It’s been more than eventful and I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Let’s get to it.
We left off after the Warner Theater in D.C. and our next stop was the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, N.C. In the past we played the Cat’s Cradle a number of times in earlier incarnations. I remember playing the gig with Oteil And The Peacemakers. Good times.
Meowww
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna 30, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Cat’s Cradle
Carrboro, North Carolina
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
1. Candy Man
2. Serpent Of Dreams
3. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Talkin’ Bout You
6. Wolves & Lambs
7. Living Just For You
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Come Back Baby
10. Sea Child
11. Watch The North Wind Rise
12. Good Shepherd
13. Funky # 7
14. Encore: Water Song
Then it was off to Asheville and the Orange Peel.
It’s been a minute or two for us at the Orange Peel as well and it was great to be back. We also got to jam a little with Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley.
Rock club extraordinaire...
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna 31, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Orange Peel
Asheville, North Carolina
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Barbeque King
4. Can ‘t Get Satisfied
5. Hit Single # 1
6. Sleep Song
7. Trial By Fire
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Sea Child
10. Good Shepherd
11. Walkin’ Blues
12. Funky #7
13. Baby What You Want Me To Do with Rob and Trey
The men at work!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Then it was time for a trip to Pelham, Tennessee and a gig in the Caverns.
Aerial view of the Cavern entrance
Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen
Now this is a little bit different.
What a gig!
Foto by Jack Casady
This is really one of a kind…
Could one of Dante's Circles be close?
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna 32, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Caverns
Pelham, Tennessee
Friday, August 30, 2019
1. I See The Light
2. Candy Man
3. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Talkin’ Bout You
6. Watch The North Wind Rise
7. Sea Child
8. Living Just For You
9. Bowlegged Woman
10. Can’t Get Satisfied
11. Sleep Song
12. Trial By Fire
13. Good Shepherd
14. Funky # 7
15. Encore: Baby hat You Want Me To Do? With Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
Rockin' under the rocks!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Then it was a solo Tuna show at our old stomping grounds, the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points.
Our name in Lights
Foto by Phil Jacobs
I’ve always loved the Variety, but with the refit… it’s off the charts!
Hot Tuna 33, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday, August 31, 2019
First Set:
1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Talkin’ Bout You
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Wolves & Lambs
6. Letter To The North Star
7. Watch The North Wind Rise
8. Bow Legged Woman
9. Hit Single # 1
Second Set:
1. That’ll Never Happen No More
2. Living Just For You
3. Barbeque King
4. Walkin’ Blues
5. Baby What You Want Me To Do?
6. Whining Boy Blues
7. In The Kingdom
8. Trial By Fire
9. Good Shepherd
10. Come Back Baby
11. Funky #7
12. Encore: Water Song
Jack and Justin do their part in Funky # 7!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Another long drive after show… this time to Memphis and Graceland.
The King Lives!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
I was here at Graceland with my friend Jerry on a motorcycle run nine years ago… and so much has changed. Graceland is alive and well and it was an honor to play here!
What a gig!
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Hot Tuna 34, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
Graceland Soundstage
Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
Sunday, September 1, 2019
1. I See The Light
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Barbeque King
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Ode To Billy Dean
6. Letter To The North Star
7. Wolves And Lambs
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Come Back Baby
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Trial By Fire
12. Good Shepherd
13. Hit Single # 1
14. Funky # 7
15. Water Song
Live at Graceland
Foto by Phil Jacobs
It’s been a hectic but rewarding run so far. I know there were people I was planning to see that somehow I missed and I apologize for this. Next time friends… next time!
A moderately short run up to St. Louis and after checking into the hotel our next stop was at Gokul Indian Restaurant on Delmar. 100% vegetarian… their food is off the charts!
In St. Louis, yuou gotta ry this place whether you're a vegetarian or not!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Good food is good food.
OK… pretty much caught up. Sleeping in a non moving bed… awesome!
More will be revealed!
Words to live by!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma does the best he can to keep his fans in the loop. He posts this blog to keep his fans up to date on Hot Tuna’s tours, setlists, interesting dialogue and great photos. We can go on tour with HT with this blog. Thank you Jorma. I just love traveling around the country with my favorite band. Keep on Truckin’.
@Richard
TY for the answer Jorma, pretty much what I figured. Your words are just so much more poetic than the ones in my head. 😉
@Jorma
You can stand on your head behind the drum riser and I would still come to HT shows!!!Seen a lot of music since the 70s and HT and the Dead are the only bands that give so much to their fans..
@Greg martelli
Hello Greg… Just bumped into this brief article. A link to a current video of a tune of his too.
https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/mark-knopfler-how-gear-can-influence-music
Agreed, he is quite a player…His work on Dylan’s Slow Train Coming was tasteful and spot on.
Having seen Miles twice in late career I suspect his back to audience came from same shade as dark sunglasses,early in career (check video), he faced audience .
I think his “shade” was same derivation that caused Clapton in early 70’s to show up 2- hrs late for show,Sly to miss shows(worst concert I’ve ever seen was Sly about 5-6 years ago at BBKings,NYC,he was still 90 minutes late and than had no Fukien clue as to what he was doing ,couldn’t even mime Dance to the music”, put the song thankyouforlettingmebe myself into perspective.
Junk is Junk
@Art
Well noted Arthur.
When asked why he often played with his back to the audience, Miles Davis said, “Nobody ever asks classical orchestra conductors why they have their backs to the audience.”
Interconnection. Its evidence is woven everywhere into the fabric. First Blues Highway marker we came up on was in Port Gibson, MS between Natchez and Vicksburg. Turned off the road into one of the many small towns along highway 61 that saw their best days decades ago, if ever at all. Pulled up to the sign and read it. Turns out, in 1918 Port Gibson became the headquarters for the F. S. Walcott Rabbit’s Foot Minstrel Show. If you know much about Levon Helm, you know that as a child he would go see them when they came through Helena, AR. Had a section of their show, later in the evening, called a Midnight Ramble. Picture coming into focus? A piece of what made up The Band’s uniqueness came right from here, Port Gibson, MS. Of course, many years later Levon coined the term for the show he performed regularly for several years at the Barn in Woodstock. I love history.
Graceland show was awesome and Letter To The Northstar was perfect. My guess is three four hundred people were there all enjoying Tuna in a relaxed atmosphere. Between this show and the Caverns the Rat was well represented. Never in my life have I been to a venue like the Caverns though! Looking straight ahead at the band onstage it looked at times like they were suspended in mid air or over some canyonland in Utah or Arizona. I kid you not , and when the bat flew out from behind them I wasn”t sure what I had just witnessed. Once they got Jacks bass dialed in it became evident that the room was made just for him on this night and Jornas guitar licks penetrated every nook in cranny in that cave. Both nights the opening act was very well received and deservedly so. Especially at the Caverns but that is not to take away anything from the band that opened at Graceland . .@HOGAN
Had the pleasure to see another great picker last night(Christmas present 2018), Mark Knopfler at Ryman .
His typical 11 piece ensemble that we saw 4- years ago.
Literally bells and whistles. Another great finger picker.
On every street
Best occasion here and now to declare, arms cast to the sky, my unbounded admiration for the Sir of the drums, Mr. Justin Guip. It ain’t to be top of the charts to rock me, rather the singing super beat as the amazing novelty in the panorama of drum playing, to ease my soul.
Rock Them All High Tonight, Jorma!
Hi,
“Letter to the North Star”, what a treat…I bet playing Graceland was beyond AWESOME.. You guys are killin it….
Safe Travels
Hogan
🙂
I have noticed this too..Thats why I always sit house left or stage right so I can see those masterful fingers do their thing..That said who are we to say how anyone should play?
That’s because I play with the band… for the audience. That’s just how I lock in. For me, playing good music is an ongoing dialogue. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone if you can see their eyes.
I’m no musician, and I’ve noticed Jorma’s position since way back in the day—facing the drummer when not achieving intergalactic synchronicity with the Thunderous Jack Casady. I’ve always assumed Jorma’s lining up his “… 7, 8 …” with the drummer.
No Genesis in all those sets.
Well Brother Jorma, I want you to know I am monetizing that beauty out here on the east coast, in fact in a town you often played in, Piermont, NY, the Turning Point.
I was playing a farmers market (yup, I hit the big time.) No big cash was coming in. Some gent walks by an says, “aren’t you the guy that was playing Genesis out on the pier some time ago”.. I said, “yes”. We chatted for a moment. He said he was going to see Hot Tuna in Pa… I said. ‘enjoy the show.”
As he is walking away, I grab my capo and put it on the 2nd fret… I turned around and thanked him for reminding me I have Genesis in my arsenal… I turned the Fishman up a tad and began that journey, from the beginning, the genesis of Genesis, to its rightful close. Love landing that A note on the intro bit.
And guess what happened as I played that tune….the money poured in. A vendor even offered me some high end bread and the guy w the sprouts came over too with a donation. Gotta love it.. Making cash with tunes. Now I have hope I can go back to Fur Peace.
Thanks for that tune and for Jack’s production on Quah… What a sweet sounding guitar.. Your vocals were prime time then too.
God bless the family, your intentions and our country and may your life keep rolling with the tide and the Good Shepherd.
PS The vocals and keyboards on the Genesis on Double Dose is eerily cool. Very dramatic. Great drum licks too…yes, drummers can play licks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-1-aU3E7tY
Can’t wait for Wednesday night, hoping to hear Water Song along with all the other great tunes. I can’t remember if you’ve played the Sheldon before–it’s a classy little theater with amazing acoustics.
@carey georgas Well, I’ve never seen Jorma plat with his teeth but he does a great job of playing with one hand, either picking it open or fretting out sustained notes. Great for drinking some water or making minor adjustments mid-song. Saw them in New Haven, seeing the boys with old friends who’ve seen them with me for over 35 years, young folks seeing them for the first time, and their parents who last saw them in the 70’s. Just a great time for all. Again. As usual.
Lawd, you shoulda heard what I just seen! Band playin’ Little Wing, guitarist pulled this gal up off the floor, sat her down in a chair, put the guitar on her lap and went to playin’ it with his teeth! If that ain’t showmanship with a flair, I’ll kiss your foot!
The Graceland show was a damnfine display of Hot Tuna’s range and masterful command of its music. The venue was great – I thought the acoustics were first rate. The light show flashing on that black curtain behind the stage was way cool. Watching as a beginning guitarist was a new experience for me. I was paying close attention to the master as he worked his magic. My guitar teacher showed me a little about power chords last lesson, and when Jorma started hitting them, I said to myself, “Looky there, that’s them power chords Eric showed me last week”. I watched Jorma real close. Sublimely educational. I haven’t learned much about intervals yet, but I read a little about them, and to watch them be so expertly executed and actually have an inkling of a clue as to what was happening was both edifying and rewarding. Now don’t get me wrong, I was whoopin’ and hollerin’ all the way through, and I was watchin’ Jack and feeling Justin’s bass drum thumpin’ plumb through me. But I’ll never look at guitar playing the same way again. Hallelujah! I’m sitting in a club on Beale Street, the band just kicked off with Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. Gotta go..,
Hey there! Caught the Cavern show! Tuna in a cave – wild stuff. As few bars into I See The Light, two bats flew out from behind the stage. That….was cool! See you at The Town Hall in a few weeks!
Jorma, I’ve always noticed this from back in the JA days and see it hasn’t changed much to this day. Why do you always play a great amount of the time, probably the majority of the time, facing the band?