jack's blog

Hard to believe, but after all these years, the Kinks sound more relevant than ever.

The Kinks are misunderstood because they are belovedly remembered for a handful of songs that inarguably reside in anybody's greatest 100 rock song list. "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" might be in anybody's top 10.

Back in the day, they defied conventions and were punished for it, while the Beatles and Rolling Stones cleaned up America. The Kinks conjured up the unexpected flavor: 1965, London is swingin', the whole world is gettin' high and gettin' laid, and the Davies brothers belt out "Oh won't you tell me... Where Have All the Good Times Gone??" It also didn't help that labor union snafus banned them from touring the United States for 3 years during the end of the 60's, setting up a pattern of multiple comebacks rather than defending their rightful throne.   read more »  

We mustered up a contingent of folks to check out the Stork Club in downtown Oakland. It's a little rock-and-roll club that has a fun layout and a bar built of Barbies in their boxes. Nice share of Elvis boxes too. We like the venue's rules: band's set will be 25 to 45 minutes in duration. Short and sweet, so we decide to check out multiple unknowns. Featuring the Upsidedown.

The Upsidedown are from Portland, and dress it better than anybody. They lend serious consideration to their headgear. We feel we've just wandered in from the tundra, and are treated to a sonic warmth radiating from a tripped-out Guild with glowing white pedals. Thoughts of them appearing in L.A. at the Knitting Club the night before made us giggle.   read more »  

Whatever may ail you this holiday season, you can always count on Jack McDuff to bring you through! Feel bothered? Alienated? Trapped? Bored? A whee bit stressed? ... this space recommends "Glide On" for smooth, funky organ / guitar music that gets you out of tough fixes.

Take it from a man who feels the pressure of pulling magic tricks from his arse each and every Christmas...... Jack McDuff : Gliiiiiiiiiide ON.

Listened to an audience recording of Velvet Underground from the Boston Tea Party (12-12-68). This show is astonishing, and you can really hear the room. Bass is thick and everywhere while the vocals are lower in the mix, but Lou Reed still cuts through. The sound seperation makes it easy to decipher the fantastic guitar interplay. Mo's drums lay a solid backbeat.

If you consider V.U. sloppy but dig their sincerity and influence, thou shalt reconsider!! The Velvets at their peak are definitive rock and roll. A wondrous racket.   read more »  

So nothing kicks like the Mule. But they are too generous... sure we like getting treated to special guests like Phil Lesh and Greg Allman but for once, please give us an SF show w/out a Dead Set in the middle??

Thank you Warren and thank you Mr. Abst! And you other lads too. We are glad to see that you are a true band again. And we sure like some of those new songs... "About To Rage" hits the spot. "Devil Likes It Slow" was another smasher, but the tonite's keeper is "I'm So Tired" from the Beatles' White Album. I think we'll have to hear it again to believe it, but best I can recollect it was on the money.   read more »  

The band was dressed in uniform as they were filming the 2-show run for a DVD. Not the typical fillmore show... usually it's free-wheeling, cover-heavy, severely jammed out. This was the most "pro" I've ever seen them, as they were really trying to nail down many of the newer songs. Which they did. But no segues and really a much different vibe. This was the disciplined show I always wanted but now I'm looking forward to traditional form in December.   read more »  

Lambchop just played the Fillmore for the first time after their double-release. Interestingly, the CD they are selling on the road -- Nashville Does Dallas -- is better than both!

They were an 8-piece this time out on a range from 6 to 14. Sounded perfect. It sounded like warm, melting butter. As always. And note that Paul Neihaus was back in the fold. The "Strange Nashville" show now features some distinctive showmanship from Kurt Wagner. He bested even the infallible Col. Bruce Hampton for climactic one-note solo! The rage!!!

During all of this, my Berkeley companion took a purposeful nap by the upstairs bar. Just like last time Lambchop played the Great American Music Hall. We let him off easy... I mean, Lambchop is top-shelf naptime music... but he was also able to nap through Los Lobos' "Viking" at the same venue a month later. That takes special talent.   read more »  

It's Friday night at the Warfield in SF and we have the tip. Expect something Deadish to happen. Please not! Tonite is exactly Gov't Mule Gig #1000. I really NEED my Mule and I'm looking forward to checking out the newly decided Mule 3.0. And that's what we get for the first set. They wasted no time... the opening Blind Man really showed us how Danny Louis can play with Warren. Matt Abst was his usual brilliant self. Andy Hess can certainly play with these guys too but he's far less in front than lost muler Allen Woody and some of the 2.0 revolving cast, such as Les Claypool.   read more »  

They came, they blazed, they bled, and they were accompanied by large dancing animals. The favorite was the, well, not sure what it was,,, a kangaroo? A unicorn who lost his horn?   read more »