paul_from_losangeles

Shannon McNally performed a beautiful acoustic show last night (Dec. 4, 2011) at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA. Her featured support was guitar virtuoso Greg Leisz, with additional support from Don Heffington on small percussion objects, and Will Sexton on bass and occasional guitar. This was an intimate performance in the listening room of McCabe’s–a distinct contrast from Shannon’s electric shows in raucous Southern roadhouses. Shannon played a variety of original songs and covers for about 90 minutes, including her stunning cover of Kate Wolf’s “Brother Warrior”, from Shannon’s “Run for Cover” CD.

Shannon & Greg navigate up the coast to Zoey’s in Ventura, this Thursday evening, Dec. 8.
For an extremely louder show, try Shannon at Rooster’s Blues House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on New Years Eve.

Ticketing and venue details for Melbourne and Sydney are available now at http://www.ticketmaster.com.au
Just search for Lucinda Williams.

Be aware of the dd/mm/yyyy date format.

The El Rey shows for Nov. 22-23 are now listed at the High Road Touring, Goldenvoice (promoter), and El Rey websites. Doors at 8, music at 9.

The sites indicate tickets on-sale this Friday, Oct. 21, at 10AM Pacific time. The El Rey is normally general admission, with mostly standing, and some peripheral seating.

Blake Mills is listed to open Nov. 22, and Buick 6 (which presumably includes Blake) is listed to open Nov. 23.

Thanks, GrumpyMama, for posting the setlist. I’ll add a few comments this morning.

The acoustic set occurred within a timeline of 5:30-8:30. Guests were admitted at 5:30, and each received 3 tickets for wine tasting. The main floor was all-tables, essentially picnic-style tables arranged perpendicular to the stage. Patrons then had unlimited access to a serving line featuring ribs, shrimp, mashed potatoes, Gruene beans, and fudge pie. In addition to the wine tasting, the vintners were selling full glasses and bottles of wine, and, of course, the venue bar was selling its normal libations.

Lucinda took stage about 7:15. The table setup had expensive reserved tables towards the stage, and cheaper general admission tables towards the rear. Many of the GA folks, including myself, abandoned the tables, and chose to stand on the sides for a better stage view. Other people moved into the adjacent picnic garden, where the music could be heard from outside.

Per the setlist, Lucinda sang the first 3 songs solo, then Blake joined at “Side of the Road”, and remained for the set. David joined the stage at “Everything has Changed”, and remained; then, Butch appeared at World Without Tears, and drummed for the last 3 songs.

After Lucinda’s acoustic set, there were results from an ongoing silent auction of various items, then a charity auction of guitars, signed by famous performers, including Lucinda. These were not historic guitars played by the artists; instead, they were relatively cheap Fender acoustic guitars with signatures–I’ve never seen Lucinda play a Fender acoustic guitar.

During the auction, many people (including myself) moved into the outdoor garden, or left the premises with re-entry handstamps to explore other watering holes (with baseball on TV) and shops in downtown Gruene. When I returned near 9 PM, the tables had been moved-out, and Gruene Hall had assumed its classic dance-hall ambience.

Several hundred more people were then admitted for the main set. During this set, the background audience noise in the hall was extremely loud. Gruene Hall is clearly a talking, drinking, dancing, and more-talking room–it’s not a place to listen to intimate music. Lucinda seemed dissatisfied with the sound as she was hearing it on stage, and repeatedly asked Nick (stage manager) and Eric (tour manager) to talk with the sound people for a remedy.

In summary, a good evening of music–a more attentive and quieter audience might have helped…

Added comment: This version of Blessed seemed different and reworked. Lucinda began solo acoustic for a verse, then the band joined the stage, and Blake played a powerful slide guitar for the remainder of the song.

Pieta and Bo were brilliant last night at McCabes. After her set, Pieta signed albums and posters in the front room.

For folks in the Los Angeles area this week, remember EmmyLou Harris, Buddy Miller, and Patty Griffin on Tuesday night at the Greek Theater, and Gillian Welch with David Rawlings on Thursday night at the Music Box.

From Billy Bob’s website:

Live bull riding (not a mechanical bull) at both 9 PM and 10 PM, in the adjacent arena, just before the concert. You must be a credentialed rodeo athlete to compete.

Also, a house band, named “Niles City”, performing on the Honky Tonk stage, near the Main Stage.