concert_goer | AJ Lee & Blue Summit @ The Chapel, San Francisco, CA, USA, 03/15/2025

Sold-out show at The Chapel, somewhat overcrowded, sweaty with little air. Kicking off the night was folk-bluegrass quartet Late for the Train. I liked their original songs, though it were the covers which impressed me most — Love You Madly by CAKE and Like a River by Kate Wolf. There were some sound issues, as the mandolin was too quiet, but they fixed it about halfway through the set. Solid opener, I'd definitely go see Late for the Train at their own show.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit's set started a bit late because of a medical emergency, as one of the audience members wasn't feeling well. First responders arrived quickly, and everything turned out fine. The band opened with the lovely title track from their album City of Glass, followed by a cover of Wish I Could Say I Was Drinking by Cadillac Sky — a great start! All the instruments sounded amazing, and both AJ Lee and Scott Gates sang beautifully. Loved hearing Tear My Stillhouse Down by Gillian Welch and Glendale Train by New Riders of the Purple Sage, the latter featuring an extended, psychedelic instrumental jam — really impressive. I'm a Believer, from The Monkees' repertoire, was more of a fun, playful performance. Among the band's own songs, I especially enjoyed Sick on a Plane and Lemons and Tangerines, both great tunes. Sully Tuttle sang the jazz standard Who Walks in When I Walk Out? and his own Seaside Town, and the bassist did a great version of Wildwood Flower Blues.

For the encore, members of Late for the Train came on stage, and together both bands played Dark Hollow, and then Harvest Moon by Neil Young, using three fiddles and no mics — that was really touching!

Great concert. Really happy for AJ Lee & Blue Summit, they've grown a lot. Two years ago, Sweetwater, a significantly smaller venue, was not sold out, and now, The Chapel was.

Set list (Late for the Train, 9:00 PM — 9:45 PM): Sang Through the Summer, Henry & Robin, Amsterdam, The Trouble With Love, Sunday Morning Blues, World Is Growing Old, Love You Madly, Bottom of the World, Like a River

Set list (AJ Lee & Blue Summit, 10:25 PM — 12:11 AM): City of Glass, Wish I Could Say I Was Drinking, Toys, Down Along the Dixie Line, The Weenie Dog Song, He Called Me Baby, Who Walks in When I Walk Out?, Tear My Stillhouse Down, I'm a Believer, Hillside, Glendale Train, Seaside Town, Bakersfield Clay, Wildwood Flower Blues, Sick on a Plane, Lemons and Tangerines, Still Love You Still, Mountain Heartache, When You Change Your Mind, Dark Hollow (encore, with Late for the Train), Harvest Moon (encore, with Late for the Train)