Photo by Phil Jacobs
I little chilly by Florida standards but a heat wave by mine.
Back to performing music on the road. How good does it have to get?
Hot Tuna 1, 2022
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Capitol Theater
Clearwater, Florida
Sunday, February 6, 2022
- True Religion
- Blue Railroad Train
- How Long Blues
- Letter To The North Star
- Broken Highway
- Hesitation Blues
- Death Don’t have No Mercy
- Sleep Song
- Trial By Fire
- Come Back Baby
- That’ll Never Happen No More
- Great Divide Revisited
- Whining Boy Blues
- Good Shepherd
- Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
- Encore: Water Song
It’s like riding a bike… almost.
Now good old Hot Tuna is off to the Parker Playhouse in Ft. Lauderdale about which more will be revealed!
Words and music, music and words, your mention the other night of writing out the set list got me thinking.
How songs and set lists inter-relate is a fascinating process. While I imagine song and set list writing are most private, intuitive, and beyond easy description, yours and others too seem to be given much thought. As if songs like chapters in a book are arranged together to tell or convey a larger feeling, series of ideas, gestalt, etc. Little stories linked together telling a larger story or feeling, perhaps? Fun stuff to ponder.
Here is the wild part…just this week I’ve finished re-reading the C.S. Lewis Narnia Chronicles before giving them to my little nephew for his 10th birthday. In Book 7, The Last Battle, page 122, Lewis writes:
“You have been wakened yourself by cats quarreling or making love on the roof in the middle of the night: you know the sound.”
As I read that passage I got goosebumps hearing Bob Weir singing the verse from Looks Like Rain:
“Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love?
You guess from the cries you were listening to a fight.
Well you know, oh know, haste is the last thing they’re thinking of.
You know they’re only tryin’ to make it thru the night.”
I hope, and it seems like J.P. Barlow(RIP) and/or Bob Weir are fans of C.S. Lewis!
(Forgive my ramble)
Thanks for your magic, Jorma. Hoping that these shows are sold out with all manner of giants, dwarves, elves, centaurs and the like! And that you get some warm sunny FloridianNarnian days!
RIP Jimmy Johnson
Last night’s Orlando show was exquisite Jorma.
After the show a fellow FPR alumni and I were commenting on the energy you seemed to exude.
First time I’ve heard Hamar Promenade live. It was a joyous night. Thank you for coming to FL.
I believe you’ll be glad you did…
Jorma, thanks for the follow up on the Ry Cooder inquiry. Would love to hear you guys play together someday…and you and EC someday too. Hope to catch you and Jack when you play the Tin Pan in Richmond in April. Weeknight shows are a challenge due to school night status for my daughter. Proud to say I have not missed a Jorma/HT show in Richmond since I relocated here in 1992. One of my favorite shows was at the old Flood Zone back in the early 90’s. If I recall correctly, you were playing some pedal steel around that time. Appreciate your music always.
Carey, thanks for the heads up on the Texas Blues book. I just ordered it. Look forward to reading it.
What a PHENOMINAL show at The Parker (Fort Lauderdale). The Lads were as good as I’ve ever seen them, and that goes back to JA days of over 50 years ago (can that REALLY be true? – YIKES!!!) They were so interactive with the audience it was like having a pair of longtime friends come to the house, sit in comfort, and just jam. Jorma was so humble, thanking the crowd for coming out, but I hope he and Jack know what a BLESSING it was for us to have them share their incredible gifts of music for us. Jorma/Jack, we’re the ones TRULY HUMBLED! God Bless. See ya around ol’ friends.
Boy, I found me a Jim Dandy of a book the other day. It’s a fine hardback called Texas Blues, 2008 print date. This guy with Texas State in San Marcos named Govenar compiled it. More or less starts out with Blind Lemon and goes from there. Many Lomax style interviews with the old timers, and many more covering not only the blues, but the business as well. Famous folks, and folks known maybe only in their counties, but members of the pantheon nonetheless. Histories of the scenes in Deep Ellum in Dallas, Third Ward in Houston, plus San Antone and Ft. Worth. Men, women, guitarists, horns, singers – I’m talkin’ the gamut. If you like the blues and you like history, this ‘un’s a must.
Thank you for the Water Song encore! It was icing on the cake of a special night. You and Jack are a national treasure. Have a safe and healthy tour my friend.
Your catalogue might not pull in the kind of dough that Dylan’s has, Jorma, but, in the very best sense of the word, it is priceless.
Looking forward to tonight’s show in Fort Lauderdale. Many thanks for returning to Florida again, quite soon after your shows last June. Was at your concert in Delray Beach, which was fantastic — I’d rank it among the finest acoustic Tuna shows I’ve seen! Been going to Tuna/Jorma shows now for nearly 50 years (since Oct ’72) and always looking forward to the next one. For this evening: Would love to hear some instrumental chestnuts like Mann’s Fate, Follow the Drinking Ground, Water Song — that would be great! Thanks!
Well I must say, without a doubt, one of the finest Hot Tuna shows I have seen in following them for over 50 years. Loved Letter to the North Star, Sleep Song, Great Divide Revisited.
Jacks great leads on Hesitation Blues, Trial by Fire, and Good Shepherd were amazing indeed. Jorma said it was the first time they had played together since the Berkeley shows. You certainly couldn’t tell. Just a wonderful performance all around. So glad I could attend. I look forward to seeing you guys next time through Clearwater.