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Live Review: Hiss Golden Messenger @ 9:30 Club — 12/20/18

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Pickathon 2014: Hiss Golden Messenger at the Fir Meadow Stage
Hiss Golden Messenger performs at Pickathon 2014 on Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo by Eli Duke)

“Who knows, maybe James Mattis is here tonight. He’s looking for something to do,” said MC Taylor, frontman and founder of Hiss Golden Messenger, referring to the Secretary of Defense’s resignation earlier that day. at 9:30 Club recently, MC fit a friend’s description as “an introvert” and “kind of engaging,” contrasting with guitarist Phil Cook, “the most extroverted human being I’ve ever met, and it’s not even close.”

But then leaving the stage after their encore, Phil looked right up at us on the balcony, making eye contact.

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Snapshots: Midnight North w/ Doobie Decibel System Trio and Travers Brothership @ Gypsy Sally’s — 12/15/18

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Midnight North Live at Gypsy Sallys-6 Midnight North performs at Gypsy Sally’s on Dec. 15, 2018. (Photo by Nathan Payne)

Midnight North recently rocked Gypsy Sally’s with the help of the Doobie Decibel System Trio and Travers Brothership. The San Francisco band is composed of lead guitarists and vocalists Grahame Lesh (yep, Phil’s son!) and Elliott Peck with Alex Jordan on keys, guitar, and vocals, and finally, Connor O’Sullivan on bass.

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Live Review: Cat Power @ 9:30 Club — 12/16/18

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Cat Power performs in Victoria Park in London on June 2, 2018. (Photo by Raph_PH)

“She is in the zone tonight.”

You could truly say that of Cat Power at 9:30 Club on Sunday. But in the past, that wasn’t a comment one might expect to hear at her show. Although she’d long produced great work in the studio, indie rocker Chan (pronounced Shawn) Marshall’s live sets had a tendency to go off the rails. Before she got sober, alcohol compounded Chan’s stage fright, which she faced by taking the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax — the two do not mix especially well.

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Live Review: The Brian Setzer Orchestra @ The Anthem — 11/30/18

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BrianSetzer
Brian Setzer performs at The Anthem on Nov. 30, 2018. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath/Instagram+Twitter: Insomnigraphic/GrillworksBen)

No offense to the National Symphony Orchestra, but The BSO has got way mo’ boogie than the NSO. The BSO, or The Brian Setzer Orchestra, was in town for their 15th Annual Christmas Rocks tour recently at The Anthem.

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Live Review: Hot Tuna @ City Winery — 11/27/18

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Hot Tuna Acoustic at the City Winery
Hot Tuna performs at City Winery in DC on Nov. 27, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Hot Tuna and Hot Plates at City Winery DC

Upon my arrival in San Francisco in August 1975, I heard of a free concert by Hot Tuna in Parkside Square. So with my friends, I traveled to see my favorite Jefferson Airplane musicians — guitarist/vocalist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady.

During that first time I saw them, the gents shared a sort of mystic chemistry, which remained in tact at their recent show at City Winery.

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