Mountain Jam Saturday Setlists

Recap to come.

SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS - 06.04.16 - MOUNTAIN JAM (56 minutes, 30 seconds)

SET -
Don't Be Jealous / Catch Me If You Can / We Need a Love / Stereo* / Mama Knows / Prison Cells > Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes > Prison Cells / Dr. Feelgood / Sugar > Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (tease) / Bad Love

SON LITTLE - 06.04.16 - MOUNTAIN JAM (53 minutes)

SET -
Intro > Toes / Joy / Go Blue Blood Red / Doctor's In / O Mother / Cross My Heart / Alice / Lay Down / Band Intros > Your Love Will Blow Me Away / The River / Carbon

WARREN HAYNES - 06.04.16 - MOUNTAIN JAM (1 hour)

SET -
Is It Me or You / Spots of Time / Old Friend / It Hurts Me Too / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Endless Parade / Beautifully Broken / Wanderlust / Patchwork Quilt / To Lay Me Down / One / Railroad Boy

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS - 06.04.16 - MOUNTAIN JAM (1 hour)

SET -
I Need Never Get Old / Look It Here / We've Got the Whole Night to Lose / Howling at Nothing / Wasting Time / Rhodes Intro > I've Been Failing / Shake / Out on the Weekend / I Do It* / Trying So Hard Not to Know / Band Intros > S.O.B. > The Shape I'm In > S.O.B.

BECK - 06.04.16 - MOUNTAIN JAM (1 hour, 37 minutes)

SET -
Devil's Haircut / Black Tambourine / Loser / Think I'm in Love / Soul of a Man / Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes) > Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See (tease) > Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes) / Go It Alone / Mixed Bizness / Sissyneck > Billie Jean > Sissyneck / Qué Onda Guero / Paper Tiger / Modern Guilt / Lost Cause / Blue Moon / Say Goodbye / Raspberry Beret / The New Pollution / Dreams / Girl / Sexx Laws / E-Pro

ENCORE -
Where It's At > Strawberry Fields Forever (tease) > Where It's At / Gratitude (tease) / China Girl (tease) / Computer World (tease) > 1999 / Where It's At

Beale Street Music Festival: Day 2 Review

For day two, we had wanted to get to the festival in time to see Blind Mississippi Morris because Brad Webb would be playing with him, but our ride lied to us, so we made the journey downtown via the Memphis city bus system.  It gave us a chance to see the city from a local's perspective, driving past tiny brick houses and Speedy's Donuts & Deli, which was advertising a "Toast Sandwitch" as part of its grand opening.  The scene at Beale St. was completely different than the previous day, with vendors selling fishbowls of alcohol to ponchoed pedestrians.  Evangelical Christians with signs were out to protest the debauchery.  We timed the rain shower perfectly with a meal at Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe, where I had some of the best chicken and waffles I've ever had.  The waffle was crisp with a fluffy inside, and the fried chicken skin pulled back to reveal juicy, tender meat so delicious it made me consider eating chicken again permanently (I gave up chicken a few years ago, but make an exception for chicken and waffles.).  We paid our respects to the Elvis statue, and walked down to the riverbank, joining the line to enter the festival.  The female security guard was intense, confiscating Carrie's granola bars because she couldn't prove she was diabetic.  God forbid someone sneak some healthy food into this place.  "You got any knives on you?" the guard asked me.  I laughed in her face.

Jerry Lee Lewis' band was getting the crowd's mojo working when we arrived just in time for them to introduce the Beale St. Music Festival stalwart.  "Well, at least it ain't rainin'," Lewis offered with a laugh, taking a seat at the piano.  At 77, his voice isn't what it used to be, but his piano-playing hasn't suffered a bit, pounding out a set of originals and covers in his trademark style, chock full of glissandos.  He came across as a funny grandfather, especially when commenting on the weather.  "It was cold when I got out here.  Now it's kinda... little bit cold," he said, wiggling his fingers.  But rock's original wildman hasn't gone completely soft either.  "Nice piano.  Don't worry; I'm not gonna burn it up.  Not unless she gives me a really hard time.  Then I might strike a match to it," he warned the audience.  After a rollicking "Roll Over Beethoven," Lewis slowed things down with his take on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."  Somewhere, a fan blew a few soap bubbles into the sky, creating the illusion of Glinda floating by.  "I know there's a lot of requests out there, but I can't do all of 'em," Jerry Lee said, settling for his two best-known singles, originally recorded down the street at Sun Studio: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire."  Everyone sang along.  It may have been an abbreviated set, but I'm glad I got to see him perform. 

"It feels good to be back in the dirty South," proclaimed Big Boi after opening with an Outkast medley of "Bust," "ATLiens," "Skew It on the Bar-B," and "Rosa Parks."  A DJ spun his backing tracks, supplemented by a live guitarist and drummer to enhance the concert experience.  "Shutterbug" had me grinning from ear to ear, especially when Big Boi and his hype man hopped on one foot in a choreographed dance.  The Sir Lucious Left Foot barrage continued with "General Patton," "Follow Us," and "Daddy Fat Sax."  He followed that with two Outkast bangers, "Ghettomusick" and "B.O.B." before cooling out on "Ms. Jackson."  Turning the mic to the crowd to sing "ooh ooh ooh" while the DJ dropped the audio only furthered the inclusive, party feel.  Though it was tough leaving, we departed when Big Boi brought out special guest, Killer Mike.

We only left Big Boi because we had to see Mavis Staples.  Her band was just finishing an instrumental as we snagged a choice spot in the center of the mat.  Mavis used a cane to return to the stage, looking like a soulful Yoda.  Bundled up in layers, including a scarf and a hoodie, Staples led the group on the Staples Singers' 1975 #1 hit "Let's Do It Again."  I could hear the bass from "The Way You Move" bleeding from the other stage, but when the band dropped into "I'll Take You There," I knew I'd made the right decision.  Mavis took her time with the song, chatting to the audience throughout.  "We've been takin' y'all there for 63 years!  And we ain't tired yet," she announced.  Then, with a smirk, "How 'bout dem Grizzlies?" causing the crowd to go nuts after the previous day's advancing win over the Clippers.  After embarking on some crazy vocal riffing that sounded like a cross between the fairy godmother and the boogieman, she urged the audience to participate by singing the four little words of the hook back to her: "I know if we can take y'all there for 63 years, y'all can take us there for 60 seconds."  She held out her microphone, and we took her there.

The Black Keys drew the biggest crowd of the weekend, so we weren't able to get super-close, but we were still closer than at Global Festival.  Unfortunately, the sound was muddier than the ground we were standing on, the drums flat and the vocals barely audible.  It's a shame too because Dan Auerbach was really letting his solos rip on "Howlin' for You" and "Gold on the Ceiling."  Maybe if more time was spent soundchecking instead of stringing up the giant flashbulbs, it could've been improved.  They still hadn't switched up their setlist from last year, so we retreated halfway through "Your Touch."

I've seen Warren Haynes solo, guesting with Grace Potter, and sitting in with Soulive, but never fronting the Mule, so we trudged back to the Orion Stage.  Sadly, they were most of the way through "Soulshine" by the time we found a spot, Haynes teasing the Allman Brothers' "Jessica" in his final licks.  They proceeded with the crunchy "Thorazine Shuffle."  "Banks of the Deep End" was the perfect vehicle for Warren's gruffly beautiful voice, and he inserted a bit of "Ohio" into the song on the anniversary of the massacre at Kent State.  They closed with a pair of funky By a Thread tracks, "Steppin' Lightly" and "Broke Down on the Brazos."  The crowd cheered for more, but the band had to clear off to make way for ZZ Top.

The Roots capped off the evening perfectly with a continuous set lasting over an hour and a half.  Nothing could stop them; not even the light rain that had some fans reaching for their ponchos.  The first third of the set focused mainly on Roots classics like "Table of Contents," "The Next Movement," and "Proceed," with the first pause coming 33 minutes in, mid-"Mellow My Man."  Black Thought breathlessly remarked, "I need a cup of coffee, y'all," and they jumped back into the song, not breaking for another 28 minutes until a fake-out ending in "Immigrant Song."  "Immigrant Song?" you say.  Already no strangers to the cover tune, the band's time on Late Night has allowed them to pick up even more, injecting bits of "Love to Love You Baby," "Bad to the Bone," and "Mercy" into the mix.  Even the "Inspector Gadget Theme" made an appearance!  "Welcome to Memphis," their take on Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock," saw them creating some eerie live dub sounds, the crowd singing back, "Out in the streets they call it murderrrrr!"  The band was in top form, ?uestlove keeping the ferocious pace, Tuba Gooding, Jr. blasting on his sousaphone, and Kirk Douglas singing along with his guitar solo.  After rocking us with "The Seed 2.0" and "Move on Up," they closed up shop with Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo's "Men at Work."  "Thank you! God bless! Goodnight!" said Black Thought, finally able to exhale.  Legendary Roots crew, indeed.

Check out Day 1 and stay tuned for Day 3.

JERRY LEE LEWIS - 05.04.13 - BEALE ST. MUSIC FESTIVAL

SET -

Move on Down the Line / You Win Again / Wine Spodee-O-Dee / Before the Night is Over / Waiting for a Train / She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye / Why You Been Gone So Long / Roll Over Beethoven / Somewhere Over the Rainbow / Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On / Great Balls of Fire

THE ROOTS - 05.04.13 - BEALE ST. MUSIC FESTIVAL (1 hour, 32 minutes)

SET -
Table of Contents, pt. 1 > The Fire > The Next Movement > Step Into the Realm > Let's Take It Back > Proceed > Get Busy > Jungle Boogie > Drum Solo > Dynamite! > Inspector Gadget Theme > Mellow My Man > Jusufckwithis > What It Is* > Who Are You & Who is Your Crew* > Break You Off > You Got Me > Shame on You* > Love to Love You Baby > Shame on You > Sweet Child o' Mine > Bad to the Bone > Who Do You Love > Bad to the Bone > Welcome to Jamrock > You Got Me > Mercy > Thought @ Work > Apache > How I Got Over > Get Into It* > Here I Come > The Seed 2.0 > Move on Up > Men at Work

Robert Randolph, Lee Fields, & Some Very Special Guests Drop in for Night 2 of Bowlive IV

Celebrating their fourth Bowlive residency at Brooklyn Bowl, Soulive definitely set the bar high with Friday's mammoth show.  After two sets of jamming with special guests Robert Randolph and Lee Fields, the trio embarked on a surprise third set featuring two members of the Allman Brothers Band.

Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds kicked things off with a lengthy set of soulful rock 'n' roll.  After an opening salvo from the seven-piece band, singer Arleigh Kincheloe sauntered out from backstage to lead them on "The Long Way."  At first glance, Kincheloe recalled Carly Rae Jepsen, with her petite frame and brunette bangs.  The comparison stopped as soon as she opened her mouth.  Her bluesy vocals accented by howls and shrieks assured that she would never be caught dead singing "Call Me Maybe."  There is no "maybe" in that voice.  Tugging at her sheer blouse and gold necklaces, Sister Sparrow gyrated her narrow hips as she sang every song like it was her last, including a cover of "Back in Black."  Kincheloe is not the only musical member of her family though.  Her cousin Bram manned the drumkit, and her brother Jackson impressed everyone with his harmonica solo, "Bulldozer."  The Dirty Birds closed with "Road Trip," which ended with an a cappella and handclap breakdown.  Without the blast of the horns, Arleigh's amazing voice was spotlighted even more.  After almost an hour onstage, Arleigh informed the crowd, "We're all in for a treat tonight.  I cannot wait to be on the dance floor with all of y'all."

I had no idea how big the treat would be.  I'd seen Soulive with Karl Denson in Central Park, and even caught Krasno's solo show at the Slipper Room, so I figured I should go to at least one of the eight Bowlive shows this March.  I decided on Friday's show with Lee Fields and Robert Randolph because I'd never been in town for Randolph's annual Thanksgiving shows at the Bowl.

The trio hit the ground running with the deeply funky "El Ron," which they followed with a sparkly "Dig."  Listening to the tunes in this order, with "El Ron" unearthing its nasty groove and "Dig" priming the rockets for space exploration, the songs should have swapped names.  But what are titles to instrumental music, anyway?  "Dig" dug right into "Rudy's Way," with Krasno making that pained bulldog puppy face he does when he's really feeling it.  Another Get Down! track, "Uncle Junior," came next, culminating in some keyboard sounds from Neal that resembled the Psycho shower scene.  Soul singer Lee Fields then joined the band, along with Dave Guy on trumpet (I don't know that he sleeps; just goes from show to show every night.) and Mike Buckley on tenor sax.  Looking sharp in a silver suit, Fields showed off each aspect of his wonderful voice over the course of three songs: his power in the black anthem "We Fought for Survival," his sensitivity in "You're My Weakness," and his melodic soul in a cover of Otis Clay's "Trying to Live My Life Without You."  I can't wait to see a whole show from him.

"We're really glad you didn't go home," remarked Alan when the band returned almost forty minutes later.  "So glad you could join us for set 2 of 3," he added, holding up three fingers for all to see.  This was going to be a long night.  After Soulive played one of their classic cuts, "Aladdin," Robert Randolph, donning a Mardi Gras mask, took a seat behind his pedal steel guitar beside the drums.  He charged right into the intro of "Foxey Lady," with Alan taking vocal duties.  Randolph's high-energy "Ain't Nothing Wrong with That" came next, forcing the crowd to dance and clap along.  Lee Fields returned for a medley that included "Sex Machine" and Funkadelic's "I Got a Thing," but the real highlight of the set was a stretched-out "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" that had Randolph playing his guitar with his tongue.  Talk about tasty licks.  Mike Buckley also dropped a furious sax solo in the song's second half.  As they continued to jam, the hip-hop elements moved to the forefront, and Randolph took the opportunity to spit some Das EFX lyrics.  "They Want EFX" led into an instrumental "Crosstown Traffic," a track on which they'd collaborated for the Break Out album.

Now almost 1:30am, Soulive started their third set with "One in Seven."  After they'd established the blueprint of the song, an unannounced Derek Trucks appeared to help them build it into something really special.  All the evidence could be found in the smile on Neal's face as he watched Eric and Derek trade lines during the song's final section.  But Trucks split that cab he took from the Allman Brothers' gig at the Beacon.  Warren Haynes emerged from backstage, and took the reins for a soul-drenched "Thrill is Gone" and his own "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday."  Robert Randolph came forth yet again, this time accompanied by trombonist Saunders Sermons, for blues standard "The Sky is Crying," which saw all four guitarists creating a gumbo with each of their distinct flavors. Neal even conducted Alan to lessen his volume so they could listen to the four at work.  At its end, Alan stated, "We've got one last song.  Gotta go home and get some rest.  We've got shows to play tomorrow."  Perhaps it was the tease of "Them Changes" in Sister Sparrow's "Too Much" that inspired the final number, but whatever the reason, Buddy Miles' infectious ditty got the full, funky treatment here, with smiles gleaming on every band member.

My weekend schedule has been screwed up immensely by the late night, but what a way to screw it up.  Let me know how the remaining nights go.  Friday's will be hard to top.

SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS - 03.08.13 - BROOKLYN BOWL (57 minutes, 36 seconds)

SET -

Intro > The Long Way / Why Did You Do It* / Make It Rain / Every Road / Another Ride > Back in Black > Dirt / I Want to Take Ya* / Bulldozer > Too Much > Them Changes (tease) > Too Much / Road Trip

SOULIVE - 03.08.13 - BROOKLYN BOWL

SET ONE (47 minutes, 44 seconds) -
El Ron / Dig > Rudy's Way / Uncle Junior / We Fought for Survival / You're My Weakness > Trying to Live My Life Without You

SET TWO (1 hour, 18 minutes) -
Aladdin / Foxey Lady / Ain't Nothing Wrong with That / Instrumental* / It Sure Feels Good* > Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine > I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing > Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine / Instrumental* / Papa Was a Rollin' Stone > Instrumental* > They Want EFX > Crosstown Traffic > Previous Instrumental*

SET THREE (1 hour, 3 minutes) -

One in Seven / The Thrill is Gone / Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday / The Sky is Crying / Them Changes

*I need help with the names of these.  Full review with photos to come later.

Eric Krasno & Friends Debut Several Songs at the Slipper Room

While you may know him as the guitarist for Soulive and Lettuce, Eric Krasno has also been making headway as a solo artist since 2010's Reminisce.  Last night at the Slipper Room, Eric and a few of his friends unleashed a set of new tunes in the intimate venue.

Starting later than the scheduled 8pm, Krasno took the stage with Warren Haynes' bassist Ron Johnson, the Blind Boys of Alabama's keyboardist Peter Levin, and the Dap-Kings' Eric Kalb on drums.  From the opening instrumental cut, the band locked in with each other, with Johnson taking care of the bottom, Levin chirping along on a stack of Nord Electro 2s, Kalb finding the pocket, and Kraz soloing, eyes closed, on top.  Permanent grins on Levin's and Kalb's faces remained for the entire set.  For the second number, a spirited cover of Ike & Tina Turner's "You Got What You Wanted," they were joined by Warren Haynes' vocalist Alecia Chakour and TAB's James Casey on sax, percussion, and vocals.  "This is our first time playing any of this stuff," admitted Krasno, taking lead vocals on the debut of "Jezebel."  The microphone he was using muddied the quality of his voice a bit, so that could take some of the blame, but it was clear he's a better guitar player than a singer.  He's definitely not bad, but in comparison to his astounding fretwork and Chekour's powerful vocals, it's evident why he usually enlists guest vocalists on his albums.

After "Blood from a Stone," which boasted a groovy wah-wah solo, Krasno announced to the crowd that he wanted to play "something familiar for you."  Ironically, their rendition of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" ended up as the night's biggest letdown.  As I mentioned, Alecia Chekour had chops, but her boisterous, diva-like riffing drowned out the band.  The soulful supporting vocals by Casey could barely be heard amidst her showboating.  Thankfully, she was able to pull back a little by the time they turned in a funked-up version of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home."  New song "Torture" was one of the best of the night, a blues romp with a solo that had Eric teetering on the edge of psychedelia. 

After an hour+ set, the original foursome returned to play "76," a scorcher from Reminisce.  Again, the instrumental bookend exemplified how well these cats could play together.  For the first time performing these songs, they were incredibly tight.  While JamBands.com had expected additional guests to sit in (I spotted Neal Evans in the back of the house.), it probably would've gotten too cramped on the narrow stage, already congested with just six.  Eric declared genuinely, "This is really fun.  I hope we're gonna keep doing this too."  Here's to hoping it's soon, and that Chakour shows a little more restraint next time.

Because most of the songs are new, any setlist help is appreciated.

ERIC KRASNO & FRIENDS - 02.06.13 - THE SLIPPER ROOM (1 hour, 14 minutes)

SET -
Instrumental* / You Got What You Wanted / Jezebel / Blood from a Stone* / You've Really Got a Hold on Me / He Can't Please You* / Can't Find My Way Home / Torture / Move Over / Unconditional Love*

ENCORE -
76

Two Encores & Warren Haynes for Grace Potter's Beacon Night 2

Last night, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals played their second show in a two-night stand at the Beacon Theatre.  While Friday night fans were treated to some older GP&N material, Saturday's show had the real goods, with a setlist including a Soundgarden cover and a surprise appearance by Warren Haynes.

I got to the Beacon about twenty minutes before the show to be there in time for opening act, the Stepkids.  I bought a limited edition show poster featuring a lion with only a skeleton for its rear half.  I didn't buy one of the limited edition cocktails, the Lion, or the Beat, because they were $15 each.  I found my prime seat in the left center of the orchestra, and at 8:00 on the dot, the Stepkids took the stage.

I'd seen the Connecticut threesome (foursome if you include projectionist David Pond) open for Mayer Hawthorne this year, and while I don't know that I'd ever listen to their music on my iPod, their stage show is so mesmerizing, they could open any concert I go to and I wouldn't be upset.  The Stepkids are all white guys, dressed in all white clothes, playing all white instruments, in front of an all white backdrop.  But that whiteness only lasts that initial second because as soon as they start playing, Pond begins splashing colors onto the canvas.  Neon yellow drips down purpley pink, blue intersecting lines bump to the beat.  For the Prince-inspired "Sweet Salvation," blobs of primary colors encircled the band members, expanding and retracting with the bassline.  The Stepkids played psychedelic tunes with a hint of funk, and yet when I saw them in April, even though they performed mainly the same songs, I classified them as funk with psychedelic leanings.  Which means they tailor their sound to who they're opening for (funkier for Hawthorne, more psych for Grace), which is pretty awesome.  "Yeah, we're feeling it tonight. We really are," admitted guitarist Jeff Gitelman.  Unfortunately, they only had time to feel it for five songs, just under a half an hour.

With the roar of the MGM lion, followed by the 20th Century Fox theme, the Nocturnals emerged from the wings to rev things up right away with "Medicine."  Usually performed late in the set, the uptempo song lifted the crowd from their seats, and we'd remain standing for the rest of the show.  Draped in black, Potter danced around like she was in an Olympic swimming medley, windmilling her arms in the butterfly and doing an insane variation of the breaststroke.  And this is why we love Grace Potter.  'Cause she doesn't care about looking cool when she dances so crazily, and that's exactly why she's cool.  She's such a magnetic force onstage, it's hard to look away.  I barely caught Matt Burr playing his cymbals with a maraca, and I only noticed lefty Michael Libramento plucks his bass upside-down because Grace happened to be near him during a song.  Introducing "Joey," Grace explained her affinity for NYC: "You got a whole lotta bad boys.  I always seem to get into trouble whenever I come to New York City." (Check out my review of Grace's private Irving Plaza gig in June.)

It was in "Oasis" where I realized how great the sound was.  Grace's tambourine hits shimmered, and the dual-guitars of Benny Yurco and Scott Tournet sliced cleanly through the space.  My only minimal complaint would be that Grace's organ could've been a hair louder.  Potter took center stage with an acoustic guitar to play "Falling or Flying," a song that has brought her peace in the past, and that she hoped would comfort those affected by "that motherfuckin' hurricane."  "I heard somebody call her Slutty Sandy.  I like that.  What a whore," she remarked.  Some members of the crowd decided this slow number would be a great time to yell out their approval, which was annoying, especially when a few bars of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" elicited a cheer loud enough to obscure the tease almost completely. 

Grace and the guys dug into the crypt to revive slinky oldie "Treat Me Right," and followed it with the piano-based "Tiny Light."  After crowd-favorite "Stop the Bus," Potter and crew unleashed "The Lion the Beast the Beat" where it had traded places with "Medicine."  One of the ballsiest rocking songs ever sung by a woman, "Paris," had the whole theatre "ooh la la-ing" as Grace cranked out the chords on her Flying V.  "One more song?" Grace asked at its conclusion.  Cheers from the floor and both balconies.  "Una más," she confirmed, and welcomed guest star, Warren Haynes.  Though the Beacon is pretty much Warren's second home (Gov't Mule is playing there on NYE by the way.), it was still a nice surprise when they launched into a screeching cover of "Gimme Shelter," with Warren taking the second verse.  Grace, Nocturnals, and Warren placed their arms over each other's shoulders and took a bow.

The night could've ended there and satisfied everyone, but the Nocturnals still had more to give.  Taking a two-minute break, they returned to the stage for the soaring ballad, "Stars."  And then, surprising everyone, kept the interstellar theme going with Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun."  Grace announced, "This is the real last song," and strapped on her guitar for a solitary slide-necked "Nothing But the Water (I)," as she did at Farm Aid.  The Nocturnals joined in for part two, and everyone in the band ended up drumming together on Burr's kit.  "New York City, do we need to break it down?" quizzed Potter, who removed her shoes and did a rain dance before finishing things up at her organ.  "Salud, New York," she toasted, swigging from her coffee mug before exiting the stage.

New piece of advice: Whenever Grace Potter says they've got one more song, she's lying. Because even after a 25-minute encore, Yurco returned to the stage with an acoustic 6-string and started the opening solo to Heart's "Crazy on You."  The rest of the band joined him, kicking in with the classic riff.  "Help me scream the roof off this place!" Potter urged.  And though the ornate ceiling will still be there for the Mule on New Year's, the cheers were deafening.  While I'm sure Friday night's show was excellent, realizing you've picked the right night in a run feels like winning the lottery.

THE STEPKIDS - 11.17.12 - BEACON THEATRE (29 minutes, 26 seconds)

SET -
Shadows on Behalf / Suburban Dream / Sweet Salvation / Legend in My Own Mind (feat. Meredith DiMenna) / Cup Half Full

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - 11.17.12 - BEACON THEATRE (1 hour, 58 minutes)

SET -
Medicine / Joey / Hot Summer Night / Goodbye Kiss / Timekeeper / Oasis / Falling or Flying > Cortez the Killer (tease) > Falling or Flying / Treat Me Right > Tiny Light / Stop the Bus > The Lion the Beast the Beat / Paris (Ooh La La) / Gimme Shelter (feat. Warren Haynes)

ENCORE I -
Stars > Black Hole Sun > Nothing But the Water (I) > Nothing But the Water (II)

ENCORE II -
Crazy on You

Warren Haynes Plays at Guitar Center

Warren Haynes played a short but sweet set at the Guitar Center on 14th St today. Billed as a "workshop" with performance, Q&A, and signing, I expected talk of guitar strings and finger-picking techniques. What I got was 29 minutes of solo Warren Haynes and an autographed CD. Definitely not complaining.

I arrived at Guitar Center before 5:30 for the 7pm show, and was informed I was the last person in line. Wow, perfect timing. It turns out I was the last person in line to wait inside, which was probably better than panting out in the humidity. The line behind me grew, much to the dismay of the Guitar Center employees, although it's probably their fault for not policing it better. (If you waited outside in line and did not get let in, you can blame a bunch of people who said they'd been waiting in line inside even though they hadn't. Still can't explain how so many jam band fans can be such dicks.)

About ten minutes before 7, we were let into the vintage guitar room to pick our spots. Unfortunately, a sweaty Stephen Root-looking motherfucker chose (and by chose I mean kept bumping into people until he fit into) a spot next to me. Warren came out looking happy as ever, and took his place in front of the wall of classic six-strings. After two minutes of banter with the crowd (mostly people yelling songs at him), he slid into "Patchwork Quilt," a familiar song that elicited cheers at the "Jones Beach" line from the New York crowd.

As people continued to yell out titles of songs on Music from Big Pink, Warren began playing the David Crosby tune "Almost Cut My Hair." It became clear that Warren was gonna do what Warren was gonna do. "Sick of My Shadow" followed, one of the grooving numbers off last year's Man in Motion. Warren's friend evidently requested "One" before the performance, and he got his wish. As Haynes belted out "Love is the temple," you could really appreciate the stellar acoustics of the room, so kudos to Farmer and the people of Guitar Center.

One more song remained, amid hopeful murmurs of how he should play for another two hours. (For being a Guitar Center gig, we were getting a little antsy for some solos.) "Soulshine" was getting the most votes obviously. "There's people who say 'Play Soulshine,' and there are those that are like, 'Oh, not Soulshine," Warren joked. He went with the latter, even though I heard no audible "Soulshine"-detractors, strapping on the bottleneck slide for a soulful cover of "It Hurts Me Too."

No encore, but it was super-hot in the room, and everyone still needed to have their CDs signed. As I shook his hand, I revealed to Warren that it was my first show, but definitely wouldn't be my last. He smiled and thanked me, like the gracious man he is.

You can pick up a copy of the 2 CD/1 DVD set Live at the Moody Theater here at Amazon.

WARREN HAYNES – 05.29.12 – GUITAR CENTER (29 minutes)

SET –

Patchwork Quilt / Almost Cut My Hair / Sick of My Shadow / One / It Hurts Me Too