John Fogerty: 9/25/2021

I had seen John Fogerty about 35 years ago, and I confess it was not my finest hour. What I do remember I would rather forget. Which is why I decided to catch him on this tour, especially since I had heard he was playing mostly Creedence Clearwater Revival material (completely absent in the 1980s).

My wife and I arrived at the Mountain Winery with enough time to check out the merchandise before the show. I will only buy something if it is really cool and not exorbitant. I did find a cool tie-dye, which I picked up.

Our seats were kind of crappy. The section we were in was straight back, which was fine, but they were reserved bleacher seats, so it was a little too packed for my comfort. But I donned my mask and sat on the bench like I was in high school or something.

Fogerty came out and kicked right into “Up Around the Bend,” a good choice for an opener. After that, it was lots of CCR, with only four solo tunes. The band was really high-energy and featured two of Fogerty’s sons, who were solid musicians and not just riding dad’s coattails.

While Fogerty’s vocals were great, what really impressed me was his guitar work. His solos were really really hot. For a guy in his 70s, he could still tear up a guitar solo.

The only down-side about this concert was the crowd. No one was standing and rockin’. I kept wanting to get up and dance, but literally everyone was in their seats. It wasn’t until the last two songs that I finally got to stand up and jam. But other than that, it was a kick-ass show.

Anyway, here is the setlist and a couple pictures. Keep on Chooglin’!

Setlist:

• Up Around the Bend
• Green River
• Susie Q
• Born on the Bayou
• Who’ll Stop the Rain
• Lookin’ Out My Back Door
• Lodi
• Run Through the Jungle
• Hot Rod Heart
• Weeping in the Promised Land
• I Heard It Through the Grapevine
• Good Golly Miss Molly
• Keep On Chooglin’
• Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
• Down on the Corner
• Centerfield
• The Old Man Down the Road
• Fortunate Son
• Bad Moon Rising
• Proud Mary

Gary Clark Jr.: 9/14/2021

Gary Clark Jr. has been on my short list of acts I have been wanting to see live. So when I was he was coming to the Mountain Winery, getting tickets was a no-brainer for me. As a guitarist, I am compelled to see as many of the greats as possible, and Gary Clark Jr. is one of the hottest blues guitarists out there right now, in my humble opinion.

We arrived at the venue and there was a good crowd. I checked out the merchandise, thinking I might grab a shirt, but they were pretty drab. Gary may be a great guitarist, but he needs to get a better graphic designer working for him. Just sayin’.

We got our seats, which were kind of on the side of he stage, but they afforded a great view. After a bit, the opening act came out, a rap/hip hop act called Blackillac. While not really my musical genre, they were pretty good. Their forte was their ability to perform freestyle rap, where they basically make it up on the spot. I have to say, I found that impressive. I could not pull of something like that. And the crowd was very supportive of them, which I liked. I know it must be tough being a rap group opening for a blues artist at an upscale venue. I applaud them for pulling it off.

After a brief intermission, Gary took the stage with his band. They sounded great, although personally, I feel that Gary’s guitar could have been a bit louder, especially during his solos. But that is the fault of the person working the soundboard. Still, the show was excellent and Gary’s guitar work did not disappoint in the slightest. He lived up to my expectations, which I confess were fairly high.

Blackillac came out and joined Gary Clark Jr. for one of the encore songs, which was ok. I guess since Gary produced Blackillac, he wanted to help promote them. The evening ending with a killer version of “When My Train Pulls In,” probably my favorite Gary Clark Jr. song. Some great versions of it out on YouTube, if you are unfamiliar.

Anyway, glad I was able to check him off the bucket list. Here is the setlist and a couple pictures.

Setlist:

• Bright Lights
• Feed the Babies
• Next Door Neighbor Blues
• I Walk Alone
• Hold On
• Our Love
• When I’m Gone
• You Saved Me
• Feelin’ Like a Million
• Low Down Rolling Stone
• Gotta Get Into Something
• Pearl Cadillac

Encore:

• The Guitar Man (with Blackillac)
• I Got My Eyes on You (Locked & Loaded)
• When My Train Pulls In

Rufus Wainwright and Aimee Mann: 9/12/2021

So I have to confess that this concert was not high on my list of shows I wanted to attend, basically because I did not know much of Rufus Wainwright’s music, and because I had seen Aimee Mann twice, once solo and once with Til Tuesday. But my wife wanted to go, so I got tickets.

Aimee Mann opened the show, and she was as cool as always. I really like her music a lot. Her set was fairly short and included some songs from her upcoming album, which is music she wrote for a musical version of “Girl, Interrupted.”

After a brief intermission, Rufus took the stage in some pretty colorful attire, which included some bright red sequined shoes which would have served Dorothy well while in Oz. His songs were well-written and he sounded great, but it was definitely a laid-back show. There was no dancing or anything like that. But I liked it. High point for me personally was when he performed a cover version of Neil Young’s “Harvest.” Being a huge Neil Young fan, that one spoke to me.

Anyway, here are the setlists for those who are interested.

Aimee Mann Setlist:

• You Fall
• I See You
• Patient Zero
• Rollercoasters
• The Moth
• Little Bombs
• Suicide is Murder
• Save Me
• I Can’t Help You Anymore
• Video
• Lost in Space
• King of the Jailhouse

Rufus Wainwright Setlist:

• Trouble in Paradise
• Damsel in Distress
• Unfollow the Rules
• You Ain’t Big
• Secret Sister
• Romantical Man
• Peaceful Afternoon
• Only the People That Love
• This One’s for the Ladies (THAT LUNGE!)
• Poses
• Argentina
• Harvest
• So Long, Marianne
• My Little You
• Early Morning Madness
• Hatred
• Alone Time
• Going to a Town

Ziggy Marley: 9/10/2021

This was my first concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Ever since moving out here to California, people have been telling me that this is an amazing place to see a concert. An intimate 2500 seat outdoor amphitheater situated atop a mountain with spectacular views of the surrounding area, it really is a magical place for a concert.

When they announced the lineup for this year’s shows, there were many great options, so my wife and I decided we would each choose two concerts, and this was one my wife picked. I had seen Ziggy Marley many years ago as an opening act at a larger concert, and he was good (from what I can remember). But this show was fantastic.

First off, it was made clear that this was a tribute to his father, Bob Marley, and that they would be performing only songs from Bob Marley’s vast repertoire. That was a big plus for me. While I like reggae music, I am not a huge fan, but I do really like Bob Marley’s music.

We arrived at the venue and got our seats, which were fairly close, but immediately I realized that there is not a bad seat in the house. If I were in the last row, it would still be a good seat. After a somewhat long wait (it did not start on time), Ziggy and the band took the stage. He quickly announced to the audience that his brother Stephen Marley would be performing with them. Then they kicked right into the music.

The crowd was really responsive, and most everyone was up and dancing for the entire show, which felt great. It was almost like dancing away the negativity from the past 18 months and replacing it with “Positive Vibration.” It was so much fun and just what my soul needed.

Here is the full setlist, and I am including a few pictures from the show. Thanks for stopping by, and keep on jammin’.

Setlist:

• Nice Time
• Positive Vibration
• Jamming
• Burnin’ and Lootin’
• Three Little Birds
• Stir It Up
• No Woman, No Cry
• Get Up, Stand Up
• War / No More Trouble
• One Love / People Get Ready
• Coming in From the Cold
• Iron Lion Zion
• Running Away / Crazy Baldhead
• Is This Love
• Exodus
• Could You Be Loved

Encore:

• I Shot the Sheriff
• Lively Up Yourself
• Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)

SiliCon: 8/28 – 29/2021

SiliCon is the new name for the Silicon Valley Comic Con, hosted by Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame. Since I kind of fall into the nerd category, it should come as no surprise that I could not resist attending a con a mere 15 minutes from my house, especially when one of the key sessions was a Q&A with the legendary William Shatner from the original Star Trek. Anyway, I decided to splurge on the VIP pass, which would get me preferred access to sessions, access to a VIP lounge with refreshments, and an autograph session with a guest to be announced. I wound up getting an autograph session with Mark Sheppard, which I was excited about being a big fan of “Supernatural” (he played Crowley, the King of Hell).

A “convention” in the time of COVID was a little weird. First off, it was pretty small. I had attended this con a couple years back and it was packed. This year, the exhibition hall was about half the size, and there were very few attendees. Which was fine with me, since it made me feel more comfortable. Additionally, masks were required, and cosplay masks did not qualify. But in spite of these health restrictions, it was a fun couple of days.

Not surprising, the high point for me was seeing the great William Shatner. For someone who is 90 years old, he was in great shape, had entertaining stories to tell, and was just inspiring. Also, I really enjoyed Mark Sheppard’s session. He was really witty and eloquent.

On Day 1, I attended the following sessions:

• Opening Keynote Session with Adam Savage and astronaut Cady Coleman
• Q&A Session with Bruce Boxleitner (IMDB Page)
• Q&A Session with Mark Sheppard (IMDB Page)
• Q&A Session with Denise Crosby (IMDB Page)

On Day 2, I attended:

• Session with Adam Savage
• Everyone to Beam Up: Q&A Session with William Shatner
• How the Pandemic Changed Tabletop Gaming Forever
• Lana Parrilla: A Q&A Session with Once Upon a Time’s Evil Queen

I had also planned to attend Dirk Benedict’s session (IMDB Page), but that got canceled, which was a bit of a bummer, but OK. All in all, it was great to get back out in the world and gather with some fellow nerds.

Here are a few pictures.

Mark Sheppard

Denise Crosby

William Shatner

Lana Parrilla

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: 7/24/2021

Yes! Live music is here again. This marks my first concert since Patti Smith at the Fillmore in March of 2020.

Earlier this week I was having breakfast with my wife, and she was reading the newspaper and asked me, “Did you know that Bob Weir is playing this weekend in Berkeley? Says tickets are $75.” I said I wasn’t aware and asked if she wanted to go with me, and she said yes, so I promptly went online and ordered two tickets to pick up at will call. Being a long-time Grateful Dead fan, it seemed appropriate that this would be my first post-pandemic concert. And I was particularly excited to go to the Greek Theatre. This is one of those legendary concert venues, so that just made the event all the more special.

When I ordered the tickets, I was notified about Covid restrictions. All concert attendees must present either proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test. I had been procrastinating getting my official “Covid Passport” through the State of California, even though I am vaccinated. So I got that, and had a picture of my vaccine card on my phone, just in case.

Berkeley is a good hour’s drive for us, so we left early, since it was a general admission show, we had to deal with will call, and we wanted to grab some dinner before the concert. We got there and there were lines of Deadheads extending from both the north and south gates, two hours before show time. I wasn’t really worried, though. We went and got the tickets easily enough, then walked about a half a mile to a Mexican restaurant called Celia’s. The service was quick and the food was good. My wife and I both had combo fajitas.

After dinner, we went and got in line. Gates were open at this time, and entry was seamless. We did have to show our vaccine record, but that was easy and in no time, we were in the Greek. I have to say, just the stage itself was impressive.

The show started at just a few minutes past 7:00, and they opened with “Not Fade Away,” a Crickets’ cover which was a standard Dead song but I had never seen it played as an opener. The band sounded really good, and we particularly liked the horn and string ensemble that was supporting them.

About halfway through the first set, Bobby announced that a guest would be joining them for a song, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. For those of you who are not familiar, Ramblin’ Jack is an American country/folk icon. At 89, it is amazing that he was able to join the band on stage. They performed a cool version of “Mule Skinner Blues,” which I really enjoyed.

While the rest of the first set was solid, I have the say that the second set was amazing. It was like Bobby was playing to the fans, connected on a spiritual level, and each song seemed to have some poignant meaning. The lights were amazing, and we were on our feet dancing almost the entire show.

If I had to pick a high point, I would have to go with “Standing on the Moon.” I love that song, and they did it so beautifully, I felt truly moved.

The show concluded with “Ripple” as an encore, segueing into a reprise of “Not Fade Away,” bringing the musical experience full circle.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough how much I have missed going to live music performances. I’m glad they are back.

Here is the full setlist from the show. Stay safe, and rock on!

Set 1:

• Not Fade Away >
• Cassidy
• She Says
• Friend of the Devil
• Black-Throated Wind
• Tennessee Jed
• Mule Skinner Blues (with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott)
• Weather Report Suite >
• Let It Grow

Set 2 :

• You Win Again >
• Scarlet Begonias >
• Playing in the Band (with ‘So What’ by Miles Davis snippet) >
• Uncle John’s Band >
• Playing in the Band (reprise) >
• Estimated Prophet >
• The Other One (with ‘So What’ by Miles Davis snippet)
• Standing on the Moon
• One More Saturday Night

Encore:

• Ripple >
• Not Fade Away (reprise)

Warren Haynes’ 22nd Christmas Jam: 12/11/2010

First off, I’d like to apologize for the long hiatus. With COVID putting concerts on hold, I just could not bring myself around to posting about past shows. It felt like rubbing salt in a wound. But as vaccines are rolling out and concerts are getting booked again, I feel OK starting to share stories once more.

For this one, we go back to 2010 for the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. For those who need a refresher, the Christmas Jam is a benefit concert in Asheville, NC where all the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. This show had a great lineup, with the following headliners:

• Steve Miller Band
• The Warren Haynes Band
• Gregg Allman
• John Bell (from Widespread Panic)
• Umphrey’s McGee
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• Missing Cats

In addition to the headliners, there was also a slew of special guests, including: Mike Barnes, Cody Dickinson, Fred Eltringham, Sherman Ewing, Ruthie Foster, Audley Freed, John “JoJo” Hermann, Terence Higgins, Ron Holloway, Ron Johnson, Robert Kearns, Kevn Kinney, Ivan Neville, and Artimus Pyle.

Because this was a general admission show, my friend Terry and her date got there early and secured seats for us. We were straight back, which was OK, but I would have preferred being closer and on the side. Still, the sound was good, and at least I didn’t have to stand outside in the cold for hours, which was a plus.

Not surprising, the high points for me were Steve Miller and Gregg Allman (who even jammed together, which was way cool). Warren’s band was great, as were Umphrey’ McGee and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Not a big John Bell fan, but he did perform “Walk on Guilded Splinters” with Gregg Allman, and that was excellent. The only disappointment was that Steve Miller did not play “The Joker,” but everything else made up for that one minor disappointment.

As is always the case with a Christmas Jam, the music went on until the wee hours of the morning. But it was a great time, and thinking about it now, I can say I am itching to see some live music again.

Here are the setlists.

Missing Cats:

• Smiling Assassin
• The Slaughter
• Step On Over Me
• Highwire
• Over Lubbuck

Umphrey’s McGee:

• Conduit
• 1348
• Ain’t No Sunshine w/ John Bell
• Miss Tinkles Overture
• All In Time

The Warren Haynes Band (featuring Warren Haynes, Ivan Neville, Ron Johnson, Terrance Higgins, Ron Holloway, and Ruthie Foster):

• Man In Motion (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Rivers Gonna Rise (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday
• I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (w/ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Sick Of My Shadow (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)

Steve Miller Band:

• Jet Airliner
• Take the Money and Run
• Mercury Blues
• Further On Up The Road (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Just Got Back From Texas
• Ooo Poo Pah Do (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Shubada (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Nature Boy (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Wild Mountain Honey (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Dance Dance Dance (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• The Stake
• Abracadabra
• Livin’ In The USA
• Fly Like An Eagle (w/ Warren Haynes and Carlos Reyes)

John Bell:

• Dobro Christmas Medley
• Papa’s Home
• May Your Glass Be Filled

Gregg Allman:

• Midnight Rider
• Just Another Rider (w/ Dirty Dozen Band and Ron Holloway)
• Dreams (w/ Ron Holloway)
• Just Like A Woman (w/ John Bell)
• Walk on Guilded Splinters (w/ Dirty Dozen Band and John Bell)
• Melissa (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Lost Highway (w/ Steve Miller)

Dirty Dozen Brass Band:

• Ain’t Nothing By A Part
• Papa Was A Rolling Stone (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Thats What Love Will Make You Do (w/ Ron Johnson and Warren Haynes)
• Spanish Moon (w/ Warren Haynes, Ron Johnson, Ivan Neville, and Artimus Pyle)
• Superstitious (w/ John Bell and Ron Holloway)
• Use Me (w/ Warren Haynes, John Bell, and Ron Holloway)

Crosby and Nash: 9/30/2007

I recently watched the David Crosby documentary, which was sad because it showed how messed up he was and how he burned bridges and lost all his musical friends. I did get to see Crosby, Stills and Nash before this show, but I don’t have a stub (it was an outside festival gig and I just payed my admission at the gate).

I went with my wife to this concert and we saw friends of ours there, which was nice, even if we were not sitting together.

The show was very good, and David and Graham harmonized beautifully together. The selection of songs was also great, spanning their long career together. As I reflect back on this show, I again feel sad knowing that these two will never perform together again, that the animosity is too great to overcome. But at least we have the wealth of music they created together.

Here is the setlist, and thanks David and Graham for the great music that you brought to us through the years.

Set 1:

• Military Madness
• Marrakesh Express
• Long Time Gone
• Lay Me Down
• Immigration Man
• In My Dreams
• I Used to Be a King
• Carry Me
• Cathedral
• Déjà Vu

Set 2:

• Guinnevere
• Milky Way Tonight
• Just a Song Before I Go
• Naked in the Rain
• Wasted on the Way
• Jesus of Rio
• To the Last Whale…A. Critical Mass B. Wind on the Water
• Almost Cut My Hair
• Wooden Ships

Encore:

• Our House
• Teach Your Children

Neil Young and the International Harvesters: 9/15/1985

I remember this performance clearly; the only thing I don’t remember about this concert was who I went with. Obviously, I was focused on Neil.

The International Harvesters were a country band backing up Neil on this tour, which was cool because they played a lot of acoustic tunes that went over really well, such as “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man” and “Helpless.” And even the more intense Crazy Horse tunes, like “Down by the River” and “Powderfinger” actually sounded really good with the country flavor.

I am a huge Neil Young fan and would see him multiple times after this with Crazy Horse, but I have to confess that it was very cool seeing him with this configuration. There is something about Neil’s country-style music that just soothes my soul.

Here is the setlist. Long may Mr. Young keep playing music for us.

Setlist:

• Country Home
• Comes a Time
• Lookin’ for a Love
• Heart of Gold
• This Old House
• Southern Pacific
• Interstate
• Sugar Mountain
• Helpless
• California Sunset
• Nothing Is Perfect
• Field of Opportunity
• Down by the River
• Old Man
• Powderfinger

Encore:

• Get Back to the Country
• Grey Riders

Alice Cooper and Vinnie Vincent Invasion: 12/31/1986

I had basically seen this exact same show three days earlier at the West Palm Beach Auditorium, but I could not pass up a chance to see the Coop again, especially on New Year’s Eve.

I went with a woman I was dating at the time, Christine, and I painted my face up as Alice. Figured I would get my full fan-boy on. I knew a lot of people who were going this night, including my brother and our friend Jon.

Vinnie Vincent was kind of a joke the second time around. I literally burst out laughing at one point when he did his best Karate Kid kick and knocked over the same dummy amp from the other night. Oh well, at least he tried.

During intermission, Christine and I went and met up with my brother and Jon in the lobby area. Now there was this one section in the lobby where some stairs were above, and the headroom as not that high. A basketball player would have to duck, for sure. Well, we were hanging out there, and Jon decided to have a little fun with some inebriated headbangers. “Hey,” Jon said, “I bet you can’t jump high enough to touch the ceiling there with your head.” They would not walk away from a dare, and proceeded to jump up and down, clonking their heads on the cement above them. It was humorous, and I suspect they woke with a splitting headache the following morning.

After a long intermission, Alice took the stage. The show was exactly the same as the WPB show, which, if I am being honest, I had hoped he would have at least thrown one or two treats in there for NYE, but still, it was a great show, even if it was the same.

Here is the setlist, in case you missed it from my last post. Rock on!

Setlist:

• Welcome to My Nightmare
• Billion Dollar Babies
• No More Mr. Nice Guy
• Be My Lover
• I’m Eighteen
• The World Needs Guts
• Give It Up
• Cold Ethyl
• Only Women Bleed
• Go to Hell
• Ballad of Dwight Fry
• Teenage Frankenstein
• Sick Things
• I Love the Dead
• School’s Out

Encore:

• Elected
• Under My Wheels