concert_goer | Bill Kirchen ft. the Lost Planet Airmen @ HopMonk Tavern, Novato, CA, USA, 07/12/2025 (Reply)

Mason Via, a young singer-songwriter from Florida who performed with the Old Crow Medicine Show band from 2021 to 2024, opened the night. He describes himself as a bluegrass musician; however, his solo set did not quite reflect that style. It leaned more toward soul folk, which sounded a little too smooth for my ears. His between-song commentary came across as somewhat forced and unnatural. Overall, I was not particularly impressed by Mason's set, although a few of his songs were genuinely good.

Bill Kirchen was joined by his usual crew, with Floyd Domino, an alumnus of Asleep at the Wheel, taking the place of Austin de Lone, who passed away this January. They opened with Too Much Fun by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, setting a lively tone for the night. Bill has not lost any of his guitar chops, and the same holds true for the other musicians on stage. Despite their age, they sounded remarkably youthful. The band played for nearly two hours, delivering a mix of familiar country rock songs from the Airmen repertoire. As usual, Hot Rod Lincoln with its famous guitar riff quotes was absolutely mind-blowing, and as in last year's show, Blackie Farrell joined them at the very end to sing a couple of songs.

Great concert!

Set list (Bill Kirchen ft. the Lost Planet Airmen, 7:17 PM — 9:11 PM): Too Much Fun, Wine Do Yer Stuff, Seeds and Stems (Again), Diggy Liggy Lo, Oh Momma Momma, Cryin' Time, Don't Let Go, Back to Tennessee, I Took Three Bennies (And My Semi-Truck Won't Start), A Long Time to Forget, Git It, Gypsy Fiddle, Midnight Shift, Sunset on the Sage, Ain't Nothin' Shakin' But the Leaves, Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar, Family Bible, My Window Faces the South, Everybody's Doin' It, Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar (reprise), Hot Rod Lincoln, Riot in Cell Block #9 (with Kevin "Blackie" Farrell), Lost in the Ozone (with Kevin "Blackie" Farrell)

Mason Via