As 2009 Comes to a Close....

I am thinking about all the live music I saw from the floor, from the seats, from back stage, front row, general admission, and even in a bar. I was thinking what was the best thing I saw this year? Well that is a tough question as there is no perfect answer. There were many great moments, with my daughter front row center at Steely Dan, in a bar seeing Robin Trower for the first time since being a fan decades ago, seeing Little Feat in Key West with 3000 friends, Bonnie Raitt with Randall Bramlett from six feet away, it just goes on and on.

There is one show and one band that really hit a chord with me in 2009. Pun intended.

Chickenfoot. I heard about them at a Robert Cray show. You can never have too many friends. The album was awesome. The show I saw was incredible. You can go back in my blog and see the pictures. I was inches away from the action. This band freaking rocks. Chemistry, crowd connection, oozing talent, they just blew my wig off. Completely. The song "Down the Drain" recorded in one take. It tells of the chemistry of this band. A freshness from four superstars of the music business. Here is Sammy Hagar who sold 80% of his Cabo Wabo tequila business for $80 million dollars 2 years ago http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/07/01/100122129/index.htm and all for the rest of this high-dollar superstar gang playing small venues, autographing kids skateboard helmets, and acting damn normal appreciating the fans while playing off the meter rock and roll.. They get it. They connect. They love what they do and they are damn good at it. It is not about the money it is about the music! ...Wow. What a moment, what a night!

As I write this 23 hours from 2010 I am watching the Chickenfoot "White album" videos. Go do yourself a favor and buy the dvd or even just the cd. What a band. What a show. I drove four hours to the beach to see them and shot a couple of thousand pictures. The one above is one of the few I have with all the members of the band together. My bad....I have some great ones though. I enjoyed the show. Yes yes I enjoyed the show to the maximum. That's what living is to me. See you in 2010. Happy New Year!


http://www.chickenfoot.us/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_EMFYrZVrw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhbQ6OUdvhc

Well, she got back and up front
She's everything any country boy need, wooh
Inside is outside
Now what you see is what she got up her sleeve, yeah

I'm talkin' tan leather and wild honey
Heaven fields on a sunny day
All five senses, wooh, they're poppin' atcha
Now my little friend is comin' out to play

I just love, love, love that sexy little thing
I love, love, love, wooh, that sexy little thing
Yeah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgmjDrqKaA0

Well, the sun's up, it's 6:30
Fell asleep with the TV on again
Take five, check out the weather
It's monday morning for the single mom

And a, works hard till 5:30
And once a week she gettin' down and dirty
Backstage without a pass
This one's for you, it's tattooed on her ass

But she's nobody's fool, yeah
She's broken down, broken hearts, broken rules
Outta touch in a modern world
Oh, but she's my kinda girl
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Santa Gotta Get Some....

NEW RITCHIE HAYWARD BENEFIT!

From the Little Feat website:


http://www.littlefeat.net/index.php?page=news&n_id=648

I have a soft spot for this benefit. I have the benefit shirt and now I am listening to a very cool song I just downloaded off iTunes. You can have it too for only .99 cents! Look at all the talent on this great recording!

Richie Hayward's friends and bandmates have come together to record a classic rock & funk Christmas song as an exclusive DOWNLOAD, with the proceeds to go directly to Richie’s health care costs...SANTA GOTTA GET SOME is a funky labor of love. With Ed Cherney manning the mix (Bonnie Raitt, Rolling Stones etc..) and Johnny Lee Schell @ the console, Paul Barrere of Little Feat working the lead vocal & slide, along with bandmate Ken Gradney (bass), the band is a who’s who of world class players:....


Leo Nocentelli – Rhythm gtr (Meters)....

Tony Braunagel -drums (Robert Cray)....

Debra Dobkin – percussion & vocal (Bonnie Raitt)....

Mike Finnigan – B3 & vocal (Crosby Stills & Nash) ....

Texacali Horns - Joe Sublett and Darrell Leonard (Taj Mahal, Stevie Ray Vaughn)....

Teresa James - backing vocals (Delbert McClinton)....

Steve Chrismar (music & lyrics)....

….are the North Pole Allstars.

RICHIE HAYWARD is the cause.

SANTA GOTTA GET SOME is the DOWNLOAD.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/santa-gotta-get-some/id346035604

Also tune into radiomargaritaville.com on New Years Eve for a live Little Feat show from the Recher Theater in Towson, MD. It should be a great one!

http://www.radiomargaritaville.com/listen_now.htm

A Closing Picture.

Peter Mayer. It was a very good show.

I helped with the load out and wished I had a picture of Chris Walters to share with you. Chris played keyboards and he rocks. After the show was over and we were packing the stage up he got on a grand piano on the stage and played for quite a while. It was very cool. I took a picture with my iphone I need to dig up! Chris was born in New Orleans and has worked with people like Barbara Mandrell and Alabama. He lives in Nashville and has toured with Peter for some time now. I really like to hear him play. He rocks.

http://www.heartdancemusic.com/chriswalters.html

So on this Christmas night I have finished my blogging from the last couple of weeks or so. It has been a very busy month and another good year. I have some shows in my sights for the coming weeks. Until next time, I'll see you down the road...

Maggie Estes

http://www.maggieestes.com/

This teenager is very talented. She is on a stage with an awesome band and she just never stops kicking ass. OK maybe I should use some softer words for someone so young but she plays like she has been doing it for decades. Sometimes there are those people who just "have it." She is one of them. Later after the show I saw her in her casual clothes and thought this girl is so young! What a talent. Listen for her in Nashville, she is not going away. Great stuff!

R. Scott Bryan.

Scott on percussion. Man my blog is full of Scott Bryan stories. The short story is he is very good at what he does. At this show I had two local musician friends sitting in front of me. After the show I asked them what they thought and one of the comments was how great the percussion was. I had already told them how great he was on so many instruments. But his percussion is just awesome for the amount of stuff he is playing. Well done as always. http://www.rscottbryan.com/

Mark Holland.

Mark really is the "Jimi Hendrix of the Native American Flute." He really fits in with this sound. Very cool indeed. http://www.cedarnsagemusic.com/

Marc Torlina

Marc. He has been playing since he was twelve and he is very good at what he does. He has been a touring member of this band for a while and even played with the likes of Chuck Berry and Neil Sedaka.

Peter.

Sometimes I think I have so many pictures of Peter I really don't need to post anymore! The band asked that we not take pictures after the second song and I went along with that. I can understand that request. Sometimes when I take two thousand pictures in one 90 minute show I really wonder if I am distracting anyone. I would never do that intentionally and I prefer to be off to the side at times so no one even sees me as I capture the moment. Anyway, here is Peter with his cool black stratocaster. It is a cool guitar with a long story. I have looked it over a couple of times and I really like it. And he can play it, yep like "nobodys bidness."

Peter Mayer brings "Stars & Promises" to Eden

http://www.petermayer.com/

For the third time in less than two years Peter Mayer has brought his band to Eden, North Carolina to perform. This particular show seemed like it was probably the best in terms of the stage, lighting, sound, and performance. Chad Stewart was there with his Dad doing all the stage and lighting work. http://www.stewartsound.net/ I will tell you as a veteran of many decades of listening to music they are as good as any out there. It was a very cool setup for an intimate venue.

A Parting Shot. Christmas Jam 2009.

Adam Duritz and Warren Haynes. Counting Crows on stage having fun.

http://www.countingcrows.com/?content=home


http://www.countingcrows.com/?content=adams_blog

Some awesome pictures are on this link below. My pictures were shot with a Canon pocket camera. The Nikon SLR was not allowed in. So that is my story. Another Jam, another year, another very good musical night.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/20869/Christmas-Jam-12.12.09-Asheville/3

Stax legend William Bell !!!

http://www.williambell.com/WilliamBell/
Nothing like listening to a great band and a musical legend. Did I mention this show got better the more I thought about it? This guy brought me to my feet when he started singing a song he co-wrote. It was a moment. Hard to put into words let's just say it was good. I am sure most rockers remember the Black Crowes doing "Hard to Handle." Well he sung it with all those awesome guitars and horns on the stage and it rocked! I loved it. Awesome.

Check this out:

http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684646362418998

Baby here I am
I'm the man on the scene
I can give you what you want
But you gotta' come home with me

I have got some good ol' lovin'
And I got some more in store
When I get through throwin' it on you
You gotta' come back for more

Boys and things that come by the dozen
That ain't nothin' but drugstore lovin'
Hey little thing let me light your candle
cause mama Im sure hard to handle, now,
gets around

Action speaks louder than words
And I'm a man of great experience
I know you've got another man
But I can love you better than him

Take my hand don't be afraid
I'm gonna prove every word I say
I'm advertising love for free
So you can place your ad with me

One of My Favorites of the Night...

Edwin McCain came out to do vocals on the Aerosmith song "Last Child." Of course the guitar work was awesome with Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford working with Audley Freed. Here is a link to the setlist if you want to have a look:
http://xmasjam.com/2009/xmasjam.php?setlist=1

http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684654894718920

Take me back to a south Tallahassee
Down cross the bridge to my sweet sassafrassy
Can't stand up on my feet in the city
Got to get back to the real nitty gritty

Ani DiFranco...

http://www.myspace.com/anidifranco

The Horn Section.

The spotlight is on Ron Holloway. Ron is a friend of a friend who I have met on occasion. In fact there is an old picture of us on the blog back when he was in Winston-Salem playing with Susan Tedeschi http://www.susantedeschi.com/. He remains a member of that band to this day but he always makes it to the Christmas Jam each year. Ron plays with everybody and he is very, very good. Check him out on facebook. He is one of my friends.

http://www.ronholloway.com/

Duane Trucks.

http://www.ericsteckel.com/duane.htm

Anyone with the last name of Trucks has always been a favorite of mine. Musical talent seems to flow in that gene pool. From Butch to Derek to Duane, they are all great folks.

Audley Freed.

I always enjoy listening to Audley play. I just saw him back in July as he played with Jacob Dylan in Myrtle Beach at the House of Blues. A member of the Black Crowes Audley gets asked to play with the likes of Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Peter Frampton, and people like Jimmy Page. He is originally from North Carolina but now lives in Nashville. To put it simply he rocks. He can make an amplifier scream. This year he was a member of the Christmas Jam Band. And he was awesome.

If you have time check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyQzzViczLM

Tuning the Les Paul....

I liked this shot. Of course I love guitars so I am always photographing them. This one was on stage in Warren's hands about five minutes after I took this picture.

Lights....

As I was just saying in my last post I love lights and atmosphere. It always feels like the xmas jam when you go to this event. It is a very nice experience. Many I talk to in the long lines outside each year tell me the same thing. "We come every year, we drive hours to see this, we would not miss this for anything, there is nothing like this." It is true. I hear it every year and I understand. I drive three hours one way but that is nothing like some of the rides I hear about from Texas, New York, and Florida, it just goes on...

Love the Lights.

I guess after a lifetime of going to shows I never tire of the atmosphere at concerts. In this picture you can see the early crowd moving on the floor. This is a general admission show with no seats on the floor. Later this section would be covered with people. This show goes all night and by midnight the house will be packed to the rafters.
I heard one guy say "next year I am just gonna show up at midnight so I can see Government Mule perform at 4 AM. I shook my head and said dude 'Red Bull" is the word. 'Nuff said.

Xmas Jam 2009, Asheville, North Carolina

In my picture: Jeff Austin on mandolin, Jackie Greene on guitar, Warren Haynes on guitar. This was the opening song at 7:00 PM sharp. An acoustic version of the Stones "Wild Horses." I was concerned after last years over the top line-up this show might be slow. After I heard 30 seconds of this I thought to my self "oh yeah this is gonna be good." And it was.

Another year, another Christmas Jam in Asheville. Man I love the town and I love this event. Here are some words that come to mind: cold, mountains, snow, hippies, money, great bars, cool stores, music, music, oh I said that one twice, great food, and Warren Haynes.

http://xmasjam.com/2009/

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/20869/Christmas-Jam-12.12.09-Asheville

Childhood living is easy to do
The things you wanted I bought them for you
Graceless lady, you know how I am
You know I can't let you slide through my hands.

Wild horses couldn't drag me away
Wild, wild horses, couldn't drag me away

Peter Mayer Returns to Eden, North Carolina...

http://www.petermayer.com/

http://www.littleflockmusic.com/artist.asp?artist=pmayer

Fresh off of the final leg of the Jimmy Buffett 2009 tour, Peter and his band will be performing "Stars and Promises" again this year in Eden, North Carolina on December 13th.

You can check the first link for instructions on how to get tickets to this very special evening. This is a very cool show with first rate music, sound, and lighting. The tickets are only $15 with a family maximum of $50. All attendees are asked to bring a donation of food as all proceeds will benefit the Red Cross Food bank in Rockingham County. I hope to see you there!
starspromiseseden@gmail.com

The Stars and Promises 2009 Tour Schedule:

11/29 Arnold, MO
11/30 Saint Louis, MO
12/02 Stone Mountain, GA
12/04 Madison, WI
12/05 Downers Grove, IL
12/06 Bartlett, IL
12/08 Brookville, OH
12/09 Erie, PA
12/10 Lancaster, PA
12/11 Somerville, NJ
12/13 Eden, NC
12/14 Columbus, GA
12/15 Saint Louis, MO
12/18 Tulsa, OK
12/19 Denver, CO
12/20 Cherry Hills, CO