Cracks in the Finish

Photo by Jorma Kaukonen

My first gig of this run was at the Triple Door last night here in Seattle. It’s been some years since I had the pleasure of playing here… pre Covid for sure. It was great to be back and I have another gig there tonight.

Jorma Kaukonen 18, 2023

The Triple Door

Seattle, Washington

Friday, July 28, 2023

First Set:

Photo taken from Hot Tuna Facebook

Indeed, lots of talk about the electric version of our little world taking a break and going fishing for, well… maybe a long time. Of course we have quite a nice electric run starting in September. Check our tour page here at this link. Now, on this subject I guarantee more will be revealed, so stay tuned.

As for the Great South Bay Music ...
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Photo by Jorma Kaukonen

Yeah, so I got to open a show for my old comrade in arms Tommy Emmanuel up in Columbus at the Southern Theater. I was thrilled that I got to do this with Tommy. Except for Natalie’s in Grandview I rarely get to play up here. Some years ago Vanessa got to se Pete Seeger, Holly Near and Harry Belafonte at the Southern… and illustrious venue.

Photo by Jorma Kaukonen

It was more than great to have Dave Alvin back at the Fur Peace Station. He brought the Guilty Ones with him this time and nowhere was their guilt more positively displayed. Dave was joined by Lisa Pankratz on drums, Brad Fordham on bass, and Chris Miller on guitar. Dave and the gang put on a master class about well… how it’s done. From delicate sonic ...
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Photo by Vanessa Kaukonen

In the spirit of ‘Where does the time go?’ another milestone passes for our daughter Izze! Indeed, she is now seventeen. It seems like only yesterday I was waiting breathlessly for her to come down the slide at the playground.

This is time as it should be.

Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Sarah Rodriguez

October 23, 1978- June 24, 2023

Family is a strange sometimes indefinable thing and yet without it we are tragically alone. For all practical purposes I have no immediate family. That’s just the way it is and it’s water under the bridge. When I married Vanessa all of a sudden I found myself a part of a large and incredibly dynamic family group. Being in the orbit of the Gagnés has made me feel that indeed I ...
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Selfie by Vanessa Kaukonen

We love our animals, of course. Over the years we have been blessed with many four footed companions. Zammy, the cat in Vanessa’s arms has been gone for a while. Blackie, the big guy in mine just left us today. Blackie taught us so much about love. He first surfaced as a feral cat intimidating the other cats at the Fur Peace Ranch and eating their food. We kept trying to shoo him away but he ...
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Photo by Anonymous Waitperson

Father’s Day with the Family. How good does it have to get. I am usually on the road. Holidays such as Father’s Day is usually celebrated with FaceTime at best and the phone at second best. To actually be with the gang on such an occasion… Priceless!

That was Sunday… Saturday night was a gig at the Loft. Another cool gig in ...
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Photo by Vanessa Kaukonen

David Wolff, our cohort, guide and friend here on the Vineyard guided us to the Red Cat Kitchen in Oak Bluffs where Ben DeForest, a music lover like myself and chef nonpareil treated us to a dinner that was off the charts. If you’re ever on the Vineyard a trip into Oak Bluffs is in order for a killer dinner.

I recommend the ...
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It is June 12th as I write this and it is my mother’s one hundred and thirteenth birthday. Now my mother and father have now been gone for a quarter of a century which doesn’t seem as long to me as it used to. Both my parents were born in 1910 and my grandparents were born in the mid 1880’s. Sometimes it’s tricky to wrap my mind around that one. Anyway, the Old Ones are all gone and now ...
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