Willie Nelson And The Outlaw Music Festival - Last Stop, Hollywood Bowl!

Oh, MAN! I finally got to see Willie Nelson live and in person! At The Hollywood Bowl! For the final stop of The Outlaw Music Festival 2018! Deadheads and Willie fans unite! And it was awesome.

The only drag was that it wasn't a true Hollywood Bowl event, but a leased one, which means you can't bring in your food and drink like you normally always can - and it started at 5 p.m., which also never happens, so we were late. We missed Particle Kid (Willie's son Micah's band), we missed Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real (Willie's son Lukas' band, which was a major drag we would find out later), but heard he played a song from the new A Star Is Born, which I'm not about. Kris Kristofferson version forever (and as it was the "Outlaw" Festival, I kept hoping KK would be a special guest at his good friend's gig, but nope. We ended up getting there for the tail end of the wonderful Margo Price though. We heard her singing "9 to 5" and thought it really might be Dolly singing (you never know - there are often surprise guests in L.A.), but it was Price belting it out in an uncanny resemblance. I'll be happy to see her whole set one day.

Sturgill Simpson was up next on the rotating stage, and came out wearing a t-shirt that read, "If you hear any noise, it's just me and the boys boppin'". I really can't tell you what his set list was, because he is one act I can never make out what he's saying. I've seen him before, and thought how much better he would be if he could just enunciate his words a little bit. His voice reminds me a bit of Waylon Jennings (high praise), but Waylon I could understand.

Simpson and his backing band pretty much made up for the slurring with their excellent playing, with Simpson playing his guitar like it was on fire - and I think it probably nearly was. He mentioned that it would be his last show for a while, as he had his third son born just last Wednesday, and it was time to take some time off to be a Dad ... "But we have cool shit coming next year!" A song I COULD make out, was "The Promise", a cover of the old When In Rome song that Simpson country-rocks up.

I ran into a friend after Simpson's set, and he said, "Sturgill was ROCKING!" - which he fully was. The singing was actually kept to a minimum, and it was basically a guitar shred-athon. "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til The Well Runs Dry)" was another one I could make out, and it was great. The guy facing us and doing air guitar for the crowd especially thought so. Good times.

After the break, Phil Lesh from The Grateful Dead was up. There were a whole bunch of happy Deadheads in tie-dye, up and dancing in that Dead style that is really hard to explain. Lesh and his band got down with Dead classics like "Althea", "Brown Eyed Woman", "Sugaree" - and that got even the Cowboy-hatted people happy and dancing. Lesh himself let his band (Jackie Green, Jason Crosby, Nathan Graham, and Cris Jacobs) take on most of the heavy lifting, seeming pretty frail of voice and body himself. When he did take over lead vocals, joyous shouts would go up from his faithful followers, acknowledging his legend status to them. It was touching.

When they sang "All New Minglewood Blues", and its line, "A couple shots of whiskey and I'm going back to Hollywood", it received self-congratulating yells from all of those here in Hollywood. Hollywood lines are always crowd pleasers at The Hollywood Bowl. "Candyman", "China Cat Sunflower", and "Shakedown Street" were all pretty good, especially if you ever followed the Dead - which I didn't. Some songs were like 20 minutes long feeling, and often a bit off and/or sloppy, so it was kind of easy to tune out and just enjoy the moon and stars, which I did.

Lesh welcomed back Margo Price to join them for "Turn On Your Love Light", and she elevated the whole proceeding with her gorgeous and powerful voice, and spirited tambourine playing. It was nice to have a woman there, as the whole Outlaw thing can definitely use some more women. And Price is great.

The house played Willie Nelson while we were waiting for Willie Nelson, which isn't usually done, but it got us hyped and ready for The Red Headed Stranger - who is a stranger to no one. When Nelson took the stage in his Dodgers jersey (Turner #10!), the whole place stood up and cheered. "How 'bout them Dodgers?!" he shouted, and all the Angelenos in attendance roared for their team that is going to the World Series for the second year in a row!  I wasn't prepared for how excited I was to finally be seeing the legend that is Willie Nelson - in person! With his famously beat up guitar, Trigger! I had chills and kind of choked up. They lit right into "Whiskey River", and all the faithful sang their praise along.

Nelson and his family band were backed by a giant Lone Star flag behind them, and "Still Is Still Moving To Me" was up next. I love that song because it was included in a reggae version on Toots & The Maytals True Love album, which I hold dear.  Nelson kind of sing/talks these days, and you can tell he's been doing these songs forever. I wore braids to honor the man, and he soon tossed off his cowboy hat to some happy fan in the crowd, revealing his trademark red bandana and two long braids. What a legend.

"Let's do one for Waylon!" shouted Nelson, and they got down with "Good Hearted Woman", which was as great as you'd expect. The man next to me kept just laughing, like he couldn't believe he was really there seeing this. I get you, buddy. People were SO happy to be there. Nelson introduced, "Little sister, Bobbie", who is a wizard on the piano (and recently inducted into the Texas Music Hall Of Fame!), with her waist long hair covering her face as she focused on the keys. She tore through a solo, accompanied by her brother on guitar, and it was super moving to see them still playing together after all of these years. And moving all over again to see Nelson play with his sons now, who he next introduced before launching into "Texas Flood".

O.K. This was the absolute highlight of the show for me. Talk about A Star Is Born - Lukas Nelson RULES. The entire house was mesmerized as Lukas soared over us all, with both his excellent voice and electrifying guitar skills on this bluesy number that left everyone speechless, with mouths hanging at how very close this apple fell under this particular family tree. Holy smokes. There was a little guitar battle between father and son that Willie ended with a little  twang that made Lukas smile and us laugh. Lukas would play so hard he'd have to push his glasses back up on his nose, and in that moment, I got a brand new crush. What a talent. I know I'm late to the game, but everyone needs to check out Lukas Nelson immediately if you haven't already. Whoa.

They followed that show-stopper with "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", and that classic had the whole place lit up and singing along. I say let 'em, Moms. Cowboys like this are exactly what you want. "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" slowed things down a bit, as this lovely ballad had people slow-dancing together in the aisles. Then "On The Road Again" got people back up singing and dancing together, then one of my very favorites, "You Were Always On My Mind", which was slow and beautiful and moving to tears. Nelson would raise his arm up each time he sang the title line, indicating that his fans are always on his mind - and you can feel it.

"Let's do one for Merle!" with another shout out to another lost friend of Nelson's. It seemed like the entire venue smoked along to "It's All Going To Pot", which rolled (get it?) right into "Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I'm Dead".  It was apparent that all were having a grand old time, both on stage and off. This was kind of the novelty song section, as those weed smoking tributes were followed by the ode to internet rumors, "Still Not Dead Today". Everyone laughed, but also threw up a silent prayer that this song can keep being sung by Willie for a very long time.

"Jambalaya (Fun On The Bayou)" made sure that we had fun in the Bowl, as did "Hey, Good Looking"  and "Move It On Over", which kept people dancing and singing along. The folks in the box next to us moved out their chairs and had their own private little dance floor, in an inspired move.

"It's almost that time again, and if you don't like who's in there, Vote 'em out!" implored Nelson, as they gave us the brand new song by that name. It was met with cheers and it seemed likely that the voters in the house (ALL, I hope!) will do just that. Nelson wrote it for the Texas battle between Beto O'Rourke and Ted Cruz that seems like an absolute no-brainer. Go Beto! Go Democracy!

The last song/s of the night (there was surprisingly no encore) was a medley of  "I Saw The Light/I"ll Fly Away/Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and hopefully all of our country will finally actually finally see the light. Nelson brought back up everyone involved in this Outlaw show (but not Kris Kristofferson, sigh), and once it ended, he waved and blew kisses to the crowd that never wants to see him go. A true Outlaw. A true Great. A true Legend. There will never be another dude like him, and I was filled with happiness that I finally got to see this great American treasure live ... and that with his great kids, the circle will remain unbroken.

Thank you, Willie! Thank you to Outlaws everywhere! What a night.

*Photos of Willie were not allowed (!) so the one you see is lifted from the L.A. Times. All others by  Paddy Wilkins.

Beck At The Bowl - Where It's At!

Beck at The Bowl! You know I wasn't going to miss this one ... though I did miss opening act St. Vincent doing a D.J. set as "St. Vicious" ... but we weren't in a big rush to see someone spin records for their Hollywood Bowl gig + L.A. traffic = Sorry, St. Vicious.

 

We did hear a little Talking Heads being spun as we walked up the hill, but everyone around us kind of just shrugged when asked how it was, so I imagine it was just like listening to tunes on the radio as we drove up Highland. Good enough for us.

We had just enough to time to scarf down our picnic before the lights went dark and Beck took the stage in full Rock Star mode, all in black with a toreador-style hat, and plenty of dramatics. He and his backing band tore into "Devil's Haircut", and Beck was super animated, bouncing all over the place, and shouting "Odelay! Buenos Noches! How you doing, Los Angeles?!" We were doing awesome, and it just kept getting better. "New Pollution" was excellent, and Beck explained that this was a homecoming show, and that they'd been on tour forever (15 months), and were excited to play tracks from his newest album Colors for their hometown friends, family, and neighbors. "Hi Neighbors! There is no better place to be on a Friday night in Los Angeles!" We all roared in agreement, and were given "Mixed Bizness" as a reward. You could tell that they'd been on the road playing this set for a while, as the banter veered pretty close to rehearsed cheese at times, like when artists work the song title into the chat, it always feels lounge singer-y to me - but I don't think Beck minds being lounge singer-like sometimes ... as in the lead up to "Up All Night". "If I see boys and girls dancing, can we stay up all night?" Like that.

Then it got a lot more L.A.-centric ... "This song isn't appreciated in other parts of the world, but I think it will be here ... I'm from the East side, Pico-Union. My first studio was in Boyle Heights, and every day I'd walk down the street and they'd say 'Hey, Güero! Who do you think you are, Axl Rose?!" That, of course, led to "Qué Onda Güero", and people loved it. Speaking of the people - this was a VERY white audience, with some of the all-time worst white dancing I've ever seen. Like, shockingly bad. Wow. You can't diss it really, though. Music that gets people up and dancing should always be celebrated, it's just ... Wow. I think Beck is rock and roll that has been deemed "safe" for the older, whiter crowds that still want to feel cool, but will never mosh. Have never moshed. Safe rock. Having said that, Beck doesn't play it safe at all when it comes to his musical genres, doing exactly whatever he wants, when he wants. The entire night wound all over the place, from utter pop to deep gospel stomp, and everyone loved all of it, That's the beauty of Beck. He'll make them like kinds of music they might never have heard before,and gets them up and out of their chairs, FEELING it. That's a rare and important gift, and a delight (and comedy) to witness.

"The last time I played here was ten years ago! When I play songs here in Los Angeles, you get it and know what I'm talking about ... you're a product of your surroundings, and these are some strange, beautiful surroundings. This one is for the Lovers ... people don't talk about slow jams anymore, but I'm bringing that back." And Beck did bring slow jam back with "Debra" and its laughs-getting shout outs to places in L.A. like Glendale and Zankou Chicken. Beck is funny! And I'd never found him sexy before really, and both my friend and I were like, "Beck. Huh." with his swagger and playing stirring up new admiration for both his humor and total command of his show. Then he REALLY got into my heart with a lovely tribute to Prince, and a cover of "Raspberry Beret". The first time Beck ever came to the Bowl for a show was to see Prince - and I was there too. It was special, and now I love Beck even more.

"Nicotine & Gravy" was fly, and then "Hollywood Freaks" was brought out for the Hollywood weirdos in the house, complete with a big, trippy light show featuring lasers. Lasers really get the folks up dancing! The lady in front of us was losing her mind, and I was happy for her - even as her husband just checked Twitter and tried not to look at her going nuts. "I'm So Free " and "Dear Life" were both gorgeous, but up next was the highlight of the night for me. Beck brought out Fred Martin and his Levite Camp choir that blew the place apart with "Fourteen Rivers, Fourteen Floods", and "Like A Ship Without A Sail". Holy (literally) Moly! It was something else, full of harmonica and acoustic guitar and piano and clapping and WOW. "That was something special for tonight!" said Beck when it was over, and just, thank you. It was fantastic. (It also begged the question, HOW is Beck a Scientologist?! Like, WHAT?! So smart, so talented, bringing up Christian choirs, but believing in E-meters and shit like that? I don't get it.)

"Any requests?" brought out shouts for everything in Beck's catalog, plus one clever older white man yelling "Sinatra!" (Told you. Safe rock crowd.) Beck and his backing band harmonized at the front of the stage acoustically for a sublime version of "Lost Cause" that almost made me cry. "Truckdrivin' Downstairs Neighbor" was more L.A. storytelling (about lost record stores like Aron's, Moby Disc, Peaches), and then right into "Blue Moon" that was so pretty I decided then and there that acoustic, pretty Beck is my favorite Beck.

Pop Beck was back next, and the techno lasers and electronica video game style backdrop was completely different than the tunes played right before, and that required a Beck costume change as well, now back in all white to play us "Dreams" and "Girl". Everyone was up and dancing again for his "Sun-Eyed Girl", and that led right into "Wow" from Colors, that really was WOW. This was the rapping, attitude, break dance moves Beck - and I think he's my second favorite Beck. The man wears a LOT of musical hats (and just hats in general), and cracked everyone up again here when he said, "Say it like Owen Wilson ... Woooow". A decent impression that slayed the crowd.

"Loser" was next, and everyone went wild. This was how we first met Beck, and it brings me back to such a time in L.A. ... just moved here, driving down the Wilshire corridor, feeling young and disillusioned at the same time - as the sun shined over it all. "Loser" is a bookmark on the timeline of my life, and it was a pure treat to hear it again live at the Bowl. And it was also pretty funny - and powerful - that Beck can get a whole crowd singing loudly "I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me?" Calling themselves losers and asking to be killed is some serious lyric power, dude. "E-Pro" was next with its "Na na na na na na na!" chorus, that makes me think of E-Meter. No. At this point, my friend turned to me and said, "He's like a legit weirdo rock star. There aren't many of those anymore." True point of fact, and he also looks the SAME as he did when "Loser" dropped, for real. Rock keeps you young (if done the right way), clearly.

A quick little breather brought back Beck in a sparkly jacket and his whole crew on stage."Where It's At" was a total crowd pleaser, and also the answer to what was cool to be at on this night in L.A. THIS was where it was at. "That was a good drum break!" That led into band intros ("There's gonna be some preening!"), and each instrument did a little riff on a cover, from Talking Heads to Phil Collins (the drum standout) as Jason Falkner, Roger Manning, Jr, Dwayne Moore, Chris Coleman, Jake Sinclair, Cecilia Della Peruti, and Alex Lilly each got their well-deserved applause.

After a crowd singalong of "Happy Birthday" for Annie Clark (St. Vincent had her birthday this day, now I felt bad that we'd missed her spinning!), Beck got DOWN for "One Foot In The Grave" - a foot stomping, harmonica playing honky-tonker that the people loved. "He can do whatever he wants and everyone loves it", I said to my friend, and truly believed that he could have done polka jams and the crowd would have begun square dancing. Beck is a musical alchemist. "I think they're about to pull the plug on us, so the power might go out in the middle of this ...!" said Beck as they reprised "Where It's At" with full disco lighting and distorted vocals. The entire band electric slid sideways together off stage, and the crowd just kept on dancing. "That was some entertaining shit!" was overheard, and absolute fact. Beck puts on a SHOW.

Thank you, Beck! Thank you, Bowl! Another in a storied history of awesome shows. I'm so grateful for nights like these ... they really are what keep you going in this crazy world. It's like, WOW.

*Press photos courtesy of The Hollywood Bowl 

TV On The Radio And Grizzly Bear Rock The Hollywood Bowl

It had been a while since I'd been able to collaborate with my brother, Paul, on a show project, so when we heard that TV On The Radio and Grizzly Bear were teaming up for a show at the Hollywood Bowl AND Paul was free ... we were there. I've been to a lot of great shows at the Bowl this summer, but none of them really fell into the "Rock" category - and that's what we were in the mood for.

A beautiful Harvest Moon was rising as we took our seats in the Bowl, but the opening act was not rock. It was more like a little bit more upbeat spa music, with modern dancers interpreting it. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith handled the synthesizer, while three dancers jumped around acting it out. It was o.k., but the Bowl was still pretty empty at this point, and most were pretty well focused on their picnics at this point (ours was courtesy of Bay Cities, and was delicious, thank you). I like listening to anything at the Bowl, so I was fully entertained, if a bit head scratching.

KCRW's Anne Litt took the stage to welcome everyone to the last "World Festival" show of the season, and got cheers just for being Anne Litt - deserved. KCRW is a great curator of shows, and this one was no different. I had read an article in the L.A. Times earlier in the week where both TV On The Radio and Grizzly Bear hinted at this being their last L.A. show - kind of going out with a bang at the big landmark venue that the Bowl is. They both sounded kind of over it and crabby (it was even entitled "Navigating Grumpy Old Manhood" - so we didn't really know what to expect for this show, but we were happy we'd see them before they hung it up. If they do.

TV On The Radio was up first, and they were "Very pleased to be with you here tonight!" Tunde Adebimpe said, "We're gonna blow it that way, and we hope you'll blow it back this way!" It was  very atmospheric to begin with, and then they kicked into "Young Liars" and we got that rock we'd been needing. Adebimpe was dancing all stiff-legged in his style, and soon the whole place was - especially the dude right in front of us - FEELING it.

"Lazerray" went off, as did "Golden Age" and "Province" (that features David Bowie on its recorded version). Horns chimed in on this one, and man, the brass always elevates things, don't they? Love it. The Bowl's bandshell was all psychedelic projections during their set, and that also elevated things, as there was always something fun to look at. Little kids were dancing in the aisles during "Happy Idiot", clearly brought out on a school night by parents that dug these guys 20 years ago.

"Could You", "Winter", ("This is a song about the climate heating up, and affecting people ... but that's not happening") and "Red Dress" were all awesome (with Kyp Malone and his beard alternating lead vocals with Adebimpe), and "Shout Me Out" had them all shading their eyes and looking into the audience for their friends at this hometown show (as they've all since moved to L.A. from Brooklyn). "Trouble" is the song I feel like the whole country needs to listen to right now, as Adebimpe sings, "Don't worry, be happy ... everything's gonna be o.k." ... and for a moment at the Hollywood Bowl - it was.

"Is it the full moon? Can you feel it?!" asked Adebimpe, and we sure did. It was beautiful out, and we felt the good vibes absolutely. "Repetition" was amped all the way up, super high energy for a song "Loosely about an amoeba ... that climbed out of the ocean ... became human ... got thumbs ... and the thumbs are now on a phone ... but you can vote with your thumb! Thumbs UP to the People!" Well, the dancers gave thumbs up to that, and the energy was so full throttle you thought it couldn't get any more hyped, but then they did "Wolf Like Me" and it was bedlam - at least in the box right in front of me. Thumbs up to THAT dude, 'cause he didn't let up for a second. Their last one was their first one, the debut single "Staring At The Sun" ... and it got TV On The Radio a standing ovation, for what we very much hope won't be their last time. They were AWESOME.

Intermission. Picnic. Wine. Chat with box neighbors. Compare notes on shows you've been to. Ignore the guy that said he'd seen them before and they were way better (there's always one of those guys). Look up at the moon. Lights go down - time for Grizzly Bear!

Grizzly Bear took the stage with no introduction, and started things off with the trippy sounds of "Aquarian". "Losing All Sense" was next, and singer Ed Droste (in his "With Pleasure" tee) commented that all three girls from its video were in the house. Fresh. "Cut Out" and "Yet Again" were both "Fine For Now" (then), but their energy just didn't match that of Tv On The Radio's set. Not even close (though the guy in front of me was just as active - it may have been substance-fueled though). It didn't help that their backdrop looked like an asbestos spiderweb, and they didn't utilize ANY lights or projections on the bandshell, so it just looked boring ... and kind of rubbed off on the sound, if I'm honest. It didn't feel special. It didn't feel like one's last show - if it was indeed that. (Grizzly Bear has more shows scheduled, but they're as openers for Florence & The Machine, not headlining their own Bowl show). Maybe it IS time for them to hang it up, if their boredom with it all is this relatable? The little kids were now dozing, and their parents seemed close.

"It's such an honor to play here, let alone with these guys", said Droste in a shout out to their openers. "Ready, Able" - "Mourning Sound" - "Sleeping Ute" - "Two Weeks" - "Foreground" - "While You Wait For Others" (for contrast, TVOTR got Bowie to do backing vocals ... Grizzly Bear had Michael McDonald on this one ... and their sets felt that different) ... one was hard to distinguish from the next.

They did "Knife" and the really good "Three Rings", and then Droste said, "The clock is ticking, so we can't have much banter, but thank you to the crew!" ... and rather than talk, they did another song, and "On A Neck, On A Spit" was probably the high point, with the bass player doing a quick change from bass to sax that was impressive.

"There's no encore, but we feel so lucky to live here! Thank you and good night!" and the house lights came up and that was that ... and we all ambled down the hill humming TV On The Radio tunes. No matter what you see at the Bowl, it's always a great time, and this gig was no different ... just less WOW than it usually is, musically. The venue and the stars (and that moon!) are always wow though, and as another season of wonderful Hollywood Bowl shows comes to a close, we can count our lucky stars that Los Angeles gets to have this special place to share these moments of togetherness and music. We love you, Hollywood Bowl!


Photos by Paul Gronner.

The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates New Orleans' 300th With Harry Connick, Jr.

New Orleans has its Tricentennial this year, and the Hollywood Bowl had a three day party to celebrate, featuring the sounds of the Crescent City performed by New Orleans locals, Bonerama and my teen crush, Harry Connick, Jr. It was also the Fireworks Finale for the season, and we went on the third night, so people were ready to get DOWN. And get down we did!

Bonerama's guitarist, Bert Cotton, set the tone with a super funky Star Spangled Banner that had to be stood for. It was awesome, and then they got down with the heavily trombone based (hence their name) funky brass sounds that transported us to Louisiana for the night. A tribute to a legendary NOLA produce vendor, "Mr. Okra", gave us the local flavor from the start, and a real highlight was their cover of Zeppelin's "The Ocean" that has never sounded groovier.

Erica Falls came out to join the brass boys to belt out a few numbers that brought people to their feet if they weren't already on them. This lady can SING! Wow. By now we were all warmed up, and feeling the New Orleans vibes that you can only really know if you've been there, but these super talents brought you about as close to being there as L.A. could ever get.

And speaking of super talents ... after a lengthy feeling intermission (maybe because a lot of wine drinking got done in there), here came Harry Connick, Jr.! I had a BIG thing for him when I was a teenager (and he was probably the only one my Mom really approved of, because he sounded like Frank Sinatra vs. a Metal screamer!), and this was surprisingly my first time seeing him live. Well, HCJ, it was worth the wait! What a guy! He plays like every instrument there is, and could not possibly be more charming. The crush is back.

Connick, Jr. spoke about how he was said that his New Orleans Saints had lost their season opener that morning (while I was happy that the Vikings had won theirs!), but he felt better because he was playing three nights at one of the best places in the world, the Hollywood Bowl (Agreed. It's one of the very best places ever to catch a show). He was born and raised in New Orleans, and began performing with that city's musical greats when he was just five years old. One of his favorite songs was "Dr. Jazz", which he didn't realize until he grew up that it was about a drug dealer ... and then he and his band played it, and we all got why it was one of his favorites. Connick, Jr. can play piano, drums, one-handed trumpet (while holding the longest note ever and turning the thing all the way around on his lips) ... and sings like an honorary member of The Rat Pack. And looks kind of like a buffer Young Elvis. He's truly got it all.

We were the best crowd of the three night stand, and we know, because Connick, Jr. told us. First night crowds are the eager ones, second night crowd was all industry and too cool, but the third night folks are the fun ones - and you could feel it. Also, this guy is an American Treasure, so it was easy to let loose and party with his infectious way of letting the good times roll. We got a couple of numbers from Connick Jr.'s excellent When Harry Met Sally soundtrack, "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "It Had To Be You" that were both so dreamy it was just silly. And then he had to go and remind us that he's been married to model, Jill Goodacre, for 28 years and their three beautiful daughters were there. Charlotte, Kate, and Georgia Connick came up on stage to be introduced by their supercool Dad, and you could feel the pride between them all. Special. And I'm not jealous at all.

Baptist churches were big in Connick Jr's upbringing (though he was raised Catholic) because "You WILL feel better" when you go. And he brought us there, with his "favorite Gospel singer in the world" Jonathan Dubose, Jr., only Dubose, Jr. sang with his shredding guitar. They played "How Great Thou Art" as funky as it's ever been played, prompting a group clap-along that I don't think I've ever heard done to that old spiritual chestnut. So so good. "Can I play a little New Orleans piano for y'all?", asked Connick, Jr. next, and the answer was YES. "It's all about the left hand ... if you keep your rhythm through your life, you'll be fine." Then he sat down at his piano and showed us all why he's been considered a virtuoso since before he reached double digits. He's something else.

Oh, and then the guy can tap dance on top of it all! HCJ brought out an awesome tap dancer, Luke Hawkins, who tapped it up with Harry, and then  had a tap off with the drummer, trading beats and steps in a frenzy of motion that still has us buzzing about it today. THEN we got a "Jazz Funeral" and the dirge processional turned into a second line for  "When The Saints Go Marching In" that wound all through the crowd, giving everyone an up close look at one of the coolest dudes ever as he banged a drum strapped over his shoulders.

Back on stage, now the group was about to get even funkier! Connick, Jr. sat down at the electric keys, and played his wonderful and positive, "Yes We Can Can" as the Bowl lit up with its Fireworks Finale! The music and the visuals were glorious, and then got even more so when Connick, Jr. played two keyboards, one with each hand, AND drums at the same time, while singing "Big Chief" DURING Fireworks. Talk about a slam bang finish! There wasn't much that could top that, and Connick, Jr. shimmy danced off the stage, the lights came on, and we all just looked at each other like "WOW".

What a way to wrap up the Bowl Summer Season, and what a way to finally see Harry Connick, Jr.! I'm humming and shimmying myself today, and am quite sure I'll never forget this fantastic celebration of New Orleans' 300th Birthday! I feel so lucky. Thank you to all!

*Press photos courtesy of the L.A. Philharmonic

Maestro Of The Movies - John Williams Live At The Hollywood Bowl!

Composer and Conductor John Williams celebrated 40 years of making movie music with the L.A. Philharmonic this Labor Day Weekend with a three night stand at The Hollywood Bowl. Hollywood is the birthplace of film, and movie fans loved every moment. Williams had Steven Spielberg there to help him celebrate, and their unparalleled film collaborations made for an evening of oohs and ahhs as we looked back on their iconic film moments with their scores played live by the wonderful L.A. Philharmonic. After wanting only to be at the beach this weekend, it took this to get me back across town on a holiday weekend ... and it was WELL worth it.

After the National Anthem (that my friend Deb and I took a knee for  - or stayed seated, rather - out of solidarity for Colin Kaepernick this weekend), Conductor David Newman opened the program with the Williams composed Olympic Fanfare and Theme, accompanied by clips from the big Olympic moments over the years. I love the Olympics, so this was a rousing and emotional way to start. I had a lump in my throat all night, if I'm honest, and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpeters only made it worse. SO many nostalgic moments came up, and reminded us once again about the GOOD things in these United States - which have been harder to recall of late. This night was all about the good stuff.

"The Cave Sequence" from Raiders Of The Lost Ark was next, and one guy next to us was so excited and gasping I'm pretty sure he'd never seen the film. I barely remember Minority Report, but its "A New Beginning" piece was awfully pretty. I definitely barely remember Hook, but the same goes for its beautiful "Flight To Neverland", shown with a great montage of flight in cinema (including my favorite from Out Of Africa). To celebrate the Centennial of Leonard Bernstein, we heard a rousing To Lenny! To Lenny! composed by Williams that would have played excellently at Tanglewood. Newman wrapped up the first half with the Bernstein's overture from West Side Story (with film clips) and his suite from On The Waterfront. Both were sublime, and brought us to the intermission that allowed us to break out the wonderful cheese platter that Deb had created. We started our friendship 25 years ago on the set of Little Big League, so I was especially happy to be there with my friend who is my friend because of the movies. It was special.

After filling up on cheese and charcuterie (and wine), it was time for the Maestro himself to take the stage. His "Boss", Steven Spielberg, joined him (after introducing him as "The preeminent Maestro of film music" (there really is no one else who even comes close) to share their stories from their 45 years of working together on their classic films. They began with a lesser known, but tear-jerking piece from Lincoln, "With Malice Toward None", that featured trumpet soloist Thomas Hooten. It was so beautiful you couldn't even move, you just had to sit there and take it in. It, as most of the clips did, made me want to immediately re-watch Lincoln.

When the applause for that one died out like an hour later, the dynamic film duo took us into a film class, showing how differently a piece of film comes across without its score. They played the "Circus Chase Scene" from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (the one with River Phoenix as a young Indy), and showed it once with no music ("It's starting to feel like a Sundance film." - Spielberg aside), and then the L.A. Phil charmed it all up playing the music that would later join the work. It was remarkable to see the difference the score made to the scene, and further illustrated just how important this epic collaboration has been over the last four decades of cinema. It was also fun to hear Spielberg's little tidbits like, "This was the first time we introduce the whip."

"The Duel" from The Adventures of Tintin (never saw it) was lovely, and a montage of famous swashbuckling scenes played over the music. It was cute to hear what people cheered for: Johnny Depp in Pirates Of The Caribbean. Puss N Boots. Tom and Jerry. Kermit The Frog. Nostalgia runs deep! The orchestra played so seamlessly that you several times actually forgot that you were hearing it live. There was no mistaking that the theme from Schindler's List was live, as violin soloist Bing Wang was there to break our hearts with her plaintive strings. Wow. I can hear it in my head now, and it feels no less emotional. What a masterwork. For real.

The best was saved for the finale, when they played the Finale from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg introduced it by saying, "I can direct bikes to fly, but the music makes it soar." They proved this soundly when that famous scene came on, and you can still hear people gasp when the bikes take off from the hill. I believe I teared up. It's just so awesome. Still. People were going crazy, but then they REALLY went crazy, when as the real finale, they gave us Star Wars. The entire Bowl was filled with glowing lightsabers, and everyone was conducting along with Williams. The music was from Episode 8, I believe The Rebellion Is Rising. The military brass was back, and gave us the ominous Darth Vader theme that everyone knows and loves. It's so cool to turn around and see the whole place filled with people waving their light sabers and loving life.  Williams himself was presented with a lightsaber when it ended, bringing on yet another standing ovation. There were FOUR curtain calls, but no encore, as Williams did the hands to side of your head sleep sign, signaling that now it really was over. No one wanted it to end (What?! They're not gonna do Jaws?!"), but all good things do.

What a Labor Day weekend highlight! Getting to see all the wonderful Hollywood film music IN Hollywood where it all came to life was extra cool, and gave a sense of renewed pride in the business, and in the town. Film touch so many lives, and good stories make up our lives. Thank you to the Hollywood Bowl for another fantastic summer night of music under the stars! It's the very best summer tradition we have in Los Angeles, and this one was a perfect example of why.

May this Force be with us all for a very long time.

*Photos Courtesy of The L.A. Philharmonic.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Live With The L.A. Phil At The Hollywood Bowl!

It was another perfectly balmy and wonderful night at the Hollywood Bowl, and this one was even more special because I was seeing the marvelous Rodrigo y Gabriela for the first time live. And WOW. I'm a fan for life.

The program opened with the ever-charming Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performing a series of Latin-themed numbers to set the stage for the dynamic duo from Mexico who would join the show later. After The Star Spangled Banner (which we again made it in time for, I'm happy and amazed to report), the orchestra immediately launched into the lively "Nereidas de Dimas" from Salon Mexico by Perez. This number set the tone for the all-out fiesta that everyone in the Bowl had been invited to - and was feeling it.

"Good evening, Buenas Noches!" shouted Dudamel, welcoming everyone to this absolutely beautiful night of music. "We are having fun up here! ... and now we will travel from Mexico to Cuba for a piece called El Caiman, or "Xylophone" - you will see why." The rare xylophone showcase piece by Paul Desenne was full of energy and African rhythms, and yes, a xylophone spotlight. And it was great. The whole place was in a great mood, and I think it was because Dudamel's happy energy is so infectious, you can't help but enjoy yourself. We were loving it, and then we took another musical flight, this time to Argentina for Piazzolla's Oblivion. "This tango is about contemplation of the past, and it is very romantic," explained Dudamel in his charming accent. He was right - what a romantic, beautiful tango of a piece that one was ... swoon! I like it that Dudamel thought so too, saying, "Ahh, it's wonderful, so beautiful!" Totally.

Then we flew back to Mexico (where I will also be flying for my birthday adventure this coming weekend, so this was a wonderful way to kick off the week!) for their "Second national anthem", the great Huapango by Moncayo. There were choppers flying overhead during this one, providing their own interesting percussion, but the crescendo of the music soon made you forget all about them, especially when the gorgeous harp was playing. Dudamel again must have felt the same as we did, as he was beaming all throughout his energetic conducting of the Mexican classic. Our L.A. Phil is SUCH a treasure, and when playing under the stars at the Bowl, it just can't be beat.

Unless you next bring out Rodrigo y Gabriela! The guitar virtuosos took the stage casually, both in dress and demeanor, but the huge cheers before they played a note hinted at the bigger deal that it was. Rodrigo had blue hair for the occasion, and you could tell that they were both fired up to play. The crowd was equally fired up to listen, clapping along from the start of their first piece, "Hanuman". This exciting duo is truly a musical force, and had the entire Bowl mesmerized and immersed in the tunes the whole time. This isn't always easy when it's brand new songs that no one has heard, but no matter. They could play anything and we'd be into it. After the first one, the joint erupted in applause, and Rodrigo said, "This is our fifth time playing the Hollywood Bowl ... it's like magic that we come here without rehearsing and these musicians read papers - and they PLAY. It's fucking amazing!" It really was.

They were playing all new tunes from the new album they're working on now ("The songs are so new I don't remember there names" - G.), and from the sounds of it, it will be a must-own. Gabriela is not only a complete bad ass guitar picker, she is also perhaps the cutest person alive, I'm pretty sure. Her sweet voice when saying, "Buenas Noches, what a treat, it's like Santa Claus at Christmas!" made everyone fall even more in love with her and her playing. As a man about halfway back yelled, "I love you, Gabriela!" echoing everyone else's thoughts.

"Mexico where we live is a beautiful place to get inspired (yay!)", said Gabriela, as she explained that on this new album they worked 9-4, "like in an office". The L.A. Phil had to race to keep up with their breakneck speed-playing, and arms got weary trying to clap along fast enough. My notes simply say "WOW!" in a lot of places. Dudamel's face looked like he was thinking that too. Gabriela said after that one, "I want to say I have a feeling of being very grateful ... we are so lucky to be living this life in this moment ... and now we play 11:11, the title track of their also-named album. She was right, too. We were ALL so lucky to be living this life in this moment ... and I think everyone knew it. It felt special. To where when that one ended, Dudamel said, "Isn't it amazing, this?!" Agreed, 100%.

"Let's have some fun!" said Dudamel before they lit into "Tamacun" ... which we continued to do until the last note. When that last note happened, Gabriela's "Hippie message of the night" was for everyone to please recycle more! Thank you so much, bye bye! There was a standing ovation - of course - and Rodrigo, Gabriela and Dudamel all took a bow together before the L.A. Phil left the stage. There was a brief intermission before Rodrigo y Gabriela came back out together, just the two of them, and sat down on the lip of the stage to fully enchant the entire Bowl with just two people and two guitars. They play off of each other so well, with Gabriela's rhythmic percussive playing and Rodrigo's intricate finger picking ... the two parts make up a majestic whole. It was just SO beautiful ... and the entire audience was on their feet clapping along for the remainder of the show - even a little baby in the box next to us was all about clapping along, in a show that was truly one for the ages - and all ages.

For the final set, they first teased Extreme's "More Than Words" to laughter, before we were really treated to "Cumbe", "Echoes" (a Pink Floyd cover), and their own classic, "Diablo Rojo". People couldn't get enough of it, but it had to end, and did with another thunderous ovation for the remarkable talent of Rodrigo y Gabriela. Again ... WOW. Everyone was still bouncing from it as we all danced out of the aisles and out into the Los Angeles night ... truly feeling grateful for having lived this life in this moment, as Gabriela had said. This was a show we won't soon forget, and I'm so happy to have finally seen this delightful duo play live.

What a wonderful start to Mexican birthday week! Gracias!!!


*Press photos courtesy of The Hollywood Bowl

Bon Iver + TU Dance Come Through The Hollywood Bowl

In another enchanting evening at the Hollywood Bowl, Sunday night was the West Coast premiere of the collaboration between Bon Iver and the TU Dance company performing "Come Through" for an appreciative Los Angeles audience.

We got there early for once, and were rewarded by both a leisurely picnic and a super interesting performance by "Spiritual America" - another collaboration, by William Brittelle, and performed by Wye Oak with Metropolis Ensemble.

                                                                                                                     Composer William Brittelle

"Spiritual America" is a good title for this project, because it sounds kind of all over the place, but still beautiful ... as spirituality in America definitely also is. We used the term "Experimental" a lot while listening, as it hit you in the same sort of place that Björk's more out there stuff does, then brought it back to a more ethereal, dreamy space, that was made even more so by the colors of dusk and the emerging stars and moon.

                                                                                                                                                Wye Oak

"Nostalgia is a poison," opined singer Jenn Wasner at one point, causing us to do a double-take look at each other and back to her, as I've never thought about nostalgia as such, but when you think about it ... hmm. Their last number was called "Shriek", I believe, and Wasner said it was "about understanding the power of believing in your own myth." But not nostalgia. And that rather nicely sums up their set, and their sound. Wasner closed their set by saying, "We're Wye Oak ... and we did a thing." And we dug it.

We also dug the absolutely gorgeous night that we were sitting within - which was also Scene Central - as scores of KCRW listeners came out in a mass L.A. agreement that this was the place to be. They weren't wrong. Once Bon Iver took to the sparse set of the Bowl stage, with the dancers from TU Dance bringing his music to life, it looked and sounded as if everyone was more than happy to be right exactly there. Here's a sneak preview so you know what I'm talking about:

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) has come a long way sonically since his breakout hit, For Emma, Forever Ago. This bearded cat from Wisconsin seems awfully far from his cabin in the Wisconsin woods, incorporating Autotune on a majority of the songs - a sound that, honestly, makes me want to puncture my own eardrums to stop hearing. Why, Bon Iver? It's really not necessary, when all the talent gathered is so natural and beautiful, why warp it all up to sound like T-Pain? But I digress ...

                                                                                                                            Bon Iver/Justin Vernon

The St. Paul, Minnesota (so I loved them before they took a step) based TU Dance performed mesmerizing modern dance choreography in front of Vernon and his ensemble of musicians in the dark on a scaffold behind them. Video screens behind them all flashed words like "Laughing" "Crying", "Power" and "America" with trippy colors and shapes swirling into a mind-bending whole that hit all the senses. There was also definitely a socio-political slant to the whole deal, in another example of art being the hammer that shapes reality.

                                                                                                                                                TU Dance

All of the music was new to this project, so no one knew anything to sing or dance along to, but no matter ... we were all happy to just sit there and take it all in over copious amounts of wine. Perfect. As all the songs were new, I have no idea of the set list, but suffice it to say that every track packed an emotional punch, especially when so beautifully enacted by this strong troupe of modern dancers. WOW.

At one point the music even veered into hip hop territory, and caused us to do another double-take ... like "This isn't Bon Iver" - but it was. It was Bon Iver stretching and reaching, feeling and creating, to bring us an extravaganza for the senses in a performance that anyone who was there will not soon forget. The whole place stood up and applauded at the end, breaking the spell, but still leaving us all feeling dreamy, as the dazed masses wandered back out into the streets of L.A.

"Welcome to Hollywood, what's your dream?', asked the street hustler asks at the beginning and end of Pretty Woman. Well, last night for nearly 18,000 people in Hollywood, the answer was Come Through. 

*There are plans for this show to be taken on the road. You will not want to miss.


*William Brittelle photo by Stephen Taylor
*Wye Oak photo by Alex Marks
*Bon Iver photo by Andrew Blackstein
*TU Dance photos by Michael Slabodian
*Bowl performance photos by Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging

Father John Misty At The Hollywood Bowl - Spellbound

There was another enchanting evening at The Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night, when Big Thief, Gillian Welch, and Father John Misty took over the venerable Los Angeles landmark to weave musical spells under the moon and stars. To say it was utterly gorgeous in every way would still be an understatement of this sublime gift of a night.

I'm sorry to say we missed Big Thief due to the always congested journey to the Bowl - and that I was told they only played three songs in their set. Our box neighbors described the band as "Like a female Father John Misty." I could get into that. Will definitely check out, and apologize for missing their Bowl debut.

Gillian Welch is an Americana treasure, and she and her musical partner, David Rawlings, wove their tunes together in such a natural groove that you could close your eyes and imagine yourself on a porch swing in the country somewhere, just listening and loving as the stars came out and completed the perfection of their set.

We wondered why the crowd was so sparse in the picnic areas when we arrived, and it was because nearly everyone was already seated and raptly taking it all in. This is rare at the Bowl when it's still light out, and once seated, we understood why. I'd never seen Welch (looking rather like Joni Mitchell) and Rawlings (looking rather like Dwight Yoakum) live before, and it really is something. The duo perfectly compliment one another, and with highlights like "Look At Miss Ohio", "Hard Times", and "Revelator" featuring such deep musical prowess you really were left with mouths agape and minds pretty much blown. Welch's playing of banjo - and even knee-slapping - are just as great as her lush harmonies, and Rawlings guitar picking is the glue that holds it beautifully together. Their final song was a cover of Alfred E. Brumley's classic, "I'll Fly Away", and the sky was such an unnamed, perfect dusk color at that moment that one really did want to fly away right into it. I'm now an even bigger fan of these ultra-talented songsters who perfectly bridge the past to the present, bringing us all together. Wow.

That wonderful performance led into an intermission of picnic and wine enjoyment as acid-trippy music played over the p.a. and swirled everyone into a mellow groove. I'd read recently that Father John Misty likes to micro-dose on acid these days, and this music then made sense as the prelude to his Hollywood Bowl debut.

Touring in support of his recent album, God's Recent Customer, FJM (as I affectionately referred to him throughout the evening), seems to have blossomed from a kind of sarcastic social commentator to deeply reflective pop poet. My usual photographer (and brother), Paul, skipped this show, and texted me "Father John MEHsty", to which I took umbrage. But I also got it. Misty (aka Josh Tillman) has come off as extra-pretentious to some in past interviews and performances, but I've always just found him funny. And awesome.

Which he fully was on this night at the Bowl, playing his expertly crafted numbers so fantastically that my notes are rife with words like "Gorgeous!" "Epic", "Smart!" "Awesome lyrics!" (for all of these: "Funtimes In Babylon" - "Nancy From Now On" - "Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)" - "Strange Encounter" - "Disappointing Diamonds Are The Rarest Of Them All" - "Only Son Of The Ladiesman" - "Total Entertainment Forever"), and Misty more than proved that he was ready for this majestic stage.

Old Hollywood footage was screened behind the band, and Hollywood references are abundant in FJM's lyrics, so it almost felt like a hometown show, though he's really a dude from Maryland. "Look out, Hollywood, here I come!" was more than a lyric ... it was a statement of arrival for real. I love this guy - and wrote that several times in my notes too. You could just read his lyrics and be mesmerized, but that they're accompanied by such excellent harmonies - and even elevated with strings and horns on several tracks - makes it all simply entrancing. Yeah, I'm a fan. A gushy one.

My companion for the evening was not, however, leading into this show. Another Meh-sty type of guy (maybe it's a guy thing?), unknown to me when the invitation was extended. By the time Misty got to "Ballad Of A Dying Man" though, I got the raised eyebrows/frown face of "Impressed" and a slightly begrudged "Good one" from him. "Mr. Tillman" was more Hollywood cleverness, and then the laser-lit extravaganza "Bored In The U.S.A." was the one that really turned my friend into a real fan. His grin was ear to ear, and held the glow of the newly converted. Bless you, Father.

"Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" kept us in Hollywood, and every song just kept getting better, until the lights and lasers and sheer mastery of showmanship crescendoed with "Pure Comedy" and the last pre-encore number, "I Love You, Honeybear" - which I still can't get out of my head. FJM said (and he rarely addressed the crowd, letting his wisdom come through lyrically), "It's been a hell of a night!" so truthfully, and again, understated. My friend just said, "Thank you, CJ", only all thanks should have gone to Father John Misty and his band. Hell of a night.

But it wasn't yet done ... the encore was even better, with FJM returning in his white-suited glory to thunderous applause and whistles (us) to give us "Date Night", "Real Love Baby" (which I was fully feeling), and the finalé of "Holy Shit" - which is exactly what I wrote in my now barely legible notes. Holy shit was exactly right. FJM finally left the stage, having given his absolute all, by saying, "Quite a night, y'all! Thank you very much!" No, Mr. Misty (now I want some Dairy Queen). Thank YOU.

It seemed as if no one wanted the spell to be broken, as folks finished up their wine and sat there in our afterglow until ushers came to kick us out. Humming and whistling together, the droves made their way back out into the Hollywood night, having experienced one of my truly favorite experiences ever at The Bowl. And that's saying a lot. I even got to see someone be freshly converted to the gospel of Father John Misty. And it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

*Press photos courtesy The Holllywood Bowl. Performance photos courtesy Iphone (sorry).

An Evening With Jack Johnson At The Hollywood Bowl - Music Under Constellations

With all the craziness in the world these days, the mellow vibes of Jack Johnson's music was exactly what was needed this past Sunday night. Johnson played a sold out show at the Hollywood Bowl, which was transformed into an intimate-feeling beach party for the evening. The weather was perfect, the majority of the crowd was clad in Aloha shirts or breezy dresses (and very white), and the stars twinkled above like they were put there just for this event.

Jamtown set the tone early, playing their party-style tunes under a setting sun for an appreciative crowd of revelers. The collaboration between the individual talents of Cisco Adler, Donavon Frankenreiter, and G. Love is even better as a group, and all the partiers at the Bowl on this night were eating it up. With song titles like "Island Time", "Out To Sea", "Strawberry Moon", and "Jetstream," you gather that this is a band that digs their vacations, and they instantly made us all feel like we were on a good one of our own. After their last number, Adler shouted out, "You look ridiculous, you don't even understand it, this is beautiful!" - and I completely understood his enthusiasm. All was truly beautiful, and we were all in it together. Loving it.

The whole endeavor was sponsored by the "All At Once Foundation" in association with Johnson's Ohana Foundation. This meant that recycling was strongly encouraged (they gave out refillable glasses to drink from), plastic was strongly discouraged, there were bike valets, and best of all, the Bowl was strung with lights made from recycled materials just for this event that gave it all the feeling of a backyard jamboree. Of all the artists out there, it truly seems to me that Johnson is among the very most legit when it comes to walking his talk. Love the guy.

It's been a while since Johnson had played in L.A., so the crowd was all the more hyped to get down to his surfy, acoustic jams. He's such a casual character (remember the SNL skit where they had Jack Johnson shoes that were bare feet looking shoes?), that it almost took everyone by surprise when he ambled on to the stage, saying, "Hey, how's it going?" The ovation that met that simple greeting was massive, making clear the respect that Johnson has earned over the years. The band kicked it off with "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing", with the audience already clearly in the palm of his hand. I was sitting in a box with a new friend named Taylor, and when the band next began to play the song, "Taylor", she was beside herself with happiness. It was her college theme song. I get it. I was happy for her, and just looking at her beaming face reminded one of the absolute power of music to elate. Great.

"Flake" brought me right back to 2001, when my brother brought home an advance copy of Brushfire Fairytales for me to check out. Johnson's debut album made a fan of me from the first listen, and for life. Every song was great, an instant classic, and when he played this one it was as fresh as if I'd just heard it. I heard someone say all of Johnson's songs sound the same, to which I'd reply, "Excellent!" It's a timeless vibe, Brah. Keyboardist Zach Gill was particularly fancy on this one, a real standout. It's fun because you can tell how much of a good time these guys all have playing together, and it's infectious.

"A quick cheers to anyone who ever saw us play here at The Mint!" (WOOOO!) Johnson then shouted out to his drummer, our local Venice pal, Adam Topol, who has played with Johnson since the very beginning. He's a wonderful solo artist in his own right, and one of the few drummers out there who can distract me from the whole song because he's so good and fun to watch on his own. After introducing Topol, Johnson said, "My name is Jack, thank you, look at all you guys who came, I can't believe we get to do this!" Many artists feign humility, but Johnson is one of the very few with whom it rings true. You can feel his gratitude is absolutely sincere, especially with how much he really does give back. Like a Sublime cover of "Bad Fish/Boss DJ" for instance! The party was now even more on.

To introduce "Inaudible Melodies" (which I'm still humming today), Johnson told a story of how he originally wrote it in school at UCSB, to try and get an extension on a project. His film school professor, Edward Branigan, gave a lecture and Johnson tried to get all his notes into a song. Bruce Lee was so fast in Kung Fu films that the frames couldn't capture it, hence the line, "Frames can't catch you when you're moving like that ..." Rad. I love knowing stories behind songs.

"I don't really drink beer on stage, cause I'll burp when I sing, but this is the first L.A. show without our friend, Ben Bradley, backstage, so this song in particular is for Ben," said Johnson to introduce "Go On." Bradley passed away earlier this year, and was featured on the cups they gave away, which we heartily toasted to his friend's memory with. And the song was beautiful, of course. As was "Upside Down".

The brand new "My Mind Is For Sale" from Johnson's upcoming album, All The Light Above It Too, is a great example of how Johnson subtly (or not so subtly in this case, where he straight up takes Trump to task) works in his socially conscious messages, like a spoonful of sugar making the medicine go down with elegantly crafted, fun-sounding tunes that actually pack a wallop if you're really listening. "I don't care for your paranoid us against them fearful kind of walls ..." Right on. September seems a long way off when you want this album NOW.

"Tomorrow" started out with Johnson singing his old answering machine message his friends would hear when they called his house. He is clearly still crazy about his wife, Kim, and it was at this point that my box mate, Taylor, told me that Johnson is now her new standard for men. Like, if they don't step up and behave like Johnson does publicly to his his wife, then why even bother? I'm with her. Step it up, Men! Johnson is a fantastic example for you. Pay attention. Thanks.

"Bubble Toes" got people dancing after Johnson said, "If you wanna dance, this is one of our few dancing songs, then it's back to boring again." Um, hardly, but we did dance. Then there was a smooth rendition of The Steve Miller Band's "Joker" that everyone sang along heartily with. "Wasting Time" and "I Got You" were great as ever, then it was my favorite, "Constellations". Johnson dedicated it to his Dad, who gave him this line and memory ... "To lay down underneath the stars, listen to Papa's translations of the stories across the sky, we drew our own constellations." So beautiful, you had to feel a bit emotional. I did for sure. (Shocker).

"Breakdown" was for Johnson's little daughter who was there, and I can only imagine was thrilled when he said, "I love you, little girl!" Cool Dad supreme. "Tape Deck" featured Stewart Cole on trumpet, who goes back with Johnson to his 16 year old punk rock band days, and he stuck around for "Banana Pancakes", giving it an extra flair. G. Love came back out for the one-two punch of "Rodeo Clowns" and "At Or With Me", creating a harmonica frenzy of awesomeness. The good time they have playing together is obvious, and their long friendship creates a cohesion that comes from decades of riffing, rocking, and ruling.

"Whole Wide World" was great, and "Good People" posed the very important and timely question, "Where'd all the good people go?" Seriously, where?! A good answer was that they were almost all at this show, having a ball. I was looking down, taking notes, and Taylor tapped me from behind, saying, "Just so you know, everyone is dancing!" I turned around to look and the whole entire Bowl, front to back, surely was up on their feet, dancing away. So festive, so happy, so needed. Thanks be!

"Mud Football" was more fun - a story in song form, like most of Johnson's tunes. It was the last song of the regular set, and the applause was so thunderous then that Johnson didn't even leave the stage. He returned to the mic, saying, "I'm not gonna clown around like I'm not coming back out, there's a curfew." See - he's the real deal.

Johnson played solo acoustic for the encore, and dedicated "Angel" to his "lovely wife, Kim." We all cheered (and swooned) when he sang "Over 23 years have gone by, and I'm still yours." Again, the real deal. After that delight, he told a story about Willie Nelson getting him stones and taking all his money at poker, adding, "I'm dropping a name, but that's cool." It was.

"Better Together" was the final song of the evening, and was again real swoon-worthy, Taylor and I agreed. "Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart" ... I mean. He's right. Love IS the answer, and when this many people come together and proclaim it to be so, singing together as one ... it's pretty hard to argue with. We are ALL better together ... we're all in this together ... and shows and humanity like this remind us of this in the best possible way. It was a magical night, in a magical place, with magical people all around, feeling the same way. And as the All At Once Foundation's mission statement goes, "An individual action, multiplied by millions, creates global change." That's pretty basic, but ultra true. The good vibes of the night carried over as everyone exited the Bowl, still on that natural high you get from good times that also do actual real good.

Thanks eternal to Jack Johnson for creating his musical, activist, positive world, and for allowing us to share it with him, through song and action. Right on.



*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography