Hot Tuna at the Birchmere

Went to see Hot Tuna last night at the Birchmere in Alexandria VA. It was the release party for their first studio album in 21 years. What a fantastic place to see a show. We were seated maybe 40 feet from the stage. Probably the best Tuna show I've ever been to. Jorma commented during the show, "These days the audiences are older adn sober." They expect solid performances. Tuna didn't disappoint.

If you are uncertain about which of the many older acts is worth seeing (and I know I am), I am happy to report that Hot Tuna is one of the better choices you can make. And it really looks like it may stay that way for a while. And it's nice to see the DC duo from the SF scene play back on their homefront, which they enjoy as well. For as Jorma said... "A lot of those (SF) people didn't really get our DC humor, as one guy said to him back in the day...Wow, man. Like I thought you were beautiful people, but you're just regular guys!" Yes, two regular guys that have been playing great music together for 52 years.

Quote of the Night: Another one from Jorma while tuning... "Sometimes people who don't play guitar say 'don't those things (whammy or tremolo bars) throw the guitar out of tune?' Of course they throw it out of tune, it's what they are supposed to do!"

I was very pleased to pick up one of the few available signed CD's.

First Set: 1. Been So Long 2. Hesitation Blues 3. Angel Of Darkness 4. Children Of Zion 5. Bowlegged Woman 6. Second Chances 7. Goodbye To The Blues 8. Rock Me Baby 9. A Little Faster 10. Mourning Interrupted 11. Hit Single #1

Second Set: 1. I See The Light 2. 99 Year Blues 3. Easy Now Revisited 4. Smokerise Journey 5. Good Shepherd 6. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning 7. Things That Might Have Been 8. Vicksburg Stomp 9. If This Is Love 10. Funky # 7 11. Encore: Preaching On The Old Campground

HOT TUNA
Album review: "Steady as She Goes"
In 1959, Washington had a teenage rock-and-roll band called the Triumphs. Then, in 1965, two former Triumphs, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, joined a new San Francisco band called the Jefferson Airplane, experimenting with ways to electrify the blues.
The Airplane has come and gone, but Hot Tuna, a spinoff band formed by Kaukonen and Casady in 1969, has never stopped gigging, releasing its first studio album in 21 years — and its best since 1972 — with “Steady as She Goes.” Hot Tuna — Kaukonen, Casady, mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff and drummer Skoota Warner — is joined by producer Larry Campbell, who clarifies the band’s often cluttered sound, allowing Kaukonen’s sparkling guitar lines and Casady’s surprisingly melodic bass lines to shine through.
Hot Tuna nods to its roots with a version of “Goodbye to the Blues” by Marshall Wilborn of the Johnson Mountain Boys, while Kaukonen and Campbell’s co-written “Angel of Darkness” contemplates sin and mortality with stomping blues-rock. By contrast, Kaukonen’s “Things That Might Have Been” is a lovely folk ballad about familial trauma during his teen years in D.C. And, fittingly, the band’s take on Mark Markham & the Jesters’ “If This Is Love” is the kind of garage-rock gem that might have been played by the Triumphs.
--Geoffrey Himes, Washington Post April 29, 2011

Easter Basketball

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday beginning with Scrambled Egg wraps and candy for breakfast. Then off to Church at Our Lady of the Fields. We arrive at my Mother-in-Law's place around 2pm and were joined by the Stowell and Maddox family.
After dinner Steve and I challenged our 2 boys to a basketball 2 on 2 game. Jack went out and bought a new ball for the event and we proceeded to Crofton Elementary School for the game. Before there was even a score in the game I managed to trip chasing a ball out of bounds and must have hit a pebble or something and torn a bunch of skin off my palm. very painful but I taped it up and continued to play. The boys took the first game handily but Steve and I came roaring back and won the second. Then in final game of the best of three, it started pouring rain and the match was declared at tie. The boys were up 5-2 at the time and think they won. We've agreed to have a rematch on mother's day in a couple of weeks.