Last January 30, I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for a performance of acoustic Hot Tuna, at the Charleston Music Hall(SC). Hot Tuna is Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy and occasional side musicians to round out the sound. This night, they were a quartet, with drummer Will Smith on drums and an unnamed artist weaving harmonica notes around the flat-picking genius of Jorma Kaukonen.

But wait, who is Hot Tuna and why should we be interested in what they have to offer? Let’s travel back in time for an understanding of the genius of Hot Tuna. For starters, Jorma and Jack met in high school back in the DC area in the fifties. By 1958, they would play as a duo in some seedy bars around DC. and the surrounding areas. In 1962, Jorma began studies at Santa Clara University.in California

It was here, at college, that he met Janis Joplin, with whom he had a fling. By 1965 he was being offered the lead guitar slot in a new band, Jefferson Airplane. He lobbied for Jack Cassidy to play bass and that was what it took to transport Jack from DC to SF. Alongside Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Marty Balin and Spencer Dryden, they led the San Francisco sound alongside the Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana and Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. The wild success of “The Airplane” allowed Jorma and Jack plenty of time for them to perform as an acoustic duo acoustic in small clubs and electric music just about anywhere else. Jorma,Jack and their Airplane bandmates were inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Airplane disbanded in 1973 and resurrected as Jefferson Starship a few years later. By this time, Jorma and Jack had left no doubt that they were devoted to Hot Tuna 100% of the time. It’s been that way ever since. Over the years there were plenty of solo Jorma tours but Jack usually only went out on the road with Jorma. And they toured a lot! I was 17 in 1972 when I first saw Jefferson Airplane perform outdoors at Gaelic Park in the Bronx, NY. In 1975, as a college sophomore, I saw Hot Tuna fours times both indoors and out, all electric. They were the loudest electric band I have heard in concert until I saw the Foo Fighters in Columbia, SC in 2017. Below are two photos that I took of the band back 1975, as a student at the State University college at Oneonta, NY. Jorma and Jack autographed these after the show.

Over the decades, I caught an occasional show from Hot Tuna, like the night I saw them at the Windjammer on the Isle of Palms near Charleton. It’s a small beach bar that likely holds less than 500 when they pack it in. But most of my most recent encounters with Jorma was at the Pourhouse, a small bar in Charleston (SC) where he usually played solo or with one accompaniment on stage.

The last time Jorma was in town he opened for the David Bromberg band at the Music Hall. It was Jorma and his guitar sitting and singing for an appreciative audience. On January 30, it was Jorma on acoustic guitar, Jack Cassidy on electric bass, Justin Juip on the drums and an unnamed harmonica player adding some soulful notes in between Jorma’s flatpicking. For two sets and a break, they gave the audience nearly two and a half hours of their favorite songs while the audience watched their musical mastery flow seamlessly from song to song. They kept the banter to a minimum throughout the evening. Jorma’s voice was surpassed only by his ability to pick and strum flawlessly through nearly two dozen tunes from their vast repertoire. Many of the tunes come from the early blues masters, such as five tunes from Rev. Gary Davis, and selections from Blind Willie Johnson and Leroy Carr. They were weaved around Hot tuna originals and a few Jefferson Airplane selections. The performance was like comfort food for the ears. You could just sit back in the Music Hall’s comfortable seats and let the music takes you away.

If you’ve read this far, you might have calculated that Jorma and Jack are up there in years. As it is, Jorma turned 84 last December and Jack will be 81 this April (2025). A small portion of career musicians are still performing and at a high level on top of that!  It’s high time to celebrate this duo who have been performing together for more than 60 years and certainly let you know they enjoy playing together.

Check out some of their videos on YouTube. I recommend Hot Tuna-Whining Boy Blues 12-7-2024 from the Capital Theatre, Port Chester, NY. This is the same lineup that performed together at the above-mentioned Charleston Music Hall show. If you hear of them coming to a theatre near you, run, don’t walk, to get tickets. Let me know what you thought of the show!

#hottuna #JormaKaukonan #JackCassidy #CharlestonMusicHall #JeffersonAirplane

If you’ve read my blogs before, this is the fourth installment of an unlikely theme for a music blog. Rock and Roll Jesus blogs are the most read of the blogs I have written over the last 9 years. It began with Spirit in the Sky (Norman Greenbaum) on August 15, 2017, followed by Presence of the Lord (Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood) on May 24, 2018 and Still haven’t found what I’m looking for (U2) on February 23, 2024. Today I offer Gotta Serve Somebody written by Bob Dylan. The constant theme to these songs is Christian principles in rock and pop songs by contemporary artists. While these songs won’t make it onto a Hillsong compilation, they do say something about themes which the artists are trying to promote.

Gotta Serve Somebody comes from the album, Slow Train Coming, released in 1979. This was the first track on side 1. Slow Train Coming is the first of a trio of Christian theme albums that Dylan released between 1979 and 1981.In 1980, Dylan released Saved and in 1981 he offered up Shot of Love

In 1978, Bob Dylan’s energy was tapped out from constantly being on the road, and on top of other pressures in his life, his last album Street Legal didn’t do so well. Legend has it that he saw a vision of Christ that year a few months after a fan threw a silver cross on the stage while Dylan was performing. Some musicians in his touring band were members of a Southern California-based organization named the Vineyard Fellowship. A girlfriend of Dylan’s, a Vineyard member named Mary Alice Artes, asked pastor Ken Gulliksen to speak to the singer. This led to Dylan beginning an intensive study of the Vineyard. It was this action which would go on to influence Dylan’s writing style for the next few years and led to the trio of albums.

Slow Train Coming was Dylan’s first release since becoming a born-again Christian. Much of the album thus deals with Dylan’s faith and Christian teachings. While the religious nature of the record alienated many of Dylan’s older fans, the album also gained Bob a new wave of Christian fans.

The song talks about the finding meaning in life through serving God. The song’s main message was highlighted in the lyrics, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody/Well it could be the devil or it could be the Lord/But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”. John Lennon thought this song was “embarrassing” and wrote Serve Yourself in response to it. The song criticized Dylan’s preaching and instead asserted: “you gotta serve yourself/Ain’t nobody going to do it for you”. In 1980, Dylan’s song was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a male. Dylan performed the song at that same ceremony. Later, Devo would cover this song live as their Christian rock alter-egos, Dove. Natalie Cole covered this on her 1999 album, Snowfall n the Sahara. This cover version featured a new verse that Dylan had written especially for Cole.

If you’re unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics:

You may be an ambassador to England or France                  
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance                                                    
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world                                               
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls                                                   

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed                                              
You’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                                       
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord                                                        you’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                                 

Might be a rock ‘n’ roll addict prancing on the stage                                                 
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage                        
You may be a business man or some high degree thief                                            
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief                                             

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed                                             
You’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                                      
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord                                                          
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                             

You may be a state trooper, you might be an young turk                                          
You may be the head of some big TV network                                                         
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame                                                 
You may be living in another country under another name                                      

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes                                                        
You’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                                      
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord                                                        
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody                                                                

You may be a construction worker working on a home                                               You might be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome                                    
You might own guns and you might even own tanks                                                
You might be somebody’s landlord you might even own banks      

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 Here’s a YouTube link to the song for your audio-visual experience:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-CffhydlDo

Let us know what you think after indulging us by reading this blog!

It is July 5^th at 6 PM and 118 degrees in Las Vegas. My wife and I traverse the land bridge across Las Vegas Blvd. into the air-conditioned confines of the Venetian Hotel. Once inside this luxury resort, we follow the signs to the bridge that connects this glamorous hotel to the Sphere. We follow a small crowd along the air-conditioned path into the most amazing concert venue I have seen in my 53 years of being in the crowd. The Sphere was celebrating its one-year anniversary. The interior color scheme is a variety of blue, black and green. In the sky above our heads were amazing shapes hanging from the rafters. They twirled and danced independent of any background music. The escalators rose to each new level transporting fans who, many like me, were getting our first looks of this venue. What first struck me was the width of the concourse that wraps around each level. It afforded hundreds of people the opportunity to move freely around without a hint of claustrophobia. There were plenty of opportunities to purchase food, beverages and merchandise. I ascertained the situation in need of a beer. In front of me were a bank of refrigerators with swinging doors like you find in most convenience stores. Inside these coolers were rows of beers, with a great variety of domestic, imported and craft beers. Above the coolers were signs promoting the beverages and their cost. I grabbed my choice and followed the fast-moving line to an attendant who instructed me to place my drink on a metal apparatus which read the beer’s code and automatically priced my choice on a screen. I was guided to tap my card and in seconds I was off with my beverage at a minimal of time and effort. I followed the signs to my section and entered a short tunnel that turns left and then right into the venue. Here’s where the magic began.

Promptly at 7:35 PM Dead and Company take the stage way down below. Although they appear to be the size of scurrying ants, they are in fact larger than life tonight. The show begins, as has become customary, when the wall façade breaks into two along a jagged edge which becomes the Dead’s trademark lightning bolt. The separating façade reveals a smooth circular canvas which would transform this place into a most unforgettable experience.  They began zooming in with a view from outer space towards Earth, focusing down to California, then closer to San Fransisco and ultimately the Haight-Ashbury section of San Fransisco in the mid-sixties. Then the music began and the familiar guitar licks of Cold Rain and Snow got the crowd cheering and up on their feet.

Throughout the evening, the sound was impeccably balanced. I have worn hi-fidelity ear plugs to shows for nearly ten years and had planned to bring them with me but forgot them back at the hotel. After 800+ shows, it is a necessity for me to keep my tinnitus ringing to a manageable level. I am happy to report that I was able to manage the sound level due to the 167,000 individually amplified loudspeakers strategically spaced throughout this magnificent theatre. Throughout the evening’s performance, the sound never overpowered the senses and made for a most comfortable and enjoyable show. For those interested in the complete set list from this or any other show from their residency, go to setlistfm.com and search Dead and Company.

The first set of seven classic Dead tunes lasted a little more than an hour. The video performance was totally captivating. A steady stream of still and moving art paraded across the ceiling of the arena. There were many close ups of the band members performing both within the artwork and all by themselves. There were times where the images grew to the size of the building and then came right at you, where it felt like you were being absorbed by what you saw.

Intermission was slightly quicker than the norm of their outdoor shows. The band returned to the stage slightly after Nine PM for an eleven-song performance including the “encore”. The second half started with the classic combination of China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider and included a classic Dark Star. The spacey tune was accompanied by a flowing Star Wars themed display of the Cosmos, captivating the audience. Perhaps the most interesting portion of the show was the standard Drums>Space, a staple of Dead shows for decades. What used to be a signal to run to the restrooms has become an integral part of the show. This is not your father’s drum solo but a percussive assault of the senses. If you were lucky enough to be seated during this performance you felt your seat rumble, lean and punctuate every thundering beat from the percussion section. It was something that I have not experienced in any concert that I have ever attended.

Coming out of the Drums>Space performance the band started slow with Looks Like Rain and then picked up the pace on Brown Eyed Women before falling back to a danceable Fire on the Mountain, complete with drummer Micky Hart rapping his own verses, and then Throwing Stones. All throughout the performance, the screen changed with the songs, at one time projecting the 1974 Wall of Sound with screens on the left and right showcasing various members of the band in performance.

The band then featured news clips regarding their early days, confirming the lasting impression they made on the culture of the time. This led to their ‘encore’ of Not Fade Away, a fan favorite. The performance concluded around 11:15 PM and then the fans began their descent to the concourses and the escalators and stairs. The crowd was euphoric and well behaved as they congregated together in their descent to the bridge which led to the Venetian hotel or the superheated streets below.

A nice sampling of what you can expect at this kind of show is a performance of Shakedown Street and the visual presentation that is unique to this venue..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SMnGgyJOLo

The Dead is now the third major act to perform at this multimedia wonder. It all kicked off last fall when the Irish band, U2 took up residence at the Sphere for forty performances. This was followed in April by Phish’s four-night stay. The Sphere also hosted the two-day NHL Draft in the middle of the Dead and Company string of weekends. When they conclude on August 10. Dead and Company will have given thirty performances, only outdone by U2.

When you hear that your favorite band is coming to the Sphere(sphere.com), don’t think twice, get the tickets!! You will not regret this and you WILL thank me!

 March roared into Charleston and brought with it nine performances of note. Beginning the month was the SC Blues Alliance at a local bar, a house concert by a renowned local folk artist and an enjoyable bluegrass ensemble from N. Carolina on the deck at the Pourhouse.  Edgy comedy from Englishman Jimmy Carr, Dawes and Lucius as a band performing the Tag Team Tour, Creed frontman Scott Snaap stepping out with his project and the 50^th anniversary tour by Spyro Gyra all at my Music Hall displayed a broad brush of artists. The month ended with an acoustic duo from the Infamous Stringdusters performing the music of Jerry Garcia one night and then screaming guitars from Joe Satriani and Steve Vai sharing the stage at the Performing Art Center another night.

Of note, Jimmy Carr gave two performances one night at the Music Hall. His dry British humor and measured delivery added to his unique perspective of life. There were no taboos to the topics he might discuss and his performance was 15 to 20 minutes shy of two hours. I’ve not seen a comedian perform for that length.

What captured my ear the most was the Tag Team tour of Dawes and Lucius. The two ladies who front Lucius lent their voices to the Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith and his drumming brother Griffin. They opened their show with a cover of Pink Floyd’s Shine on you Crazy Diamond and ended their show with a Joe Cocker rendition of the Beatles’ A little help from my friends. In between the artists covered many tunes from each band’s catalogue which made up the bulk of their performance. Taylor talked about being at Joni Mitchell’s house last year and getting to sing with her. He then played Mitchell’s Come in from the Cold. They also paid tribute to Warren Zevon with Desperados under the Eaves and a lovely vocal performance by Lucius on the Grateful Dead’s Uncle John Band. All told they played for more than two hours in two sets and left the capacity crowd in wonder of the breadth and scope of the the songs offered that night.

The other performance that really got my attention was Andy Falco and Travis Book of the new grass band, the Infamous Stringdusters, performing the music of Jerry Garcia at local club the Pourhouse. Their two voices floated above the riffs and beats of an acoustic guitar and a standup acoustic bass. The sounds that they churned out filled the room and made the crowd dance all night long. Even if you weren’t a Deadhead but appreciate the bluegrass sound, you would enjoy the show.  However, if you are a Head, you would appreciate the songs they chose to perform to a small (under 150) crowd one Saturday night. Their set list was ambitious and the sounds were magical. A good time was had by all.

#lucius #dawes #tagteamtour #andyfalco #travisbook #charlestonmusichall #pourhouse #scbluesalliance #montreux #jimmycarr #daniellehowle #chathamcountyline #scottsnaap #spyrogyra #infamousstringdusters

After a customary slow January, February in Charleston really heated up. I was able to be in the audience for eight shows, covering many genres of Rock music. In order we saw Same as it ever was, Croce plays Croce, the Gipsy Kings, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Robert Cray, Drew and Ellie Holcomb, Cat Powers performing Bob Dylan’s 1996 Royal Albert Hall concert and Marc Broussard. The shows represented the music of the Talking Heads, Jim Croce, the Grateful Dead, the Blues, Americana, Bob Dylan and Swamp rock and blues. How do you choose one show to highlight amongst those shows?

You don’t. There was more than one show that stood out and more than one show that you should see if they come to your town. I will share a short synopsis of those worth highlighting. Let me begin with AJ Croce, the only son of Jim Croce. Jim was huge in the late sixties right up to his unfortunate death in 1973, 51 years ago. The five albums that he put out in that time contained big hits that brought him fame and fortune. If you don’t know him, stream his music to understand the impact he had on the pop rock scene. AJ Croce is not hiding behind his father’s stellar career but he does honor his music. AJ Croce grew up without his father, being nearly two years old when Jim died in a plane crash. He learned how to play piano and guitar and was playing in bands by age 16. His first recording was made when he was 19 and over the years, he has established himself as a wanted session musician and touring musicians. His performance showed his mastery of the piano and his polished guitar style and voice. He is a good story teller and a great stage presence. Whether you were a Jim Croce fan or not, catch AJ’s act.

The Gipsy Kings, a guitar driven Latin gypsy band, are fronted by founder Nicholas Reyes. The band has as many as five guitarists performing together at one time and the songs are sung in the Catalyn, Spanish style. Their homage to flamenco guitar playing helps drive the songs while Nicholas’s soaring vocals took the songs to new heights. Their more than two-hour performance was sung and spoken in Spanish without any translations offered. I do have a soft spot for flamenco guitars and the Gipsy Kings are a true representation of this gypsy sound.

Robert Cray, at 71, is still going strong with his strong vocals and blues guitar style. He is a great talent and an accomplished performer. If you’ve never seen him before, he will not disappoint blues fans.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is arguably the best Grateful Dead tribute band in America. JRAD as they are known among the fans of the band are led by drummer Joe Russo. From 2009 to 2014, Joe toured as the drummer for Further, a band led by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. This was my first time seeing the band JRAD live but I left a solid fan. Their high energy renditions of Dead tunes coupled with the members ability to take these tunes to the far reaches of the jam. The band peppers a few tunes by great rock bands in their shows and gave us a cover of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” as the encore when I saw them in Charlotte. A side thought here- I saw this band in Charlotte at an overpacked Fillmore. It was my second and last time that I will see a show there. It’s too packed, the pillars obstruct the sidelines and the staff seemed more suited to riot control than I felt comfortable with.

Drew and Ellie Holcomb are a husband and wife duo who hit the road annually for a week or two of shows together. Their Country and Pop styles blend well with their vocals to deliver an intimate, Coffeehouse style performance. Check out Drew and Ellie Holcomb as well as Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, highly recommended.

Marc Broussard is a Louisiana blues and rock performer whose been touring the country for more than 20 years. His style is often called Bayou Soul and his voice fits that style. The night we saw him he was highlighting his first major release, Carencro, from 2004. He can sing the blues and romantic ballads with the same high energy and soulful voice. I recommend you see him if he comes to your town.

All in all, it was a fine month with memorable performances throughout. If you see one of these performers, let us know what you think of their performance.

#ajcroce #gipsykings #JRAD #robertcray #drewandellieholcomb #marcbroussard #charlestonmusichall

If you are not familiar with either of my previous Rock and Roll Jesus blogs, let me elaborate on the subject at hand. As a live music devotee, I am well aware of Christian rock music. However, under no circumstance am I versed well enough on the popular artists of the genre to comment in the first person regarding their work. However, I have researched popular rock songs and have reimagined them as Sunday worship staples. None of the songs that I have highlighted were written to be a praise song for a congregation. I contend that there are Christian themes and values in the lyrics of the song that compare favorably to songs performed in contemporary Christian houses of worship.

 In this third feature, we turn our attention to U2’s 1987 chart topping album Joshua Tree. This was the band’s fifth studio album and reached #1 on the US charts and #6 in the UK. The band has sold more than 25 million copies of the album which includes FM radio staples Where the streets have no name, With or without you, Bullet the Blue Sky, In God’s country and Still haven’t found what I’m looking for. Rolling Stone named this song #93 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

If you are not familiar with the lyrics, crawl out from under that rock and have a read:

I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes, I’m still running

You broke the bonds and loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

The video link to their performance of this song at Madison Square Garden in 1987 is below:

The video quality and the lighting leave a lot to be desired bur the performance speaks to the gospel quality of the song and demonstrates how a Baptist church choir can raise the roof performing this tune.  

Bono is well known for his Christian faith and this shows in the lyrics and the energy that this music creates when performed live. This song was not inspired by any professed belief in God or meant to be a hymn for the Christian world to sing. However, with very little, if any, lyrical changes this song could be an uplifting song for any Christion community. Can you not see how this song would sound in the varied buildings worldwide that are a church at least once a week? So, next time you hear this song, stop what you’re doing long enough and give it a listen. Perhaps you will see it in a different light and gain a new appreciation.

#U2 #JoshuaTree #Stillhaven’tfoundwhatI’mlookingfor #RockandRollJesus