Still Got Time
• No Secrets
• A New Life >
• State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)

Dave Grohl:

• Play
• Times Like These (with Warren Haynes)
• Everlong

Eric Church:

• Desperate Man
• Record Year
• Carolina
• Smoke a Little Smoke
• Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (with Warren Haynes)
• Atlantic City (with Warren Haynes)
• Diddy Wah Diddy (with Warren Haynes)
• The Weight (with Warren Haynes)

Gov’t Mule:

• Rockin’ in the Free World (with Dave Grohl) >
• Machine Gun  (with Dave Grohl) (instrumental) >
• Rockin’ in the Free World (with Dave Grohl)
• Thorazine Shuffle
• Revolution Come, Revolution Go
• Million Miles From Yesterday
• Dreams and Songs
• Red Baron
• Mule

Warren Haynes 30th Anniversary Christmas Jam – First Night: 12/7/2018

The Christmas Jam has become a holiday tradition for me. Every year since I moved to Asheville, NC, I have attended the Jam, and it is always great. This year, Warren held the Jam over two nights, which was consistent with the 20th and 25th. I, of course, planned on going both nights.

Ticket purchasing has become a challenge, even in the small city of Asheville. Scalpers and bots scoop up tickets and resell them through TicketMaster and scalper sites like Stub Hub, making it tough for fans to acquire tickets. For that reason, I went down early in the morning to the box office and was first in line. This proved advantageous, since the box office opened the window 5 minutes prior to when TicketMaster opened the online sales. I got reserved seats for both nights, and then found to my dismay that many of my friends who tried to buy online got shut out, all reserved seats gone in less than 2 minutes. The bots strike again! Now for my quick PSA—Scalpers are scum. No matter how much you want to see a show, don’t ever buy from a “verified reseller” for more than face value. As long as you do, these bottom feeders will continue to ruin music for all of us.

OK, stepping down from the soapbox and getting on with the show.

First night I went with my wife and daughter. The lineup was pretty solid. The headliners included:

• Dark Side of the Mule
• Grace Potter
• Mike Gordon
• Jamey Johnson
• Marco Benevento

In addition, there were a bunch of guest musicians, including: Audley Freed, Jen Gunderman, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Vivino, Kevn Kinney, Mike Barnes, Robert Kearns, Ron Holloway, and Tyler Ramsey. There were others who were not announced. Sorry, but don’t remember them all.

The show went on until after 2:00 am, and I think this was the first time my wife made it to the very end. While the entire show was great, Dark Side of the Mule was by far the highlight. Gov’t Mule performed a long Pink Floyd set, complete with lasers and an incredible light show. It was a great way to end a marathon night of music.

The only negative about this night was Jamey Johnson. He was good, and I liked the music he played, but he was painfully loud. Now I am not one to shy away from loud music, so if I consider a band to be too loud, they are probably too loud. He obviously missed the memo that when playing country music, you do not need to turn the amps up to 11. Leave that setting for Spinal Tap.

I could not find all the setlists, but I found a few. I will add others if I find them. Also, I’m including a few pictures that I snapped. And for those who are interested, here is a video of Dark Side of the Mule, with the full on lasers.

Rock on, and check back soon for my post on the second night.

Setlists:

Marco Benevento

• The Story Of Fred Short (Intro) >
• Seven Twenty Two >
• Walking With Tyrone
• Live A Certain Life
• Stay In Line
• I Can’t See The Light >
• Follow The Arrow
• Band Introductions/Banter
• Greenpoint
• Pepper

Mike Gordon

• Say Something
• Whirlwind
• Peel
• Victim > Sweet Emotion
• Pendulum
• Wild and Blue
• Do You Still Drink About Me
• Crazy Sometimes

Grace Potter

• Gold Dust Woman (w Warren Haynes and Jim James)
• Medicine
• Empty Heart
• Not Fade Away > Stars
• The Lion the Beast the Beat
• Paris (Ooh La La)
• I Shall Be Released

Dark Side of the Mule:

• Pigs on the Wing 2
• Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
• Have a Cigar
• Breathe
• On the Run
• Time
• Breathe (Reprise)
• The Great Gig in the Sky
• Money
• Us and Them
• (with Jim James on lead vocals)
• Any Colour You Like
• Welcome to the Machine
• One of These Days
• Fearless
• Echoes, Part 1
• Comfortably Numb

Encore:

• Wish You Were Here

 

Warren kicking off the show

 

Mike Gordon

Grace Potter

Dark Side of the Mule

Goblin: 11/28/2018

As a horror film buff, and someone who enjoys prog rock, it’s no surprise that I am a fan of Goblin. I saw them some years back on their first ever US tour, and they were awesome. So when I saw that they were coming back to town and would be performing the soundtrack to “Suspira” live during a screening of the film, I knew I would be going. I offered to buy my brother a ticket, since he is also a horror fan, and we were in.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Goblin, they are an Italian progressive rock band that formed in the 70s and became famous for composing the soundtrack music for films such as “Suspiria,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “Tenebre,” and many others. Note: Claudio Simonetti, the keyboardist, was the only original Goblin member on this tour, but the other band members were exceptional musicians.

We got to the Orange Peel early enough to snag a decent spot, as well as one of the few bar stools so we could sit and watch the film. The band took the stage, and got ready to queue up the film.

The film started, and the band played the opening musical sequence, which was hauntingly powerful. I commented to my brother that they had an easy first half of the gig, spending a lot of time sitting and waiting for the next point in the film where music was needed. But I have to say, it was a totally unique concert experience for me, something that is rare for a veteran concertgoer as myself.

After the film ended, they paused briefly before launching into a killer second set, with lots of horror film clips and surreal visuals projected on the screen. The band was really tight, effortlessly flowing through intricate scale runs that rival any prog band. Suffice to say, I was on my feet for the entire second set.

Here is the full setlist, along with some pictures from the show. Rock on!

Set 1: “Suspiria” live screening and soundtrack accompaniment.

• Suspiria
• Witch
• Opening to the Sighs
• Sighs
• Markos
• Black Forest / Blind Concert
• Death Valzer

Set 2:

• Mater Lachrymarum
• Demoni
• E Suono Rock
• Roller
• Dawn of the Dead (L’alba dei Morti Viventi)
• Zombi
• Zaratozom
• Tenebre
• Phenomena
• Profondo Rosso

Dweezil Zappa: 10/31/2018

I had seen Dweezil a couple times before, and I had seen his dad, Frank Zappa. Which was why the last few times he came to town, I opted to pass. But this time—Halloween Night! That was something I could not pass up on.

I had bought tickets for me and my friend Dan to go. The Diana Wortham Theatre is a very small venue, so I bought tickets way in advance. We had good seats, second row balcony center, which affords a great view of the stage and excellent sound.

Halloween rolls around, and I get a text from Dan that he is at the hospital with his mom and not sure if he will be able to make it. Of course, I told him no worries, take care of what you need to do. Thankfully, his mom was alright and released after a few hours, so Dan texted me that he was still in and we would meet up before the show.

Since it was Halloween, I sported my Captain Kirk costume. Most of the crowd was also in costume, which added to the general freakiness. We got our seats, chatted for a bit, and then the lights went down and the band took the stage. All the band members except Dweezil were in costume, which was fun. They definitely were having a blast on stage, hamming it up, and of course, playing some incredible music. They played a loooooong time, a solid three hours. And the song selection was definitely worthy of the “Choice Cuts” tour name. They really dug deep into Frank’s vast musical repertoire. Definitely got my money’s worth.

Here’s a few pictures from the show, along with the setlist.

Setlist:

• The Purple Lagoon (Intro)
• Andy
• Honey, Don’t You Want a Man Like Me?
• Fifty-Fifty
• Call Any Vegetable
• Tell Me You Love Me
• Absolutely Free
• T’Mershi Duween
• Dog Breath
• Dog Meat
• Sleep Napkins
• The Black Page Drum Solo
• The Black Page
• Halloween – Movie Theme Music (John Carpenter cover)
• The Torture Never Stops
• Valley Girl
• Pygmy Twylyte
• King Kong
• Suzy Creamcheese
• Cocaine Decisions
• Drowning Witch
• Sleeping in a Jar
• Florentine Pogen
• Zoot Allures
• Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow
• Uncle Remus
• This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich
• Keep It Greasey
• Joe’s Garage

Encore:

• Oh, In the Sky
• Cheepnis
• Return of the Son of Orange County
• Funky OC
• Trouble Every Day

Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party: 9/10/2007

So I appreciate a good freak show as much as the next person, which is why I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party in a club setting, especially since it was only $18. I had seen Jane’s Addiction, but had never seen Porno for Pyros. I figured this would be some short-lived side project, so I had better not miss it. I got tickets for my wife and I, since she also likes Farrell and had not seen him in any of his musical incarnations.

Not surprising, the place was packed with freaks, so we blended in easily enough. Couldn’t tell you anything about the opening act. They were obviously forgettable.

When Farrell came on stage and opened the show with “Stop!” the place went bonkers. Everyone was dancing and having a blast. The set was short, but high quality, including classics from Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros, as well as new material. Normally, I’d feel a little rooked by a short set, but not this night. I was happy with the songs they played, the price was cheap, and I was home at a reasonable time.

Here’s the full setlist.

Setlist:

• Stop!
• Kinky
• Insanity Rains
• Mountain Song
• Hard Life Easy
• Been Caught Stealing
• Only Love, Let’s Celebrate
• Wish Upon a Dog Star
• Pets
• Ultra Payloaded Satellite Party
• Jane Says

Sarah McLachlan: 9/22/2018

Sarah McLachlan is not someone I usually listen to, but we have her first cd and I have listened to it a bit. I can appreciate her piano playing and her vocals are amazing, without question. When I saw she was coming to town, I looked at ticket prices, but they were a little out of my price range. But when I got an email announcing that a non-profit to which I belong was giving out free tickets, I put my name in, and my wife and I each got a freebie to the show.

This was a benefit concert to raise money for the pediatric cancer center, so it was a good cause. There were some speakers and a couple opening musical acts, one of which was quite good. His name was Andrew Reed, and he’s a local Asheville musician who I understand is actually on the Billboard charts now. I guess I’m a little out-of-touch. Anyway, he was good, and after he played Sarah came out.

What can I say about her? She was awesome! Her voice was as clear and powerful as it was 25 years ago. Even in the US Cellular Center, which has pretty crappy acoustics, her voice was crisp, vibrant, and unwavering. My wife had seen her years ago at the Lilith Fair, and she agreed that Sarah sounded just as great today as she did back then.

For whatever reason, the setlist for this particular night is not online, although the shows before and afterwards are available. The two I found are almost identical, and seem to match what I remember about the performance, so here is the setlist from Charleston on the 24th, which should be the about the same as the Asheville show.

Setlist:

• Possession
• I Will Remember You
• Adia
• Building a Mystery
• Good Enough
• Answer
• Fallen
• Beautiful Girl
• In Your Shoes
• Elsewhere
• Rivers of Love
• World on Fire
• Sweet Surrender
• Loving You Is Easy
• Angel

Encore:

• Untitled/unreleased song (“Into Your Wilderness”)
• Song for My Father
• Ice Cream
• The Sound That Love Makes

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam – Night Two: 12/13/2008

This was the second night of the 20th Anniversary Christmas Jam. While the first night was long and epic, the second night proved to be even longer and more jam packed.

I basically went solo this night. My wife could only handle one night of jams, but I had friends who were there so I was able to hang out with them for most of the night (although they did leave early, and I stayed to the very end, which was around 4:30 am). The headliners for this night were Steve Earle, Johnny Winter, Coheed and Cambria, Michael Franti, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, John Paul Jones, and Gov’t Mule. In addition, there was a plethora of guest musicians forming impromptu groups and sitting in with the other bands.

When Warren opened the show, playing an acoustic number with Ruthie Foster, he informed the crowd that there would be something special at the end of the night, and to make sure to stay. I did not need much convincing.

After that, the “Xmas Jam Band” played for a while, playing some great songs and bring up lots of special guests.

Steve Earle played next. He was really good and I gained a whole new level of appreciation for his music.

Not long after Earle, Johnny Winter took the stage. I had seen him once years ago, and it was not his best night, but it felt kind of special to see him this time. He was pretty sickly, and was literally assisted out on the stage and placed in a chair. Then his classic Gibson Firebird was brought out and placed in his hands, and he proceeded to wail. This would be my last time seeing the legendary bluesman, may he rest in peace.

Next up was Coheed & Cambria. I was kind of looking forward to seeing these guys because I’d heard great things about them, but I have to say, I was disappointed. Maybe they were having an off night, but they just didn’t do it for me.

Michael Franti followed, and he got the place on their feet and dancing. John Paul Jones (the great Led Zeppelin bassist), played with him for almost the entire set. While the friends I was did not care for his set, I personally really enjoyed it. Hey, to each their own.

Ben Harper performed next, and he was great. This was my first time seeing him, and he totally lived up to my expectations. The fact that I was still rockin’ in the early morning hours is a testament to his set.

Finally, the closing event of the night: Gov’t Mule’s set. They played a few cover tunes with some guest musicians, and then brought out John Paul Jones to do a mini Zeppelin set to close the night. Totally rocked the house!

It took me a couple days to recover from all that music, but it was well worth the lack of sleep. Here is the full setlist from the night’s multiple performances.

WARREN HAYNES & RUTHIE FOSTER:

• Grinnin’ In Your Face

XMAS JAM BAND (Audley Freed, Jen Gunderman, Buddy Cage, Kevn Kinney, Fiddle Dave, Robert Kearns, Edwin McCain, Mickey Raphael):

• Blues on Top of Blues
• Straight To Hell
• Free Fallin (w/ Patterson Hood)
• Dreams To Remember (w/ Joan Osborne & Horns*)
• TCB (w/ Robben Ford, Joan Osborne, Eric Krasno & Horns*)
• Chain of Fools (w/ Ruthie Foster, Robben Ford, Joan Osborne, Karl Denson, Ron Holloway, Eric Krasno)
• When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (w/ Joan Osborne, Warren Haynes & Horns*)
• Tumblin’ Dice (w/ Ruthie Foster)

* Karl Denson, Ron Holloway, Derrick Johnson, Craig Sorrells

STEVE EARLE:

• Copperhead Road
• Christmas In Washington
• My Old Friend The Blues
• Guitar Town (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Gotta Serve Somebody (w/ Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, Joan Osborne, Travis Tritt & Ruthie Foster)
• Brand New Companion (w/ Mickey Raphael & Warren Haynes)

GROUP SONG:

• Serve Somebody

JOHNNY WINTER:

• Paul Nelson Jam (Intro)
• Hideaway
• Blackjack
• I Used To Love Her But It’s All Over Now (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Mojo Boogie

COHEED AND CAMBIRA:

• No World For Tomorrow
• Gravemakers & Gunslingers
• Mother Superior
• Favor House Atlantic (acoustic)
• I Shall Be Released (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Welcome Home (w/ Warren Haynes)

MICHAEL FRANTI & JAY BOWMAN (FRED ELTRINGHAM ON DRUMS):

• Love Don’t Wait (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford & Mickey Raphael)
• Sweet Little Lies (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford & Mickey Raphael)
• All I Want Is You (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Eric Krasno)
• Hey World (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Eric Krasno)
• I Got Love For You (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Ron Holloway)
• Say Hey

BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS 7:

• Number No Name
• Shimmer
• Lay There
• Better Way
• Fly 1 Time
• Keep It Together
• Dressed In Black
• Boots
• Up To You Now
• Good Times, Bad Times (w/ John Paul Jones)

GOV’T MULE:

• Southern Man (w/ Patterson Hood)
• Lively Up Yourself (w/ Karl Denson & Robben Ford)
• Simple Man (w/ Travis Tritt)
• Livin’ Lovin’ Maid (w/ John Paul Jones)
• Since I’ve Been Loving You (w/ John Paul Jones)
• No Quarter (w/ John Paul Jones on keys & Audley Freed)
• The Ocean (w/ John Paul Jones on bass, Ben Harper & Mike Barnes)
• When The Levee Breaks (w/ Ben Harper & John Paul Jones on bass)

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam: 12/21/2002

This was the first of what would be many Christmas Jams for me. Since this date, I have not missed a single Christmas Jam (15 years so far, and counting). The Christmas Jam is a benefit concert hosted by Warren Haynes and happens each year in his hometown of Asheville, NC. All money goes to Habitat for Humanity, and he always has a stellar lineup of musicians, who take turns jamming together in unique combinations. It is heaven for the music enthusiast.

At the time of this show, I had my own business, so I was working a lot. But I took the evening off and went to the show with my wife and business partner. We also bought tickets for staff as a holiday gift, though not all showed up (I think some sold the tickets and pocketed the money).

Anyway, it was a marathon musical evening. I was not able to stay until the end, but I lasted until after 1:00 am. Pretty much, I saw everyone except Gov’t Mule, which was fine with me, since I would see them almost every year after that.

Here is the list of bands and musical guests who performed.

Main Acts:

• Gov’t Mule
• Robert Randolph & The Family Band
• Moe.
• Bob Weir
• John Hiatt and The Goners

Special Guests:

• Rob Barraco
• DJ Logic
• Audley Freed
• Jerry Joseph
• Col. Bruce Hampton
• Kevn Kinney
• Sonny Landreth
• John Molo
• Edwin McCain
• Dave Schools

I tried to find the setlists online, but no luck. High points I remember was Robert Randolph performing “Shake Your Hips” (a Rolling Stones classic) and Bob Weir’s set which included “Shakedown Street,” “Truckin’,” and “The Other One.”

Wish I had more to share. All I can say is it was a great time, and I was hooked on the Christmas Jam after my first taste.

Rock on!

They Might Be Giants: 9/28/2011

They Might Be Giants is the ultimate nerd band. I first heard them on a college radio station and initially did not know what to make of their music. But I soon became a fan, and their album “Flood” dominated my CD player for a long time in the 90’s. So when my daughter expressed a desire to go see them, I went out and got us tickets, figuring it would be a fun father/daughter night out.

We got to the Orange Peel and found a spot amid the other music geeks. The band opened with “Asheville,” a song they wrote about the city we were in, which was very cool. They continued playing a great show full of quirky songs that made my geek-heart flutter. “Particle Man” and “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” were particularly fun for me. The crowd was psyched, jumping up and down in rhythm to the music. It was just a fun, fun night.

I can’t express just how much time like this mean to me. Live music is such a bonding experience, and sharing this night with my daughter is a memory that I will treasure. If you haven’t listened to this band, I suggest checking them out. They are unique and not like any “popular” music you will have heard before. Here is the setlist from the show.

Setlist:

• Asheville
• Can’t Keep Johnny Down
• We Live in a Dump
• Canajoharie
• Judy Is Your Viet Nam
• Particle Man
• Meet James Ensor
• Los Angeles
• Turn Around
• Celebration
• Birdhouse in Your Soul
• Clap Your Hands
• Withered Hope
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes
• Cloisonné
• Spoiler Alert
• lder
• Don’t Let’s Start
• Your Racist Friend
• Alphabet of Nations
• Old Pine Box
• Ana Ng
• When Will You Die
• The Mesopotamians

Encore:

• Careful What You Pack
• Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Encore 2:

• Lie Still, Little Bottle
• Nothing’s Gonna Change My Clothes

Donavon Frankenreiter: 11/23/2010

So I knew absolutely nothing about this dude when I bought tickets for this show. In fact, the only reason I bought tickets was our friend Erin was visiting from Miami and my wife and I wanted to take her to a show at the Orange Peel (Asheville’s coolest music venue). This was the only show happening while she was visiting, so we went by default. We were pleasantly surprised.

First off, the artist was giving away free copies of his latest CD to all attendees, which I thought was very cool. Additionally, attendees were given fake moustaches to wear, since Donavon I guess is known for his stache. We all donned our upper-lip wigs and found a spot.

While I did not know any of the songs he played, he sounded good and he was a lot of fun on stage. We all enjoyed ourselves, which is a testament to his performance. We all left the show in a great mood, and I was really happy that our friend got to experience the Asheville music scene.

Not much else to share about this one. Keep on enjoying live music!