Music. Alcohol. Oysters. Books.

David Nelson's birthday bash at HopMonk! The last original New Rider remaining alive turned 82. He can barely walk, needing assistance all the time, but his spirit seems to be high. David opened the night with Banana on second guitar, playing a short acoustic set of old-time bluegrass and folk tunes. Nelson sounded somewhat weak, though all the songs performed were quite touching.

Banana left the stage and the band came in, featuring Mookie Siegel on keys, Barry Sless on guitar and pedal steel, Pete Sears on bass, Wally Ingram on percussion and drums, and Jay Lane on drums. The first DNB set was a bit pedestrian. I liked Mookie singing George Harrison's Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth). Things became more and more interesting toward the end of the set, the closing sequence had a lot of tasty improvisations, and Dylan's Wicked Messenger sounded fantastic.

Before the start of the last set, KC Turner advertised some of his upcoming shows at HopMonk Novato, telling the crowd that the 8/1 Stu Allen & Mars Hotel gig will be way better than the concert scheduled to happen at Golden Gate Park that same day. Then he had to say "sorry Jay" and that was funny.

The second DNB set was really good! It opened with lovely Deep Elem Blues and flowed into a rollicking Man Overboard. Suite at the Mission was amazing. The closing sequence Born a Dreamer > Rainmaker > Drums > Kick in the Head lasted for how long, forty five minutes? The band played tight, and David sang with confidence. That was impressive.

I hope we'll see many more of David's birthday bashes at HopMonk Novato. He's not getting better, but can still sit in for a really good show.

Set 1 (David Nelson & Banana, 6:02 PM — 6:29 PM): The First Whippoorwill, Two Soldiers, Just Another Day, Love Call Waltz, Poor Dirt Old Farmer, Could You Love Me One More Time, The Girl at the Crossroad Bar

Set 2 (DNB, 6:32 PM — 7:39 PM): Earl's Girl's Advice, John Hardy's Wedding, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth), Last Lonely Eagle, Pretty Little Miss, Where I Come From > The Wizard's Son > Wicked Messenger

Set 3 (DNB, 8:11 PM — 9:37 PM): Deep Elem Blues, Man Overboard, Long Gone Sam, Suite at the Mission, Born a Dreamer > Rainmaker > Drums > Kick in the Head

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Los Lobos are back at Rancho Nicasio with three Memorial Day weekend shows. The first one was on Saturday. Hidalgo's son Vince stepped in on bass for Conrad, like he's done on occasion before. The first set was really short, just seven songs clocking a bit above thirty minutes, but what a set it was, tight and strong, with some greatest hits. We got Will the Wolf Survive? right away! The sound was excellent too.

The second set brought even more joy. They played Richard Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights and I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday by Fats Domino, the latter with David on accordion and Louie on drums. Chuco's Cumbia and Kiko were absolutely fantastic. Toward the end of the set came Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, which smoothly transitioned into Bertha. Beautiful!

For the encore, they hit us with a killer Cinnamon Girl, and with La bamba, not the one time, but twice. First to the melody of Like a Rolling Stone, then again in a more classic sandwich with Good Lovin'. Wow! One of the very best Los Lobos shows I've been to. A wonderful setlist and, just as important, excellent sound outdoors, with clear instrumentation and vocals, far better than it usually feels at their indoor shows if you prefer to stay close to the stage. Rancho Nicasio is the place to see Los Lobos live!

Set 1 (4:20 PM — 4:52 PM): Will the Wolf Survive?, Set Me Free (Rosa Lee), One Time One Night, Wicked Rain, Georgia Slop, Dream in Blue > Maricela

Set 2 (5:20 PM — 6:22 PM): Is This All There Is?, Chuco's Cumbia, Shoot Out the Lights, Kiko and the Lavender Moon, I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday, Ay te dejo en San Antonio, Cumbia Raza, Flat Top Joint, Don't Worry Baby, I Got Loaded, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad > Bertha

Encore (6:24 PM — 6:38 PM): Cinnamon Girl, La bamba (in the style of Like a Rolling Stone), La bamba > Good Lovin' > La bamba

Audience recording of the show.

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Another Beatles-related program by Craigie, this time focusing on the Magical Mystery Tour album, the soundtrack to the namesake movie. It was the second of three sold-out nights at HopMonk in Novato. The short opening set featured five musicians, each covering a Fab Four song. All sounded good, with Avi Vinocur standing out for his unusual a cappella version of All My Loving, and, among others, I especially enjoyed the Rainbow Girl Erin Chapin's strong rendition of I Should Have Known Better as well as Sari Jordan's moving performance of Eleanor Rigby.

Craigie started with the title track on acoustic guitar, then switched to electric for most of the remaining songs. He based his set on the US version of the album, which includes five 1967 Beatles singles, though he didn't stick to the original order and chose to skip the instrumental Flying. Blue Jay Way and I Am the Walrus sounded fantastic. Those were definite highlights! As usual, there were plenty of jokes and funny stories between songs. This is what makes Craigie's shows truly special. After Walrus, he stepped away from the album for three other Beatles songs, then returned to close the set with its final two tracks.

For the encore, John played Don't Let Me Down with Avi, Anna, and Sari joining in.

Overall, a pretty solid night. Magical Mystery Tour might not be the Beatles' most interesting album, especially its short double EP UK version, but it was wonderful to hear all those songs live.

Set list (opening artists, 8:01 PM — 8:32 PM): All My Loving (Avi Vinocur, a cappella), I Want to Tell You (Anna Moss), Across the Universe (Marty O'Reilly), I Should Have Known Better (Erin Chapin), Eleanor Rigby (Sari Jordan)

Set list (John Craigie, 8:55 PM — 10:28 PM): Magical Mystery Tour, The Fool on the Hill, Your Mother Should Know, Strawberry Fields Forever, Blue Jay Way, Hello Goodbye, Penny Lane, I Am the Walrus, Lady Madonna, Hey Bulldog, Hey Jude, Baby You're a Rich Man, All You Need Is Love, Don't Let Me Down (with Ari Vinocur, Anna Moss, and Sari Jordan)

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Sold-out show at Sweetwater. Mother Hips kicked things off with a solid rendition of Sunset Blues from their Glowing Lantern album, a perfect start to the evening. The sound near the stage was excellent. For All in Favor, Jason Crosby joined the band on second keys and stuck around for the next five songs. Been Lost Once was especially powerful and intense, with Brian's bass lines sounding amazing. The band played a few standout tracks from their latest album that worked great live. The somewhat Dylanesque Mona Lisa and the Last Supper was another highlight of the first set. I don't think I'd ever caught that one live before. An excellent first half of the night.

The second set opened with Crosby on keys again, and he ended up playing on about half of the songs performed. They rolled out a bunch of hits, including my personal favorite new song We Want What We Want and the classic White Falcon Fuzz. Transit Wind impressed with a killer instrumental ending, while the long Magazine was pure psychedelic jamming. Everything about the second set was spot on! The encore brought White Headphones (Here she comes, she's walking down the Judah line...) and the long-awaited Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear. The Thursday night energy felt totally like a Friday. What a show!

My 15th Hips concert.

Set 1 (8:12 PM — 9:06 PM): Sunset Blues, One Way Out, Leaving the Valley, All in Favor, Been Lost Once, Love Never Leaves, Shootout, Child Mystery, Where Was I?, Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, Later Days, Such a Thing

Set 2 (9:32 PM — 10:48 PM): Clean Me Up, Jess OXOX, Honeydew, No-Name Darrell, We Want What We Want, Time We Had, Am I Allowed?, Transit Wind, Magazine, White Falcon Fuzz, Fantasma, Song in a Can, I've Made No Decision, Del Mar Station

Encore (10:50 PM — 10:58 PM): White Headphones, Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear

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Gillian Welch & David Rawlings haven't been touring for a while. The last time I saw them live was on March 1, 2018, when they played at the Fillmore in San Francisco. The show at the Ruth Finley Person Theater, which is part of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa and holding around 1,600 seats, was completely sold out.

The duo opened with Orphan Girl, one of Gillian's tunes from her Revival album, and then invited bassist Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers, Hawktail) on stage. He played on most of the songs they performed. In the first set, I was especially thrilled to get Cumberland Gap — one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life. They also played a few tracks from Gillian and David's excellent new record Woodland, and my favorite among them was the awesome Turf the Gambler. Gillian picked up the banjo for Howdy Howdy, and David brought out the harmonica on Wrecking Ball.

The second set kicked off with some new material and also featured Gillian's old favorites Hard Times and The Way It Goes. Then came a huge surprise: David launched into Dylan's Dear Landlord, singing two verses followed by an instrumental break that seamlessly morphed into the Grateful Dead's Candyman, before circling back to finish with the third verse of that Bob's song from John Wesley Harding album. Wow, that was something special!

For the encore, they delivered Look at Miss Ohio, one of Gillian's biggest hits, and the old gospel tune I'll Fly Away. There was no second encore, but honestly, after such a great Dylan/Dead sandwich, that's easy to forgive. Though I have to say, I did miss Revelator. Still, that was an absolutely stunning concert — one of the best in 2025, even though the year is still young. So many amazing songs, wonderful instrumental sounds, and gorgeous vocal harmonies.

Set 1 (8:13 PM — 9:03 PM): Orphan Girl, Midnight Train, Empty Trainload of Sky, Cumberland Gap, North Country, Howdy Howdy, Turf the Gambler, Wrecking Ball, Ruby, Wayside / Back in Time

Set 2 (9:24 PM — 10:10 PM): Lawman, What We Had, Hard Times, Hashtag, The Way It Will Be, The Way It Goes, Dear Landlord (v1&2) > Candyman > Dear Landlord (v3), Red Clay Halo

Encore (10:11 PM — 10:20 PM): Look at Miss Ohio, I'll Fly Away

P.S. Word came out after the show that there was supposed to be another encore featuring Revelator, but the lighting technician turned on the house lights too early. Uh-oh.

Another disc of live recordings from the Flamin' Groovies' heyday — this time capturing their outdoor San Francisco concert on October 26, 1980. The band's lineup featured Cyril Jordan, Chris Wilson, and Mike Wilhelm on guitars and vocals, George Alexander on bass and vocals, and David Wright on drums. The setlist is all covers, including songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Byrds, plus some rock 'n' roll numbers with a bit of soul and blues thrown in. They opened and closed the set with two Dave Edmunds tunes — not surprising, as he produced several of the Flamin' Groovies' albums. The energy of the performance is great, as shown by almost punk versions of Chuck Berry's Let It Rock and the old blues standard Baby Please Don't Go, but sadly, the disc's sound quality is pretty rough — more like a muddy audience bootleg than a proper soundboard recording. As a bonus, three tracks from their Old Waldorf gig two days earlier are included, among them the band's own classic Shake Some Action, though it doesn't sound much better. Strictly for collectors.

Cristina Vane's third studio album is an eclectic collection of original songs, spanning thirteen tracks that explore blues, rock, bluegrass, and country. Vane is accompanied by a rhythm section, an organist, and several guest musicians, giving the recording a rich, mature sound. She sings beautifully and delivers striking slide guitar work, making her music feel like something between Molly Tuttle and Larkin Poe — a style that should truly appeal to fans of both artists.

I particularly enjoyed the catchy Hard Rock Bend, and the title track, an energetic acoustic piece featuring Molly Tuttle, is impossible to overlook. The rock-driven Everything Is Fine stands out, while the electric blues number Shake It Babe is another highlight of the record.

A strong, thoroughly enjoyable album — one I could listen to on repeat. Hear me call? Yes, we heard it.

This acoustic music festival took place at the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, CA, on April 25, 1981. Organized as a benefit for the Seva Foundation by Wavy Gravy — who also served as the event's host — it was entirely recorded by Owsley "Bear" Stanley, who would relocate from California to Australia the following year.

The concert opened with a solo performance by Country Joe McDonald. His energetic set featured the brilliant, sci-fi-infused folk song Picks and Lasers, about a guy mining ore on Mars. He also delivered Slide Trombone Blues, showcasing his skills on the trombone, and, of course, the legendary Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag, complete with a raucous "fuck cheer" aimed at Ronald Reagan — a rousing way to kick off the day.

Next up was folk singer Rosalie Sorrels, accompanied by guitarist Mitch Greenhill. Her performance was engaging, though the cabaret-style vocals may not have been to everyone's taste. Among other songs, she performed You've Got to Go to Sleep Alone by Jimmie Dale Gilmore and I Remember Loving You by Utah Phillips, both of which resonated well.

This concluded the first disc of the three-CD edition. The second disc opens with Kate Wolf, supported by Nina Gerber on guitar and mandolin, and Ford James on bass. Their performance was truly exceptional — great songs, a commanding voice, and masterful instrumental work. Kate delivered a stunning rendition of The Youngbloods' classic Let's Get Together, with Wavy Gravy joining in.

The recording then shifts to a largely forgettable 20-minute percussion set by Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, followed by the arrival of Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir — essentially a stripped-down Grateful Dead lineup, sans Phil Lesh and Brent Mydland. John Kahn of the Jerry Garcia Band stepped in on upright bass. Their set featured several traditional numbers, a beautifully understated Friend of the Devil, Marty Robbins' El Paso, which shone in the acoustic setting, and a rare rendition of Oh Boy! — a stellar performance overall.

The festival closed with Odetta. Although her set was recorded, negotiations with her estate prevented its inclusion in this release — a real shame, as it was considered one of the standout moments of the event. To ensure she wasn't overlooked, the organizers included a full article in the booklet about the performance.

Overall, it was a good day with a number of memorable acts.

A marathon concert in support of the L.A. Fire Department Foundation brought together fourteen local acts, with all tickets selling out in just one day. In the first half of the event, Sam Chase delivered a commanding performance, while Sean Hayes and John Elliott impressed with their evocative compositions. Megan Slankard stole the spotlight, closing her setlist with a heartfelt rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's America. Danny Click and his band amped up the energy with a dynamic electric performance, while Shana Morrison delivered soulful renditions of her father's Sometimes We Cry, Sonny Boy Williamson II's Help Me, and Fleetwood Mac's Landslide. Tribute band Petty Theft filled their set with nothing but Tom Petty's biggest hits. In an unexpected highlight, Fantastic Negrito was joined on stage by mandolinist Teo Quale of Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band. It was an absolutely spectacular concert, huge thanks to KC Turner for making it happen!

Time: 12:30 PM — 8:20 PM

Setlists:

• The Brothers Comatose Duo: Pie for Breakfast, Runnin' on Back to You, Tops of the Trees (with Erika Tietjen), Strangers (with Erika Tietjen), The IPA Song (with Erika Tietjen)


• Terrier: Sugar Please, Home Again, Stubborn Man Impossible Lady, Going to California


• The Sam Chase: Crack Your Own Whip, The World Ain't Gonna Spin Your Way, I Don't Play Well with Everyone, All You Fascists (with Alex Morrison, Ben Morrison, and Erika Tietjen)


• Greg Loiacono: Close Your Eyes (We'll Be There Soon), Animal Clouds, Arms of the Sleeping Lady, Bus Ride Blues


• Sean Hayes: Bright on Bright, Sealed Wax, Some Day We'll All Be Trees, A Thousand Tiny Pieces


• Megan Slankard: You and Your Bright Ideas, Just Like Me, When I Was a Bird, America


• John Elliott: All My Friends Are in the Valley, When I Make My Home, It Gets Bad but It Gets Better, Eulogy


• Walking Mirrors: The Fire Song, River's Road, Wave of Worry


• Danny Click: If I Was God, Wait My Turn, Fools Parade, Everything's Alright


• Shana Morrison: Landslide, Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, Help Me, Sometimes We Cry


• Laurie Lewis: Blue Grass Style, How Can I Keep From Singing?, Carter's Blues, To Hell With the Land, 25 Chickens


• Poor Man's Whiskey: Broken Radio, Train to California, Sierra Girl, Whiskey Creek


• Matt Jaffe (not on the original list of performers): The Hellhounds of Alcatraz


• Petty Theft: I Won't Back Down, Great Wide Open, Runnin' Down a Dream, Free Fallin', Mary Jane's Last Dance


• Fantastic Negrito: Bullshit Anthem > Night Has Turned to Day > When Everything Went Wrong > Bullshit Anthem, I Hope Somebody's Loving You, An Honest Man, Plastic Hamburgers, In the Pines, Lost in a Crowd

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Opening the show were Los Yesterdays from Altadena, an area recently impacted by devastating wildfires. The band had released a few records on Penrose, an imprint of Daptone Records that highlights artists from Southern California. During their 45-minute set, they delivered smooth Chicano soul with a touch of cumbia. While the music was enjoyable, it felt a bit too slow and polished for my taste. That said, the female bassist and guitarist were quite impressive.

After the intermission, Los Lobos took the stage and dedicated their performance to Garth Hudson, who had passed away just a few days earlier. During their current tour, Disconnected — a name that nods to the acclaimed live album Disconnected in New York City — the band primarily relies on acoustic guitars. However, these instruments are heavily amplified, producing a sound nearly as powerful as their usual electric setup. The setlist was packed with hits, opening with Evangeline and Will the Wolf Survive?. An intense rendition of La venganza de los pelados was a highlight, while La pistola y el corazón delighted the audience with its truly acoustic sound. The Neighborhood featured a lot of improvisational elements before transitioning into a rendition of Richard Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights, with an intro reminiscent of Rumble. For the encore, they delivered the famous Cuban folk song Guantanamera and closed with a medley of La bamba > Good Lovin' > La bamba. It was a great two-hour concert with a strong audience turnout, and everyone received a poster on their way out.

P.S. That was my 75th show at the Fillmore.

Set list (Los Lobos, 9:21 PM — 11:22 PM): Evangeline, Will the Wolf Survive?, Wicked Rain, Dream in Blue > Maricela, La venganza de los pelados, Set Me Free (Rosa Lee), La pistola y el corazón, Saint Behind the Glass, Arizona Skies > Borinquen patria mía, Teresa, Chuco's Cumbia, The Neighborhood > Shoot Out the Lights, Kiko and the Lavender Moon, Ay te dejo en San Antonio, Volver volver, Don't Worry Baby, Not Fade Away > Bertha, Guantanamera (encore), La bamba > Good Lovin' > La bamba (encore)

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