Concert Review : Graham Weber and Friends

Sep 23, 2010 Concert Reviews

This review is coming a little late, but better late than never, right?

A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to spend a couple days taking in the Graham Weber Returns to Ohio Tour (Okay, I made the tour name up).

The first night was a Wednesday and my cousin and I made the three plus hour trip up to Kent, Ohio to see three of my favorite Ohio raised songwriters on the famed Kent Stage. It was my first ever trip to the venue and I must say it is as good as what everyone told me it was. Located right in the campus area in a brick strip mall, it was formally a theater. The sound was great and they had a well stocked bar to go along with a great atmosphere.

A good crowd of about a hundred people showed up to see Graham, Randy Horvath and Roger Hoover play on Graham’s first night back in Kent (where he started playing live) in almost five years. The crowd was very familiar with all of three performers which gave the venue a living room feel with great acoustics.

Taking the stage first was Randy Horvath. Horvath, who has not made any records yet, but possesses a voice that could stop any crowd dead in its tracks and he did not fail to deliver that kind of performance on this night. It was quite a treat for me to see him in a place that was not a bar atmosphere and a venue where that voice could really travel. He played for about 35 minutes and the set was filled mostly with unnamed originals. Highlights of his set included his opener, a song about headliner, Weber and his leaving Ohio to move to Austin a few years ago. This song is always good, but even more meaningful when Weber is present. Later in the set Horvath invited Graham’s wife, Michelle to the stage to duet on a Shawn Mullins song that I do not recall the name of. Towards the end of his brief set, Randy played two half songs about the relationship between a hooker and her pimp who eventually fall in love, along with the pre-song and mid-song banter explaining the story and the reasons why he was playing unfinished songs they were quite amusing.

Horvath left the stage and ten minutes later Roger Hoover moved in. Hoover who was the first person to give Graham the opportunity to play professionally has led the great Ohio bands, The Whiskeyhounds and the Magpies for the last decade or so. An amazing guitarist, songwriter and performer he always puts on a great show. Roger played a few songs I did not recognize and then went into one of my favorite tunes of his “Please Pick, I’m Calling” which chronicles his longing for his family while on the road. About midway into his portion of the show he played a version of  “Furry Lewis’ Blues” which really showcased his ability to play the guitar. He also had a “Pretty Lady” as he called Adam Simms, come on to the stage to join him. They did a great rendition of the traditional song, “Moonshiner”.

After another short break, the house system began playing the theme to Welcome Back Kotter, as Graham Weber took the stage. Donning a coat and tie for the special occasion, Weber immediately began to show that it was going to be a great performance. Leaning heavily on new material, he worked the crowd perfectly throughout the hour and a half set.

Early on in the performance he played songs from his upcoming album, Women, included a killer number co-written with Slaid Cleaves. One song that will be on the new album that stuck out to me was, “All About You” where the narrator tells a lost love that all of the songs, both happy and sad were always all about her.

A second album that was drawn heavily from was his latest live release, The Cactus Sessions. From that album he played, “The Way That I feel” and “Baltimore” both of which are personal favorites of mine. Early in the set he also played my request, “Tight Rope Walking” from his first album, Naive Melodies which he doesn’t play all that often. At one point he told an amusing story about some college hipsters he was playing for in a bar in Austin when he decided to start covering Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” which he promptly launched into. He did a damn good version of it only flubbing a couple of lines which is amazing for anyone attempting to play one of Dylan’s novel like tunes.

The absolute highlight of the set for me was when Weber’s wife, Michelle returned to the stage to perform two songs with him. I have to say they sound damn good together. It is not a situation that you see so many times in the folk world where a spouse is brought out as a vanity show. Their voices blend perfectly together and the emotions between them could have been seen from a mile away. They began with, “Starving Days” from Beggar’s Blues and then did a show stopping version of Tom Waits’ “Hold On”.

The entire night was amazing with all three performers delivering A plus sets.

The following evening, I flew solo to Worthington, Ohio to see just Weber at a wine bar, aptly named, House Wine. The venue was nice and the atmosphere was good, but it was obvious they are early on in their show promoting. I do however hope they continue because it definitely has a the potential to be a cool place to see acoustic shows in the Columbus area which is sorely needed and the owner was extremely nice.

The set was very similar to the previous night, with a few nice additions. “Love and Money” was played, which has always been one of my favorites in Weber’s catalog along with a great version of “Brisket”. Once again, Michelle took the stage for the songs played the night before. The biggest standout for me was the story and song about Linda Ronstadt. The song appropriately titled, “Young Linda” is about Graham’s crush he developed on Linda circa early 70′s after watching a dvd of a performance of hers with Johnny Cash. If you do not own The Cactus Sessions this song alone is enough to order a copy.

After two nights of taking in Weber shows for the first time in two years, I came away with a few things. First of all he continues to grow and develop as both a songwriter and performer, getting even better each time I see him. Second it is only a matter of time before his career takes off in one way or  another. And finally I need to moved Texas because he and so many other people that I love to see play there every night.

The Pictures in this article are from the second night of the two and also we recorded a podcast with Graham before the Columbus show in the studio that should be posted any day now.

Tags: bob dylan, Graham Weber, Randy Horvath, Roger Hoover, Tom Waits

Album Review : Justin Townes Earle : Harlem River Blues

Sep 16, 2010 Album Reviews

If you were like me you bought Justin’s first record, The Good Life when it came out based on curiosity due to his name alone.  About two songs into listening to that I began eagerly anticipating his next release based on the immense amount of talent that was coming through my speakers.

Since then he released Midnight at the Movies, which did not disappoint and left me wanting more again. A few days ago more arrived with Harlem River Blues hitting the shelves.

I am not sure that anyone this young has ever had a better handle on the old timey sound as Earle does. Whether it’s 50′s Rock n Roll, Hank Senioresque country or even earlier folk ballads Earle takes the style and bends it around his distinct vocals making them all his own while keeping a firm grasp on tradition.

While keeping with those styles he does not just regurgitate old songs, rather he writes personal and modern lyrics and gives them an antiquated feel. If a record ever could sound like it had a sepia tone to it, Earle’s would come to mind first.

This record is spectacular all the way through. Like its predecessors it only conjures one complaint, and that is that it’s too short. The entire album is basically ten tracks clocking in at just over 30 minutes. I’ve had disagreements with friends over the proper length of an album for listening purposes, but I still feel that if a record is good then the longer the better.

This album is a little different than the other two as it seems to have a little more production and a deeper blend of instruments throughout as well as a more prominent electric guitar on some tracks. The talent still remains though, as Earle once again has delivered one of the better records of the year.

The first track that really stood out amongst the rest for me was the opener and title track, “Harlem River Blues”. It’s a little more  upbeat and has choral sounding background vocal track that really gives this song a great feel.

A few more tracks in “Move Over Mama” is one of the songs that sounds like it could have been pulled off a Buddy Holly record. Earle is coming home off of the road and tells is woman she has been “Sleepin’ in the middle of the bed too long” as a way of announcing his arrival.

Following that is a train song of a different color. “Workin’ for the MTA” chronicles the life of a child of a railroad man who is working on the subway in New York City. It is a perfect example of Earle’s ability to take a song style or theme and adapt to the world in which he lives.

My final favorite on the record is “Ain’t Waitin’” which just has a nice groove to it with some great lines. The harmonica all the way through makes you think blues when meshed with the electric guitar but, I’m not sure I’d call it a blues tune.

Once again, Earle has solidified himself as a great writer and performer and in no way in need of help from his name sake to stand out. While some my find it almost heretical to say I think the younger Earle has put out three records now that are as good or better than anything his father has put out since Guitar Town.

Harlem River Blues went on sale Tuesday and can be purchased from Justin’s official site here.

Tags: album review, Justin Townes Earle

Album Review : Jon Hogan : Every Now and Then

Sep 12, 2010 Album Reviews

This record came to me in the mail a couple weeks ago and although I was not familiar with Hogan’s previous works I was excited to hear it. It is essentially a tribute record to two Texas legends in Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley.

I’m always interested to hear tribute records, especially when they involve Townes. On this one Hogan does a remarkable job handling the material with the skill and class the songs demand. Included on it are six Van Zandt songs and three Foley songs and a surprise twist.

The twist is three new Foley tunes that had never been recorded or had music written for them as far as anyone knows. These lyrics were found in a notebook of Blaze’s personal things by his sister and given to Jon Hogan to finish shortly after performing the Townes Wake at the Old Quarter in January 2009. I can only imagine the emotions that ran through Hogan as he sat down to add music to the words of one of his heroes more than twenty years after his passing.

The instrumentation on the record is phenomenal throughout. On most of the songs it is very sparse allowing the songs shine through often just focusing on the interactions of Hogan’s rhythm guitar and Maria Moss’ finger picking with some embellishments from other musicians sprinkled in.

Hogan’s voice is as close to perfect for the material as one can get. He manages to match  the weariness of both Foley and Van Zandt even on the more upbeat tunes.

As for the highlights of the record I will focus mainly on the “new” songs but I have to mention a few of the classics that stood out for me. Among the Townes songs, I think the best is Hogan’s version of “Lungs”. Hogan’s vocals really stand out on this one as he sustains lines and holds notes to really emphasis them. The Blaze Foley song that stood out for me was easy because it was “Clay Pigeons”. I know this may be the simple pick being Foley’s most famous song, but it is such a damn good tune and that fact is not lost when Hogan lays it out on this recording.

The three new songs on the record are all pretty damn good. The title track and first song on the album, “Every Now and Then” is one of the two that Blaze had titled already. Accompanied by a fiddle on this one, Hogan did a great job of arranging this to fit the words.

“Can’t Always Cry” was named after the repeated line by Hogan while working with the song. The song is the universal story of a man who has lost love and is vowing to change the way he lives to perhaps regain the love that has flown.

Towards the end of the record the last co-write, “Safe in the Arms of Love” is probably my favorite of the three. “I’d give everything I got left for to give, to be safe in the arms of love” sings Hogan after lamenting over all the things he had already messed up in his life. This song is simple and poetic at the same time which is really what the beauty of Blaze’s songs is all about.

In the end, Hogan has met all the requirements of a successful tribute record and included a major bonus. He handled all of the material with ease and really showcased his own ability to adapt things to his own personal style without losing the essence of the song. Although I never need prodding to listen to a Townes record, Hogan did push me into breaking out all of my Blaze Foley records and remember what was so great about them, which is always a good sign after listening to a cover or tribute album. If there were people who were unfamiliar with either of the songwriters that are featured here I  believe Hogan’s interpretations would be good enough to force them to delve into the respective catalogs.

On top of all that we got three new Blaze Foley songs to appreciate and that in and of itself makes this record worth making and buying. If you do not have it, please visit Hogan’s website here and buy a copy. You will not regret your actions.

Tags: Blaze Foley, Jon Hogan, Townes Van Zandt

Artist of the Month, September 2010 : Jon Dee Graham

Sep 2, 2010 Artist of the Month

A few years ago I was starting to dig into the Ray Wylie Hubbard catalog and listening to some live stuff as well. On a particular show, Ray starts to tell a story about writing a verse about a local drummer and not being sure what to do with it. He played the verse for his friend Jon Dee Graham to get his opinion on it. Graham’s answer? Write a verse about me.

So the song “Name Droppin’” was born and my introduction to Jon Dee’s music was inevitable because I had to find out more about this guy for sure. Luckily the same guy who had sent me the Ray Wylie show had some Jon Dee as well.

This was just prior to Graham releasing Full so the show I received started out with this marvelously gritty sounding song about a pirate ship, “Tie a Knot”. I was hooked from the opening guitar line and as soon as I  heard Jon’s voice I knew I had discovered something I was going to love.

I went on his website to see what was available and noticed he would be in Ohio soon, so I booked him to play at the bar and got a copy of Full in the mail.

For those of you who are not familiar with Graham, he is a Texas native and an Austin legend. He spent the beginning of his career playing guitar in the influential punk country bands The Skunks and later The True Believers (Alejandro Escovedo’s band) before embarking on his solo career.

He is a three time member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame and winner of SXSW’s Musician of the year in 2006. To this date he has released 7 solo studio albums, has had a documentary made about him and his songs were covered by a list of Texas music legends for a benefit record to help with Graham’s son’s doctor bills.

Now back to the story. So I have Jon Dee booked for a Saturday night and I’m still not really sure what to expect, I just know that the one album of his that I have is quickly becoming one of my favorite records. Unfortunately it was the worst turnout we ever had for a show and I had to pay 2/3 of the guarantee out of my pocket.

The redeeming factor was that Jon Dee went out and blew us all away for almost three hours making the investment absolutely worth it. He was completely in control of the stage both in song and banter. At the beginning of the second set he decided that it felt more like a living room with the few people that were there and unplugged his guitar and did not use the mic at all. It was amazing.

Jon Dee Graham writes songs that are so honest the word honesty does them no justice. Graham pulls no punches with anyone including himself in song at that is what really makes him stand apart from everyone else.

As always I am going to pick a few albums to really highlight from his catalog but, I have to mention the song “Faithless” from the album, Escape From Monster Island first. While not one of my favorite albums of his this song is one the best songs ever written in my opinion. It is one of the songs that you can play when you are not feeling so grand and it immediately gives you hope.

The first album I will discuss is 2004′s The Great Battle, his last release on New West Records. This record is a perfect example of Graham’s ability to write great songs with a pop sense to go alongside his gravelly vocals and perfectly timed guitar playing. The first song that really stands out on this one is “I Don’t Feel That Way”, a track that shows the growth of the narrator in his way of looking at life. “The Majesty of Love” is a song that shows how highly Graham thinks of his wife. This is a theme that Jon Dee really attacks from an angle that is not at all cliche. He has a self deprecating manor when speaking of himself in a relationship that really hits home with all of us that has a significant other that has to put up with our many shortcomings.

Later in the album, the song “Robot Moving” has some great lyrics in it. “I swore I’d never use the word irony in a song, the irony is that I never meant to live this long, yeah but I did”. A final original on this record that is a favorite of mine is “Something to Look Forward to”. Another song about the daily life of a working married man just looking for ways to make it through the tough times.

Rounding out the highlights of the album are a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest” and the best version I’ve ever heard of the traditional “Lonesome Valley”

Full was released in 2006 and is on my short list of top 25 albums of all time. From start to finish this record is phenomenal. It has a little bit of everything, hope, love, rock n roll, death, drugs, everything you need in a great album.

The song “Holes” is such a great Rock n Roll song that it prompted me to call a friend (also a Jon Dee fan) simply to tell him what he already knew, “Holes is just a kick ass song, goodbye”. “Swept Away” is the story of a staged death, used to get away and start a new life. It also became the title to the aforementioned documentary featuring Mr. Graham.

Also previously mentioned, “Tie a Knot” has the nastiest feel to it of any song on the album and it is an absolute delight to listen to. I wouldn’t care if he was just saying a bunch of nonsense in this song because it sounds so damn cool, fortunately it has great images like “The wounded inside are weeping Portuguese wine” throughout the tune.

“Remain” is another song written for his wife. Before he played this live he asked if there was anyone in the crowd married to a musician. When a few hands went up he told them that there was a special place in heaven just for them and went into the song. “Cigarette ashes everywhere, I’m almost gone even when I’m there” pretty much sums up the life a musician’s wife has to deal with every day.

The last song I will discuss off this album is “Something Wonderful”, which is another great Rock n Roll song that brings us all hope when times are rough. Seeing live footage of this track on Youtube makes me crave to see him with a full band sometime in the future because this song is an event.

A few years ago we almost lost Jon Dee to a serious car crash. His first words to the officer who arrived on the scene were “It’s not as bad as it looks” which became the title of the album he released after his recovery. I am not going to go into a lot of detail on this because you can read my review from earlier this year here. I will say that it has continued to grow on me and when I am not listening to Full I  find myself putting this one on quite a bit.

If this article hasn’t convinced you to check out all of his recordings please shoot over to his website and peruse all of the stuff there. I guarantee if you listen to him for a short while you will feel better about going out to face the day.

One more quick story I have to mention. Not only does Jon Dee Graham release great albums, play amazing live sets and save cats from burning buildings (okay I may have made that one up) but he also builds friendships. When I was promoting the show at the bar I went into the local guitar shop to hang a flier. I was amazed that in my little hometown someone approached me immediately for tickets. The person was part owner of the store and we started a conversation about Jon Dee. Turns out he had seen Graham a few years earlier opening for John Hiatt at the Birchmere in Virginia. We immediately hit it off and now are the best of friends. If you listen to the podcasts on this site you would know him as Matt Hill, producer, engineer and master of all things recordings.


Here is Jon Dee performing “Faithless” completely unplugged from the show I mentioned. The angle of the camera is poor but the feel of the song is definitely there.

Tags: jon dee graham, ray wylie hubbard