Photo by Jorma Kaukonen
Brother Jack Casady is in town and we were pretty darn excited about our gig with Chris Smither at the Fur Peace Station Last night! Chris and I go back to sharing a gig at Desperadoes on M Street in Washington, D.C. back in the early 80’s. Good friends for many years and many reasons. Anyway… an afternoon show at the Station:
Photo by Jorma Kaukonen
Jack and I were so fired up about being back on stage together again and well… we had a great set!
Hot Tuna 45, 2022
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Original Acoustic Duo
The Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday, October 29, 2022
- Hesitation Blues
- Great Divide Revisited
- Broken Highway
- Sleep Song
- Good Shepherd
- Come Back Baby
- Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
- Encore: Genesis
You know, I can totally relate to the camaraderie surrounding the trips down memory lane that tend to happen on this site on a fairly frequent basis, but I will unabashedly say that I am playing and singing better now that I ever have in my life… which is as it should be. For some reason I found myself watching the Fly Jefferson Airplane documentary that Bob Sarles made some years ago. Of course, Marty and Paul were still alive back them so it was great spending a little time with them again.
Loved the footage but I had to note as exciting as it was to be young playing that kind of high energy music… I’m a better musician today. Nuff said…
Photo by Jorma Kaukonen
Chris is an amazing human being. With a playing style all his own the varied landscape of his lyrics is unparalleled. When his show was over… I was sorry there wasn’t more and one pay a higher compliment to an artist! Shiny side up until next time brother!
Halloween tomorrow as time marches on and for us…
Onward!
Thirty-five years ago today, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Jorma for the first time, backstage (which, actually, was upstairs) at Peabody’s Down Under in Cleveland. It was a great show, with the meeting being the proverbial cherry on top. Jim Miller opened the show and Jorma joined him for the last song of his set. Between Jorma’s sets, a band playing (literally) toy instruments did some songs, and Jorma joined them for Keep On Truckin’, Dimples and Shake Your Moneymaker. Awesome stuff. Chip
@john o if I scrunched you against the stage, my apologies. I was very disappointed last year when the Seawolves game against FAU here was cancelled. I have a Seawolves jersey, hope to one day catch a game, I understand there’s a stadium now
@Brian Doyle this morning Nicole’s path was to my front door. Hopefully stays Cat 1 and hope it misses you guys completely. Price of paradise
A second hurricane is lining up to give us another kick while we’re down…
Was also at that show! It was nuts for sure. It looked like a airplane hanger and the acoustics were terrible but I was close and it didn’t matter. It was Hot Tuna after all.
The arena is no longer there but the memories remain every time I pass it.
@Dan Nigro
I have a house in Stony Brook and live there each winter. Go Seawolves!
That was some show, my first off campus (Stony Brook) Tuna show. I remember these guys laying on the floor (not sure they de-iced the floor) passing a bong, saying down in front. Security ? We don’t need no stinking badges
Was there too.. You are right it was scary..seemed like no security and the party did not stop..Had fun though..
I just had a listen to the Commack arena 76′ show.
It is great! However, it gave me a flashback with a touch of PTSD😅
THAT PLACE WAS SCARY
And Tuna was relentless!
Read or read are cool! Dow was a SE great by all accounts!
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfdigest.com%2Fstory%2Fdow-finsterwald-dies-pga-championship-masters-arnold-palmer-broadmoor&data=05%7C01%7C%7C102a1acae1c4499e814d08dac0054428%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638033426090484510%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W1mMf9NYT9RZrtpUi0fbBS1DyCEfHvYlvcgNabipTiE%3D&reserved=0
@BrendanC
I meant I read obit – not telling anyone to.
@Ham Neggs
Thank you for your kind consideration. As a lifelong Astros fan, the Dodgers have always been the most hated foe. Even so, I could never hate Dusty. The storybook ride we’ve been on since his arrival could not possibly had a more fitting chapter than this. I say chapter, because I hope he comes back for another chapter or two before the book’s finished. Go ‘Stros!
Read Times obit of Athens HS grad and PGA winner Dow Finsterwald.
Many years ago I read Carl Yastrzemki’s obligatory, post triple crown bio, which contained a photo of a lamb chop sideburns Carl standing beside John Kay of Steppenwolf, on Fenway grass. Vlad Yastrzemski aka John Kay did a show there that night. First cousins. Probably shared kielbasa and Budweiser.
Ham Neggs- That’s awesome, but he’s no Doc Ellis 😉
I’m friends with Jimi’s girlfriend Carmen Borrero…She recently told me the story of being in a Chicago night club with Miles Davis and his entourage…David Ruffin was love struck when he came to the table and saw Playboy Bunny Carmen and danced with her…He tried to hook up with Carmen but she told him she was Jimi’s lady…Ruffin flew Carmen to Detroit and Temptations concerts where he sang on his knees to her in the front row etc…Carmen said Dusty Baker was sitting with them at that nightclub table and partied with them…
I know a lot of purists are pissed but congratulations Dusty Baker. Probably the only manager in baseball who smoked a joint with Mr. Hendrix. Enjoy Carey Peace✌🏻️❤️Love All Ways🔥🚲🌹🙏🏻🖖🏼
Jorma, getting older ain’t for sissies but neither is touring in the JA/HT during the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s.
Link to the article @Ham Neggs. Nice pre-gold tooth smile, we were all young once
https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/watch-jefferson-airplanes-historic-white-rabbit-woodstock-performance
Jorma– Getting old ain’t for sissies is exactly right, but it beats the alternative 😉
Local CBS2 in NY just ran a spot on how the Capitol Theater survived and is giving back through a VOLUNTEER program. Also Guitar Player has a small article on White Rabbit at Woodstock with interview with our gracious host.
Peace✌🏻️❤️Love All Ways🔥🚲🌹🙏🏻🖖🏼
My wife and I finally made it to FPR for a show and it could not have been better. We’ve been JA and HT fans for a long time. We saw you play at Shank Hall in Milwaukee earlier this year but this was our first HT show. You and Jack absolutely killed it. Also loved Chris Smither. Big fan of him now. Your facility is beautiful, your staff super friendly, and we will have to make the trip again in the future. Big thank you to you, Vanessa, John, and everyone else at FPR.
@john o
On one of those summer party nights in Rockland County in 1978 some friends showed up with the Hoppkorv album…It looked like it had an interesting cover but at the time I was satisfied with the level of rock musical mystery and mythology that was in my head and never pursued it…It was outside so they never played the album and they never drilled in my ear “Hey man – you’ve got to listen to this!”…Or that the musicians were in Jefferson Airplane…I totally missed Jefferson Airplane…I remember first hearing Grace singing “Hot Water” and “Ride The Tiger” in 1975 and the sound pulled me…But to be honest my 15 year old mind thought the sound was post-60’s…
Indeed, Jorma, your artistry has continued to grow. You prove it’s possible….and also that it takes a bunch of practice along the way! You’re showing us all how it’s done, if we’re paying attention!
@Brian Doyle
Thanks for the link. I never saw it before and was terrific to see Jorma and Jack in the early days. Was a little young to follow the West Coast scene. I was 15 and listened to Simon & Garfunkel, they were from Queens, NY too. But when I first heard White Rabbit on the radio I took notice and started buying JA albums and was hooked. Then in 1972 I picked up a hitchhiker at Queens College and we became friends. He took me to a Hot Tuna show in April 1973 on long island. The tix were front row center and he gave me a hit of blotter.
I was understandably blown away!
Yes indeed Jorma! And speaking of getting better with age, I caught Phil Lesh & Friends last night via livestream show. Phil seemed to be playing great and having a great time. Love his incarnations of friends! Last night had Tony Leone on drums, FPR favorite Jason Crosby on keys and fiddle, Nicki Bluhm on vocals, Eric Krasno and Graeme Lesh and Duane Betts on guitars. Jason was on fire on fiddle on GDTR and Duane Betts took lead vocals and guitar parts on Althea and was super! They closed the evening with an epic Liz Reed > Franklin’s Tower > Blue Sky and then encored with Werewolves of London. Been fortunate to catch Duane Betts many times over the years going back to his internship in his Pop’s band and his work with Allman Betts Band and the Allman Family Revival and he just keeps getting better and better. I know Dickey is proud of him.
I’ve got to admit, I miss some of those guitar hero inspiring poses and head shaking. It was great then, great now. Love Bob Sarles’ Fly Jefferson Airplane.
Hey Robert… it occurs to me that back in the 60’s all that drama was au naturel… we were young and able to do stuff we never could have imagined. Hard to stay still a moments like that.
Then it became a stage affectation for the next generation… maybe.
Oh well… getting older ain’t for sissies…
Keep smiling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFcZeJAPSfk
Sure enough put on my TV and there on the main page of You Tube TV was Fly Jefferson Airplane! Had no choice but to put it on. I had forgotten how great that performance of “High Flying Bird” at Monteray Pop was. Hadn’t seen this doc in quite a while. Still smilin’.
I’ve been espousing your continued growth as a musician to anyone who will listen for many years Jorma.
Of course looking back fondly at what it was that inspired me so is something i never want to forget.
Your continued improvements are a reminder that complacency is nowhere. I’ll always keep coming back because it’s always evolving. Thank you my friend♡
As I continue in my struggles to learn to play guitar, it is inspiring to know that you continue to grow as player. I guess it’s the journey not the destination. And a Happy birthday to Grace
Indeed, your singing reflects a soulful characteristic that comes with time. Speaking of time, Happy Birthday to Grace today!
Yep, memory lane is a nice place to visit, just not a good place to live. My impression from following your blogs for a while is that you have a better grasp than most on the freedom living in the present brings. You’ll get better forever if you live there because to me, learning occurs in the experience of the moment, where new thoughts and ideas, both of yourself and others, can arise and accumulate.
Agreed Captain. Like fine wine you’re better now than ever.