The Red Hat in Raleigh
Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen
Another very hot night in the south… but I did get to fly my drone.
I see you...
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Aerial shot of the setup
Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna 30, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
The Red Hat Amphitheater
Raleigh, North Carolina
Friday, July 14, 2017
1. Roads and Roads &
2. Living Just For You
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Sea Child
6. Wolves And Lambs
7. Come Back Baby
8. Hit Single # 1
The Shimmer Wall
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Then to the Mighty Fox Theater in Atlanta!
More fancy stuff at the Fox than a feller could want
Foto by Phil Jacobs
This was Tuna’s first time at the Fox. What a trip!
Ceilings...
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna 31, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
The Fox Theater
Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday, July 15, 2017
1. I See The Light
2. Wolves & Lambs
3. Ode For Billy Dean
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Watch The North Wind Rise
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Bowlegged Woman
Night lights
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Then we moved on to Charlotte.
Rockin' in the light!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Hot Tuna 32, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheater
1. Living Just For You
2. Wolves & Lambs
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Rock Me Baby
5. Trial By Fire
6. Road and Roads &
7. Funky #7
Then a mere ten hour drive to Indianapolis for a much needed ‘day off!’
Memorial Square in Indianapolis!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Walking around we ran into Derek and Susan and they recommended that we go to St. Elmo Steakhouse.
This is the place
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
What a delicious dinner on a great afternoon!
Culinary satisfaction
Then back to the hotel for an early evening…
Day after tomorrow we’ll be at Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn with the gang!
Good times!
Okay, well, I was riffing…
I kind of don’t actually expect to be asked to join the band. That’s fine.
I’m agoraphobic anyway. LIVE From His Bedroom… JESUSSSSS OLDMANNNNNN!
Well yeah, my studio is my bedroom. Not much of a studio,
but you listen to my records, you’d never know it. I know how to work that not much o’ nothing… so, I didn’t want you to feel on the spot… “Oh God… now this guy wants to be added to the band? Oh man, how do I get into these predicaments??”
I do wanna make a good album though.
And I got Funky #7 going through my head…
might just start recording ’em as I feel like it…
I don’t wanna be unfair to Hank. He didn’t do anything.
I’ll be like “OH man…. I wanna do the Jorma album already…”
and Hank’ll be like… “Hey don’t blame me, Man, wasn’t my idea.”
Meanwhile, on other fronts in my life…
I might be writing a book soon. About my unlikely life.
Oh there’s all kinds of stuff going on with me.
I channel. You know what that is?
The other two main guys in my band,
they don’t live here anymore.
I don’t even wanna start talkin’ about it,
most sane people wouldn’t believe it.
Even some crazy ones ain’t sure.
Oh Me? I’m Industrial Strength Crazy…
no worries there.
So I was thinking,
if I did, hit one of the Jorma tunes, or more,
I can use the bandcamp site,
to be my ‘stage off stage’ thing…
’cause, nobody ever goes there practically…
so I can just, do whatever…
I wouldn’t put it yet on SoundClick,
because that Is the stage…
Oh man, I wish everybody’d just leave me alone,
and I’ll just do a four day marathon recording session,
drink about eighteen pots of coffee…
boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom, done.
Country album. Hank Williams Sr, Ladies & Gentlemen.
And I can’t skimp on it… it’s Hank Williams. It’s gotta be damn good.
I’m just probably not going to wander far from how he did it…
except I will anyway, ’cause, I’m a different person,
and it’s like, oh, all these years later.
Hank’s great, don’t wanna make it sound like I’m not gonna do the man justice.
I will.
Just wish there were two of me,
and we each had a studio.
Nah, you see how I am…
I can’t be in ANYBODY’s band…
I’m one guy,
with an ethereal band around me…
and they’re heavyweights…
guys you’ve heard of,
and they’re scared of Me.
My life is one funny damned thing, I’ll tell you what.
JO
I feel like HG Wells.
No further replies here.
And obviously, since the disappearing comment,
didn’t disappear, was instead moderated,
and, wow I’m somewhere where I can speak freely?
Great. Where’s the coffee and donuts.
Okay, so, yeah.
Never answer with ten words what you can say with three.
Never answer with one word, what you can say with silence.
My read is
“Okay, Jesus… I’m intrigued…
let’s SEE what you do,
with a whole album of my stuff, Dude.”
Yeah, I’ve put my foot in it now,
and, you didn’t say no,
so no backing out of this one.
I don’t wanna.
But I was telling myself,
in answer of the worry,
“What if Jorma tells me I can’t do it?”
“Well, idiot, you won’t do it.”
“Oh man, that’ll SUCK”
“Yeah, but the upside is, then you don’t HAVE To Do It.”
“Ohhh. Yeah!”
Internal conversations between idiot and savant.
They say ‘no one is all one thing’,
I’m the example in extremity of that one.
Okay, there’ll be time for conversation,
down the road a piece…
after I make, this Most Incredible Album, “JORMATOWN”…
and oh I’m pulling out the stops on this one, that’s for sure.
Objective:
It’s about letting Jorma,
hear what I’ve heard,
in his stuff over the years.
‘Cause you know,
it’s hard sometimes, getting outside yourself.
Yeah, one thing at a time.
Maybe conversation later…
when there’s more to talk about.
Meanwhile, it’s a lot of work.
Okay, so I know, you’re now aware,
of the posts here, back in time…
outside of a few die hard fans,
most people probably won’t come back here
and read all this, unless they all do…
“Ladies & Gentlemen,
I wanna introduce you to the Newest Member of Hot Tuna, Jesus Oldman…”
What. I dream Big.
Always have.
Nice dream, it suggests at some point,
there’s a world we recover. That’d be nice. It’s the little things.
No shit I’m gettin’ ahead of myself. Ya think?
hahahahahaha…
Okay. Done. Transcribed ’em.
I’m gonna hush myself up now,
you’ll hear from me again when this is all done.
I am, honored beyond any string of words I can think of to describe.
And, if apology is needed, pardon my enthusiasm. And if it isn’t… Great.
See you on the other side of this thing.
God Bless, Much Love To You All,
Jesus Oldman
Well. That’s interesting. You were right.
There is one version of it (Running With The Fast Crowd) on YouTube.
Yet curiously enough, I was able to find, NO lyrics anywhere
on the internet. That surprised me. Well, I’ve rereleased a lot of my old records,
and often I can’t find the original lyrics, so I had to listen real close and transcribe,
which’ll be what I end up doing. I’m very psyched however.
Both about the idea that wow looks like maybe I’m actually doing this…
(I totally am unless you pit bull me off the idea, hoping you don’t)
and that, the deduction that you had to have listened to some piece
of music that I did, before you said I could cover Fast Crowd.
Yeah, this was a Good Day. I needed one too, Thanks.
Two years later, but, Thanks.
I am freshly inspired. Yeah. JO
Note added later… Eating dinner. Or will be. Has to cool some.
I’ve yet to figure out the set list…
Couple in mind already…
Genesis. Watch The North Wind Rise. Funky Number 7. Running With The Fast Crowd.
I’ll figure it out, that’s just off the top of my head… I Wish You Would. Sunrise Dance With The Devil. That’s already 6…
Now, if, you for any reason, want me NOT to do a whole album of your stuff,
even with it being free, and I ain’t tryin’ to make ANY money off it,
you have my email address, and you CAN indeed write me,
and say “Oh hold on thar buckaroo…”
or, let’s say you’re shier than I can imagine you being…
you can also, once it’s done,
tell me,
“I hate it ’cause it’s awful.”
or,
“I hate it ’cause it’s way too fuckin’ good.”
or, fuck a reason, who needs a reason.
It’s your stuff.
You can, and I know you know this,
I know this, is my point…
you can, tell me even after I put it out,
“please, unrelease this album”
done deal. No questions asked.
Okay, I will ask what you didn’t like about it.
But I’ll comply with your wishes.
that said,
I’m gonna really go breakneck bent over backwards,
trying to make it, AMAZING.
So that, hopefully, you’ll actually think it’s cool.
Time alone will tell.
But, you have some time, if you wanted to tell me ahead of time…
I got 11 Hank’s songs still to do.
Wow. No I hadn’t.
I just told my brother Whitney,
that I’d posted a comment on your site,
then totally forgot I had,
and that, three hours later, some two odd years ago,
you’d answered.
He and you once played with a mutual bass player.
Whitney (my brother)
was in a band with L. Shankar,
with Steve Austin playing the bass,
Steve was, pretty relentless in making fun of Shankar,
one day Steve’s antics got him, and my brother (for laughing) fired.
Oh well, easy come, easy go.
Shankar was an unbelievable violinist,
his 80s pop songs however left something to be desired…
okay, the pasta should be cooled by now…
Till the next time my friend…
Jesus Oldman
PS…
“you should probably bring it back”?
what, you mean one cannot buy the CD anymore?
Or, you meant your gigging line up presently?
Yeah, it’s a Great Song, you should play that still!
Hell yeah.
Man, I’m an idiot/savant,
which means, well everybody knows what an idiot is,
but, I’m also a freakin’ musical genius…
and you are, one of the few,
I actually do look up to.
And you wrote back.
Like, holy shit,
several hours, after I wrote this…
and I’d forgotten,
and I never once checked here again!
Only found it, ’cause I googled myself,
found out already there’s people trying to imitate me.
I laughed. “Good luck with that, Pal”… hahahaha
well, I WILL be back,
with the link to the finished album,
ain’t gonna clutter the place up each time
I release a song, nah…
nail all 12 if it’s 12, then come back and plunk down the link. JO
Wow. I should Google myself more often. I made that comment in — two years ago. Think I remembered? I just turned 61 going on 116… didn’t even have the SoundClick site as my site yet… Wow. That’s my totally main site. Bandcamp’s like, backup. No traffic on Bandcamp, yet on SoundClick, they’re coming from around the world. I’m freaking honored that you answered, Jorma. Wow. This made my day. Week. Probably month. Presently, I’m up to 83 albums done. Yeah I keep busy. On 84 now, one song in, I’m doing an entire album of Hank Williams Sr. Like, I’m doing ’em my way, but I’m also trying to keep true to his original vibe on it, much as I can… of course, did it completely different anyway… when you listen to his, then mine, yeah, totally different, I just wanted it to be, you know, true enough that Hank Williams Sr wouldn’t be peeking at me through the mirror going ‘you’re not gonna really put that out are you?’ Did “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, and I did get into it, I’m singing “I’m so lonesome I could die” at the end,
which is where it ended up with me singing it, had a wife die on me in 2012,
so, easily enough rendered. But now that I’ve read this… Well after I get done doing the Hank album, I’ve just decided, Next Album: JORMATOWN. And I have an interesting perspective on a lot of your songs, ever since I heard Double Dose, on at least that much LSD, Quadruple or better, more than likely… it’s like, a different album. I don’t know how you engineered it like that, but damned if you didn’t. Sonic stuff that, forget it, dogs can’t even hear it. People tripping their balls off can though. Holy Fuckballs.
So, I’ll try to work from memory… I can’t believe I had the nerve to ask you for an mp3 of it, really, I don’t need that. I find the lyrics somewhere on the internet that’s about it… if I couldn’t find ’em, I could always write new ones… Not to worry, for one thing, I give all my music away free to download, feel free to ‘go shopping’… it’s what it’s there for. I’m on a Mission from God. Maybe that’s tongue in cheek, maybe that’s a guy who ate an awful lot of Lysergic and, knows how He can get. He. She. Who cares. The Staff is the staff, I do what I’m told. Oh man, now I have a ton of your songs going through my head. Flowers today… Serpent of Dreams, right. I trust I’ll be able to locate all the lyrics, and I remember how they all go… they’re burnt into my brain, just the lyrics… When I first met you child, you didn’t know how to break a heart, didn’t take much time, till you broke mine, and that’s not where you start…
Yeah… I’m ferociously into this. Hank William’s just got jealous. “Who the heck’s this fellah? We only just got started!”
Not to worry Hank. And not to worry Jorma,
I’ll get the copyright notation right…
and as a running thing,
if you happen to like, what I come out with…
because now? I’ve put this site in a file I’ll check on,
and I just now emailed myself “Next Album: JORMATOWN”…
(I wonder if I could get R. Crumb to make me an album cover… probably not,
he was a weird young man, now he’s a weird old one,
he’d probably want money. I don’t make money.
I doubt I’d accept any.
If you wanted to release what I make,
I’d take whatever you felt like giving me for it,
and give it to my mom.
I like leaving money out of the equation, and I know,
that’s really retarded. So is having the damned nerve
to call yourself Jesus. That was God’s idea.
“You’ll be Jesus now”… “you’re fuckin’ crazier than I am, aren’t ya”
And He just gives me this look.
Like “Oh you are just up to that part of the story?”
Yes, hahahaha, I love it.
I know damn well it’s on Barbecue?
Spell check said Barbeque was the wrong spelling,
I’m like “Jorma spelled it that way, fuck you Spell Checker, you’re a Dick”…
Well, the SoundClick one, that’s my main place now…
I don’t even blink at the other one…
but apparently, when I wrote this earlier (by two years)
post, I was only just getting started… 83 album later…
Wow. I don’t wanna rush Hank here, but I’m really looking forward
to getting into this one…
did I mention, if you want, you can sell the thing,
I’ll even take it out of circulation, far as free download goes,
God’ll have to understand. That’s why it’s all free.
Music’s like air. So far that’s still free. Kinda.
Yeah free in every specially marked box, a whole lot of other crap. I know.
but feel free,
and as I started to say, don’t know if I finished,
I’d just give it to my mom.
Yeah, I did say that, I remember hearing it.
I hear as I type.
I have the LSD to thank for teaching me
how to hear in ways I never could before.
I mix stuff from INSIDE the song, it’s fantastic.
Don’t try this at home, Kids.
I’m a Professional Asshole!
Oh man, this is gonna be Great.
Thank you, Jorma.
Made my fuckin’ year, Man.
Jesus Oldman – 2020
I’m Jesus Oldman and I approved this message.
Oy. Running WITH The Fast Crowd. Let’s don’t blow it on a stupid technicality.
Hey Jorma. Jesus here.
Man, for the life of me, this one and the last,
I could not find a version of your recording
of Running With The Fast Crowd, that I could just listen to…
I just emailed you, about gettin’ your permission,
to cover that song, and I did offer to let you sell it exclusively…
that having now been re-said, I also wanna add,
if your answer is yes, write to me and tell me so, and, send me
an mp3 of your recording (studio original, vital parts)
of Running In The Fast Crowd,
I wanna be up on how you did it, I have it in my memory banks,
but I’d wanna absorb it fresh, good as I am at this.
Yeah, if you wanna see what ol’ Jesus can do, I could find the lyric sheet,
and with no more than that, nail a great version,
but come on. We want it to be the best possible, right? That means, I consult yours. ~J
It’s on Barbeque King… I’m sue you can get it on youtube…
Feel free to play that song… It’s in C as I recall. I haven’t played it in years. I should probably bring it back. You’re on you’re own… but it’s pretty straight ahead..
Jorma
I should have been more specific – the been So Long was instead of Wolves and Lambs, I do believe.
Not to be too exacting…but…there was a “Been So Long” right after “Living Just For You” in Charlotte. Great Show – Thank You!
We drove up from Lexington to Riverbend for the big Steamie.Listened to Burgers & Pair dice found.
Burgers was well represented and the band and bandshell were hot.
Jorma returned to school the Woods brothers with a sanguine “Death don’t have no Mercy”, PA was a little soft .
They than came back to rouse with 3/5 mile with Trucks /Tedeschi- R&B ensemble.
$65 dollar make a grown man holler”
Thanks for the earful-fun
Riverbend
Ohio river backdrop
can’t wait to see you guys tonight in Cinci!!! always a good time when you’re around Jorma…especially when you are Jack are plugged in and rockin out!!! if they don’t know Jorma, they don’t know Jack…show em how it’s done my friend, teach em what rock n roll is all about!!!! have a great night…I know I will 😉
My first time seeing Hot Tuna live was at the Fabulous Fox in Atlanta and it was incredible! Enjoyed the Wood Bros. and Tedeschi-Trucks is always amazing! I’m listening to more Tuna now than ever!
There was/is no Tedeschi Trucks Band show with Tuna this summer around the New York City area. The closest show was Connecticut. Likely because TTB is playing 5 nights at the Beacon in the fall and they need to sell them tickets.
Drone : Music
a. Any of the pipes of a bagpipe that lack finger holes and produce a single tone.
b. A long sustained tone.
c. Any of various instruments that produce only a constant pitch.
While your no drone and you don’t drone you do seem to drone pretty well
portable heaters and the bandshell in Central Park. Paul’s spirit will smile on us through the Ringo Rampage Bright Eyes Snow Gorilla Suite as the sun comes up behind the bandshell and the police realize they forgot to close Central Park because they were too busy dancing….
Peace
Love All Ways
Apollo sounds nice too
@Andy K – and others – I just got in and got seats in first row of loge. When I went back to see about other good seats, TicketFly was down. Go figure.
@Matt…10 or 15 years of Beacon shows? I’ve lost track, but I know J&J played in November ’01 with gear of the Bravest and Finest on stage with them and many times since and I’ve missed very few. From a personal perspective, it’s sort of fitting there are no Beacon shows this year as a good pal who went to all those past years’ shows (and more) with me passed away recently…and it just wouldn’t be the same. Beacon or no Beacon, he would have been psyched for Portchester and Asbury Park.
Hot Tuna in golden gate park….for free in October.
No ticket needed.
See ya there
@Andy K
GO BACK AND TRY AGAIN – THEY JUST RELEASED MORE TIX
Just guessing but since Tuna played Staten Island in Spring, maybe that violated the Beacon ticket radius rule where they are not supposed to play a nearby venue within 6 months or so because it could hamper with the Beacon ticket sales?
Last year the Beacon had a long line getting in, it took an hour to get in because security was extra patting people down at the door and many folks were late getting in and missed the first few songs. Plus it is the most expensive venue for a show compared to other places. This will be the first time Tuna does not play the Beacon for Thanksgiving/Christmas in how many years?
@willy
Yeah, very frustrating. Wish the pols would take on Ticketmaster/Ticketfly and the egregious harm they do to consumers.
Unfortunaely, won’t happen with this Congress
@Andy K…I too went online at 10 AM and have yet to get anything except a message saying there are no tickets available (and this on three different browsers). Guess I’ll keep trying!
The presale for the Capitol Theatre is a mess.
I dutifully went on right at 10AM and it showed basically no tickets available. After a 1/2 hour of repeated tries, was offered a pair in the balcony!
There has to be a better system for fans to access tickets. Tedeschi Trucks has a pretty good system to get tickets to fans and avaoid scalpers.
wow presale at Portchester out of tickets under a minute. Not Cool
Da hippies always understood
Peace
Love All Ways
SVT NORTH BEACH would be nice
@Sweetbac Jr.
Had a great time catching tonight’s concert in Indy. Had not seen you since the 89 Airplane reunion tour in Chicago. Wish it were a longer set, of course. Hope you had a good time in town. How did you come with the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s? 😉
St. Elmo’s rocks!
Thanks for the info..I live on Long Island and have tickets for the Paramount show..To bad about the Beacon..Always a great time ..Such a nice venue..Wonder what happened..Hmmm
@Richard
You can take the Metro-North train to PortChester and see the boyz at the Capitol Theatre.
No Beacon show this year Richard. @Richard
Got me thinking about a few more tunes to dust off.
“Running with the Fast Crowd” and “Money Honey” from the vital parts
days would be a killer. How about a little tour with Steeler and Denny
DeGorio revisiting that era, Jorma?
A misunderstood era for sure….NOT a punk rock move at all…but a genuine wish to get back to 50’s era rock n roll…the hippies didn’t understand, but Jorma did.
Cool to see your 1979 album getting some love!
@Richard
How about the Apollo? Wouldn’t that be cool?
Will there be a Beacon show this year? The band will be close to NYC..Or are these shows a replacement? Would like to know so we can make plans..
Messed around and missed the Charlotte deal; HARUMPH! Becoming old has its disappointing setbacks. Being the packrat that I am, excavated an envelope jammed with ancient ticket stubs. One dog-eared gem: FRANK J RUSSO PRESENTS AT THE FABULOUS FOX (Atlanta)….FRANK ZAPPA SUNDAY SEPT 17 1978 7:00PM………. $8.75 I kid you not; I wanna zoot suit with a reat pleat. And there’s more…….
Electric Tuna Dec 8th at the Capitol Theatre
Yippee!!!!!!
Ah, he’s just “Starting Over Again.”@Sweetbac Jr.
Hey Jorma, love the drone shots and stories – especially since I wasn’t able to make it to any shows – Keep on truckin’ – see you in Oct!
What do we have HERE!,,,”Wolves and Lambs” and “Roads….”
Jormas 1979 solo record is criminally underrated in his canon.
A true psych-folk masterpiece that has stood the test of time.
I think the new trio should dust off “Valley of Tears” and take
it for a spin….one of Jormas top 10 compositions for sure.
Good on ya lad for digging deep in the treasure chest of tunes!
I do a good bit of driving, and Highway Song moves me down the road with toe tapping and head bobbing. It’ll help shorten any run. Looks like the tour is proceeding swimmingly well. Rock Onward!
@rich l
Aaahh…..Highway Song! Now I’m gonna have to break out Burgers !
Boy these set lists make me want to see electric Hot Tuna – it’s been a long, long time.
I know Papa John and David Crosby were integral parts of it, but I’m thinking “Highway Song” would sound excellent with just your current threesome. I love Jack’s bass on that song.
“Rolling down the highway
Living in the Spring
Raining somewhere down the road
Now that don’t mean a thing…”
The limestone and memorial in the square are not only historically significant but a treat for the eye and ear.
Never had a bad meal at St Elmo’s.
See ya at Riverbend Friday night