Review: Jorma Kaukonen/Jon Shain
2/19/00 - The Arts Center - Carrboro, NC
by Rob Turner

Jorma Kaukonen's return to the "triangle" area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) was part of a big weekend on Franklin Street just outside of Chapel Hill. Literally two storefronts away the Smashing Pumpkins were slated to perform a rare club date at Cat's Cradle. Unfortunately, two of the original members of the band were unable to perform that night, so the cogitative Billy Corgan performed most of the show solo. Word has it he pulled it off just fine, by the way, some of his most hardcore fans were actually delighted; while a handful took advantage of the band's offer to redeem admission to any displeased patrons.

There was no refund seeking at The Arts Center on this night. These two artists were planning on performing solo all along. Jorma Kaukonen, veteran of Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, and so much more, was the headline. His appearance was met with much excitement, as it was his first area gig in an intimate setting since an appearance at Under The Street in Durham seven years prior (almost to the date, 2/13/93). Jon Shain, who opened for Hot Tuna as well as Kaukarano (Jorma's duo gig with Michael Falzarano) a number of times as a member of Flyin' Mice, was in a familiar pre-Kaukonen slot (Jorma even sat in with the now-defunct Mice a couple of times). The combination of the return of a legend, and one of the triangle's finest singer/songwriters, made the show an easy sellout.

Jon Shain's set

O: The Letter, Loan Me A Year, Child Of Tomorrow's Summers, Sapphire Sky, New Year's Eve, Porcupine Rag, Armchair Warrior, One Way Gal, Acoustic Solo, Perambulatory Blues, Step It Up And Go

Jon Shain was in the middle of a hell of a week. He and his wife had just closed on a new house. How many people can say that they were opening for Jorma Kaukonen Saturday night, and then picking up a truck rental Sunday morning to spend the entire day moving?

Shain opened the set with a version of his updated take on Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee's The Letter. While his performance on acoustic guitar was a little shaky behind the initial vocal portion, the first section of lead guitar was so impressive it elicited applause from the crowd. The next six songs were from Shain's 1999 solo release "Brand New Lifetime". His finger picking on Loan Me A Year was a bit more subdued than usual, perhaps in deference to Mr. Kaukonen. He chose spice up this version with a lead guitar not usually heard on Loan Me A Year, and an enlivened lead vocal. Jon was in strong vocal form the entire set. This paid off particularly well as he offered note-perfect versions of three of his stronger recent originals, which also were well received by his hometown crowd. Child Of Tomorrow's Summers featured the presumably unintentional nod to Corgan's worries at Cat's Cradle, with the lyric "frightening nightmare's in the cradle." This was a particularly impassioned rendition, as Shain engaged himself in the lyrics of the song, especially as he sang, "at harvest time we'll have to scour the field, for the seeds we've never sown." He also played a note-perfect, gorgeous solo in this number.

One of Shain's favorite one-two punches lately has been the old-timey Porcupine Rag, and the Stephen Stills-flavored muscular acoustics of Armchair Warrior. These two shined particularly bright tonight, and grunts of appreciation for Shain's luscious guitar picking emitted from finger watchers sitting up near the stage.

Shain then pointed out that another one of his heroes was in The Arts Center that night, the esteemed North Carolina bluesman Lightnin' Wells. Shain then performed One Way Gal, which he introduced as written by a Piedmont blues musician from the twenties, William Moore; although Shain stole it off of one of Wells' albums. Shain also chose this moment to acknowledge the many guitar students of his that were in attendance, to which the students shouted out their approval. There were many of Shain's most fervent fans in the house also, and he treated them to a rare solo reading of a former Flyin' Mice showstopper, the poorly titled instrumental epic, Acoustic Solo (I always thought the title didn't do the adventurous song justice). Later, one taper who follows Shain's career closely suggested that it may have been the first live version since Flyin' Mice disbanded. Perambulatory Blues, a long time staple of many Shain projects, found him offering a fiery lead at breakneck pace, definitely his strongest guitar work of the set. Jon then engaged the crowd in a call and response on the set-closing Step It Up And Go. As he departed the stage, most of the audience exalted him with a standing ovation.

I was taken by the respect Jon showed Jorma by shaping his set to complement Jorma's performance rather than compete with it. The Americana feel of some of his songs, the guttural singing synchronized with an entire lead he took on Armchair Warrior, and of course the call and response with the crowd on Step It Up And Go, all served to appropriately whet the audience's musical palette for the Jorma set that followed. Shain displayed an awareness of the fact that there is no need to finger pick too many tunes when one of the greatest of all time is on deck.

Jorma Kaukonen's set:

O: Harvey Colman's Clapton Story Intro, Trouble In Mind, Hesitation Blues, Walkin' Blues, How Long Blues, Death Don't Have No Mercy, Do Not Go Gentle, I See The Light > Sunny Day Strut, True Religion, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Living In The Moment, Good Shepherd, 99Year Blues, I Am The Light Of This World, Ice Age, Genesis, Follow The Drinking Gourd, Uncle Sam Blues, Happy Turtle Song, Mann's Fate, San Francisco Bay Blues, Water Song

E: Police Dog Blues
E2: Keep On Truckin'

One thing that highlights how Jorma has improved, as a performer in the years that I have been fortunate enough to enjoy him is his vocal delivery. As far back as I can remember, Jorma's guitar prowess has always been evident. However, when I first started seeing Jorma in the eighties, his vocal approach, while always resonant with soul, was sometimes lacking in comprehensibility. While he was still a delight to see back then, one really had to come to the show armed with prior knowledge of the lyrics of his repertoire to garner a full appreciation. While he still has his own distinctive warm growl delivered with robust soul, he now also sings with consistent clarity. And his guitar work, well... ridiculous...off the hook... at times inconceivable... Jorma is one of those artists that render words worthless and weak, but that's all we got so here we go.

Jorma's tour manager and close friend, the enigmatic Harvey Colman, regaled the crowd with a story while introducing the man some call, "The Captain." "Eric Clapton was doing an interview one time and somebody asked him, 'How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world?' And Eric said, 'I don't know, ask Jorma Kaukonen!'" After showing Harvey some appreciation for going the extra mile with the introduction, Jorma slid into a tune believed by many to be written by Blind Connie Williams, Trouble In Mind. Jorma eased into the set with pretty straight readings of this and Hesitation Blues. That is to say, straight by lofty Kaukonen standards. He did lend some extra muscle to one portion of Hesitation. Robert Johnson's Walkin' Blues seemed to energize Jorma, as one slightly botched section gave way to muscular low note improvisations immediately. Jorma threw down some stunning instrumental work, holding notes and series' of notes to build tension, and slamming out of them only to return to more liberal improvisation and eventually launch into other note holding sessions. Some of the riffs that he tossed out during Walkin' were nothing short of jaw dropping, and the show was in gear.

Responding to a request for In The Kingdom, Jorma shared a prayer that he had heard on NPR recently, "I pray for the day I can be the man my dog thinks I am." He then laid a spectacular version of How Long Blues on us, which featured some stunning sinewy guitar lines. His vocal was outstanding as well, especially his delivery of, "I thought I heard a whistle, mama I think I see a train. Deep in my heart there is a achin' pain."

I thought Death Don't Have No Mercy was going to be the rarely performed Another Man Done Gone at first, until he injected an acrobatic low note guitar roll into the introduction signaling that it was indeed Death. Again, he exhibited many stunning low note guitar flurries. One of the many head-scratching things about Jorma is the amount of notes he can get out with very little plucking from his right hand. That left hand of his is often solely responsible for many, many strong notes, while his right hand patiently waits above the strings. His guitar playing in the verse section of Death seemed to be entirely improvised, and even the fastest riffs didn't throw off his timing one bit. Jorma's instrumental passages were pure ear candy, with high notes here, some lusciously repeated chordal work there; it was truly an amazing reading.

I enjoy Do Not Go Gentle, because it is a song that particularly allows Jorma to take it wherever he pleases. Tonight, it wandered into some sweetly ethereal spaces. The opening chords of True Religion, sparked some hoots out of the attentive audience. The reading was slightly slower than I am used to, which seemed to put more emphasis on the prescient lyric of this Tuna classic. Just the way he inserts a gentle smidge of his growl into the verse ending "Hal-ay-lu's" (phonetic) was chill-inducing. Nobody Knows You lends itself to Jorma's style of vocal and phrasing beautifully. An example of one of my favorite things about Jorma was when he crooned the "Nobody Knows You When" and then with "Your" he trailed to a growl and let his guitar play the "Down and Out," part which flowed seamlessly into an instrumental section. As Harvey would ask, "does it get any better than this..really..does it?"

Living In The Moment, is a new song that will soon have words, "if I'm lucky," Jorma says. It is a contemplative piece, which tonight I believe had a new portion that wasn't included in the version I had seen in Atlanta just two days back. It's always nice to hear Jorma working on new material. This is especially true with a piece like this one, where there is ample space for improvisation. I'm sure Jorma will take advantage of this as he becomes more familiar it. One fan yelled out, "don't need no words Jorma!" To which the eternally quick-witted Kaukonen responded, "That's not what my wife says!" Jorma dipped back to his psychedelic days with a heart-felt rendering of Good Shepherd, which was first made popular by the Jefferson Airplane. His vocals were spiced with quiet embellishments. He effortlessly alternated delicate guitar parts with resonant chords where his left hand grabbed the guitar with such might I though he was gonna throw the thing. Jorma also displayed some energetic rhythm guitar before and during the familiar descending patterns that return the song to its final lyric.

99 Year Blues has become something of a "hit" for Kaukonen lately, as the crowd responded to the opening notes, and the end of the first verse for that matter, with fervent applause (as they did in Atlanta). Jorma appeared more than happy to play 99 Year Blues as he fired off some dizzying guitar lines, and was jubilantly toying with the phrasing. Rev. Gary Davis' I Am The Light Of This World, provided further evidence of Jorma's ability to easily work his left hand across the fret board like a contortionist. The crowd seemed hypnotized by a spectacular reading of his own spooky composition, Ice Age. Jorma took full advantage of this piece on the final instrumental portion, which found him to twisting the song into new directions before he power-strummed it to its conclusion.

A woman squealed with delight when Jorma announced that he was going to perform Genesis. Jorma thanked the exuberant fan by saying, "bless you." Widespread Panic covers this song occasionally, and in case some of their younger fans don't know, it * is * a Kaukonen-penned Hot Tuna song. His heart-wrenching lead vocal was mesmerizing as Jorma delivered a memorable version of this wonderful song. After its completion, Jorma got ta' talkin' about surreal moments, and among the ones he shared was a recent day that he had heard his instrumental Water Song in an Ohio airport. After a couple more stories, he offered an extended version of his instrumental, Follow The Drinking Gourd in lieu of a requested White Rabbit.

While all of Jorma's material takes on a different feel in a solo setting, this version of Uncle Sam Blues departed radically from any I've ever heard. His choices of where to accent, lyrically and instrumentally, were strikingly adventurous. This made for an interesting listen, as did the Jorma chestnut that followed. A friend of Jorma's had asked him to perform Happy Turtle Song, and Jorma obliged, introducing it as "A little thing in C." It was a quick lil' nug, but I'll take it. Hot on its heels was a version of Mann's Fate that was nothing short of stunning. There was one point where he was repeating two separate guitar lines in unison; Jorma at his stunt acoustic guitar best!

I've always preferred Jorma's approach to Jesse Fuller's San Francisco Bay Blues to anyone else's, and tonight's version did not disappoint. He twisted the song beautifully, stretching out some words, and galloping through others. His fingers skipped across the guitar as he offered an unthinkable array of rhythms, repeated notes, and sick licks. The room seemed in collective awe as it was beyond silent until a rousing ovation greeted its conclusion.

Jorma's tantalizing reading of Water Song ended the set. The crowd exploded with a loud standing ovation that did not let up until he returned to tune up for a solid version of "Police Dog Blues." After he attempted to leave again, the crowd continued to roar their approval. The venue turned on the house music, but that only caused the crowd to increase its cheering. As the thunderous applause drowned out the house music, Jorma re-emerged to leave us with a animated version of Keep On Truckin'

Click here for Kaukonen and other Hot Tuna related tour dates.
Click here for information a list of upcoming special events at Fur Peace Ranch.

News: Gov't Mule
Special Encore Performance
by Tom Bloch

Gov't Mule played a 70-minute acoustic set following their performance on West Virginia's Mountain Stage. Their performance took place at The Empty Glass Café, with approximately 100 people in attendance. The band concluded the one set event with the Allman Brothers' "Soulshine", with "It Hurts Me Too" closing the set.

Acoustic Mule is the flip side of their usual, hard-driving blues; mellow and jazzy yet still rooted in the band's improvisational and experimental tendencies. It was truly a real treat, and I imagine this will not happen again anytime soon (the occasion - Mountain Stage, and the location - Charleston's best/seediest venue). Warren sent us home with a rousing "Thank you, West by god Virginia. We appreciate ya!"

[this was not announced on the band's website]

tom bloch
Tom Bloch
charleston, wv

Biography/Review: Joe Cerisano
by Dave Haines ( dkhaines@access.mountain.net)

Joe Cerisano is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer who has the distinction of possessing one of the most familiar voices in America. With musical influences as diverse as Frankie Lane, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Sam and Dave, James Brown, Elvis Presley, (and virtually all of the music of the 1960s) Joe Cerisano developed a singing style that absorbed and combined a wide variety of influences, then mixed them all with his native West Virginia dialect. The resulting combination makes for a classic and original American singers voice.

Joe began performing professionally at the age of 14. Joe sang with a succession of regional bands in north central West Virginia, including the legendary Elderberry Jak. Traveling to the west coast in the early 80s, Joe formed the now legendary California rock band Silver Condor with guitarist Earl Slick (i.e. David Bowie and John Lennon) on Columbia Records. In 1981 Silver Condor had the Top 40 hit "You Could Take My Heart Away." In the mid eighties Joe began his career as one of the most successful studio session singers in America. He began working in television and radio commercial singing for Chrysler/Plymouth, the Army, the Navy, GE, Miller Beer, Coca-Cola and many more. During this period, he also did backing vocals on several albums by Michael Bolton and sang with Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson. He was the singer of the 1986 song "Hands Across America" which was featured on MTV (it is still being played on Pop-Up Video on VH1). Joe sang lead for Blue Oyster Cult on the Imginos album song "Frankenstein." Joe appeared with Gloria Estefan on the soundtrack Goya A Life in Song. This album also featured vocals by Placido Domingo. Joe is one of the featured lead vocalists on the 1998 Christmas album, The Christmas Attic by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This album is already on its way to becoming a Christmas Classic! He recently has been working with two icons of American music, Richie Havens and Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), on a recording project with veteran drummer Jack Scarangella. In early November 1999, Joe was called upon to sing back up for the popular rock band Korn, as they introduced their new album Issues. This live concert was broadcast on over 100 radio stations in a global event staged at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York City. The music industry inevitably calls upon the services of Joe Cerisano when great vocals are needed. Joe Cerisano is possibly the most famous anonymous singer in America!

In the early 1990s Joe and his songwriting partner Marc Blatte began writing a series of songs that reflected the most important thing in Joes life (his family) and what it takes to raise a family in this day and age. The resulting music evolved to become the album Carbon Copy. Carbon Copy emphasizes the traits and traditions that have been passed on to us by our parents. As children, we sometimes tried to avoid many of these characteristics and customs through the act known as "rebellion." However, as we grow older, many times we find ourselves actually beginning to think, act, and become "carbon copies" of our parents: Carbon Copy was a project of labor and love for Joe Cerisano. The underlying theme of "family" continued to prevail as the songs of the album began to come together. Recording ensued in New York, Nashville, and at Joes home in New Jersey. Three of the music worlds finest guitarists worked with Joe on the recording of this music. Eric Weissberg (John Denver, Bob Dylan, Art Garfunkel, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, etc. and 1973 Grammy winner for "Dueling Banjos") contributed guitar, banjo, mandolin, and steel guitar. Jeff Pevar (Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Graham Nash, Carly Simon, James Taylor, etc. and CPR-Crosby, Pevar, Raymond-which is the multi-talented group founded by music legend David Crosby) provided guitar backing. Ira Siegel (Garth Brooks, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Jewell, Bette Midler, Steve Winwood, etc.) accompanied on guitar. Work on the project was progressing rapidly when, just as a record offer looked promising, tragedy struck Joe and his family.

On August 2, 1993, Joes sister-in-law was severely injured and blinded in a terrible automobile accident. The accident also claimed the life of Joes six and a half-year-old son. The recording project, as well as Joes whole music career, came to a sudden halt as he and his family pulled together in coping with their devastating loss. During the two years following the accident, Joe did very little session work. He found it difficult to resume his songwriting and singing career. Instead, his time was spent with his wife and surviving son as they worked at rebuilding their lives. In fact, the only music related project Joe was involved with during this period of his life was "Carbon Copy." He had decided to complete the work for Joseph. He made the decision to finish the project as a tribute for his son. Joe eventually had the music for "Carbon Copy" pressed himself; graphics and packaging were completed in 1996. The project, which began as a testimonial to the family ended as a loving dedication to his son, Joseph A. Cerisano IV. "Carbon Copy," the song, now became a tribute to both a father and a son; a tribute formulated by a son and a father. A very few issues of this acclaimed recording were made available in Joes hometown of Fairmont and he generously gave away copies to friends. The rest of the pressings remained in Joes possession (in his attic) until 1999. "Carbon Copy" became a "memory of love" for Joe as he went about the task of resuming his career as a much respected session singer and songwriter.

I eventually contacted Joe and asked him where I could buy some copies of the recordings. He explained that he was not selling them but offered to give me a few copies. We began communicating regularly and Joe soon sensed my true love of this music. One thing led to another and I eventually became involved in trying to spread the message about "Carbon Copy." It is a message of love, honor, and dedication to family. It is a message of strength and success earned through hard work and perseverance. It is a message that I believe America (and the rest of the world) needs to hear - The songs of "Carbon Copy" stress the importance of promoting and living with strong family values. The need for building strong moral fiber within the family is felt throughout the music of this remarkable album. Both the strong lyrical content and the way in which Joe "delivers" the vocals on each and every song, make for some music that "hits with a strong punch." These songs send out messages that need to be heard, music that really gets you thinking about the meaning of the lyrics.

I have always been a fan of Joe Cerisano. I saw all of those bands, bought all of the recordings, but this one is the best - what more can I say? Hear the messages that emanate from every selection, listen and enjoy the wonderful music of Joe Cerisano's "Carbon Copy".

Dave Haines -Fairmont, WV

[Joe Cerisano's "Carbon Copy" is available at www.cerisano.com and at Amazon.com, CD Now, CD Universe, and CD World]

College Football vs. the Jam: Tallahassee, FL
By Joey Lichter

Strange days here in Tallahassee. Especially today. The sun is always shining and the weather complements, blowing windy breezes and short afternoon drizzles to cool things off. But things are still strange. I bet y’all are wondering why.

You, who sits in front of his computer screen reading this, are a fan of the jambands scene. You probably own discs or analog cassettes of some of the bands you see on this website. The bands described as “Jerry’s Kids” in Time magazine when the fatman passed away a few years back. By virtue of numbers, you may be one of the select psycho lunatic recording enthusiasts, who carries strange rectangular tapes called DATS, sometimes worrying more about an XLR cable then your wife. You make up the crowd at all those crazy wetlands shows, Rec Room shows, Madison Square Garden cracked out Phish concerts, and even the jam influenced jazz shows at places like the knitting factory or the middle east. You wonderful people and your extravagantly popular scene are not so prevalent in my town and this leaves an irksome emptiness in our small cozy town.

Now, I know the select few who live down South (and even the selecter few kids living in Tally) reading this may take some offense. Please don’t. I mean, come on, fabrication of the truth is not my goal. All you will read is the truth and you know it. For any avid jambands readers, listen to some of the insignificant, yet daily disheartening experiences on campus here at Florida State University. It’ll tickle you. I promise.

Walking to my early chemistry laboratory this morn, I felt a bit exhausted being awake at 6:30 am just kind of grooving my way to class. Doing the two step on my hands. Just about to cross Woodward Avenue, the road dissecting our campus, when I notice two sport utility vehicles cruisin at high speed down the road. So I decide to chill, and let em pass. In a pacifist mode I stood content; ain’t nothing wrong with slowing my usual speedy movement to class. But something happened: both cars passed by too fast to even notice what brand of car (like I would know anyway) but the music blaring from the woofers in the backseat stung my ears. It may have been Method man or the new radio version of “Can I get a what what……”

I guess that ain’t so bad. I liked rap when I was younger, still do jive to some of the more digable hip-hop. But this drive-by littering of blasphemy interrupted my serenity. It wasn’t a big deal though. I take notice to the small things in life. Like, I kept walking to class and when I finally made it to the door of my lab, two cute girls followed into the classroom. I opened the door for em. Its only proper being respectful towards Southern females. Eve was framed, right?. And so holding the door open wide, I hoped to receive a thank you or maybe just a smile. All I got was two sour faces and semi-identical t-shirts sporting Albuquerque and Bitch logos. You know what I’m talking bout. I guess the lot gets to my head sometimes. Yes the shirts were A+F and my gracious manner quietly disregarded. My heart was ripped away, my business torn in two, and I found myself in this cell I live with the clamoring sound of “Can I get a WHAT WHAT……..”

This happens everywhere. I don’t doubt it. The heavily populated northeast or west coast cities inhibited by you, the fans, probably stink of pop culture. But there’s an escape for most of you. There’s the fillmore in cali and denver, with purple chandeliers (where else?), and a vibrant scene of comfortable music. Best of all people, there’s people who enjoy good tunes. Places like the Wetlands and all those venues linked to the popular jambands.com website, are the getaway joints. Hangouts where the scent of patchouli outdoes the aroma of mainstream society. Here in Tallahassee, we have frat bars. Where “FREEBIRD!!” is postered to the wall as a measure of pride. The jukebox is known to make more money than the live band, thanks to all five Widespread CDs. And there ain’t no escaping this. You could try to transcend it all by dedicating your memory’s capacity for our football team’s statistics but that don’t do nothing. Besides, the stats show our athletes’ history of receiving gifts from all mainstream clothing companies with sweatshops throughout South America, where kids are forced to work 25 hour days. Worst of all these soon-to-be NFL stars kick it at the bars being jocked by all the succulent honeys. And so what about the last tribe of heads. Where’s our alleviation from the mainstream?

In the past, we the kidz of a United Jamband scene in Tallahassee and more so the Southeast found solace in travelling four hours to Atlanta where good tunes permeate everywhere. We could kick it at Little 5 points, home of the Variety playhouse, where shows like the Zambiland Orchestra and Jerry Jam take place. Any of the nice theaters such as the Fox or the Roxy even get it together and make the scene happen. Some of us remember that Vermont band Phish coming to those venues, ripping down the walls with Tweezers and beach balls.

So, the strange emptiness of music has finally reached an epitomizing point of conflict. We finally won the national championship in college football this year, but something of more importance coincided with our athletics. Maybe there’s a connection. And maybe not. Finally, music moves through the membrane that separates the Southeast from the rest of the country. Jambands promoted by family, kids in Tally , who spend enough quality time on tour, who spin to get spun, have begun filling the void of good music. In this school year alone, Tallahassee has been invaded like Big Cypress overrun with dreadlocks and patchouli over this past New Year. Bands like Sector 9, Blueground Undergrass, Galactic, Fat Apple, and Dexter Grove come through making numerous visits, bringing many smiles. The All Mighty Senators recently reminded us of the need to make note of the buttocks’ beauty by doing the dance craze known as the “Flex and Release.” What does this all amount to?

Seth “Shimon” Weiner calls it “music that’s good for the soul.” Even though he jocked this quote from Karl Denson, he’s got a point. His religious interpretation of the these bands’ music have led him to push further in bringing the scene to this college town. Since the beginning of 99, he has begun to bring vision to reality and SHIMON PRESENTS has introduced some talents mentioned above as well as the jazzy sounds of The Slip, the former New Rider’s steel guitarist Buddy Cage and his smothered-covered-and-chunked companions Stir Fried, as well as many of Tallahassee’s local talent such as the funky humor of Premier Gourmet and the Miles Davis trance-riffic sounds of Ninjazz.

This week the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars threw down in a popular local venue: the Cow Haus. The Yiddish havah nagillah meets Cajun zydeco mamba brought down the Haus, thoroughly enjoyed by all. It even brought one of the local beauties of T-town up in the air for an unexpected bat-mitzvah chair lifting. Being the director of the Jewish Student Union, Shimon (Seth’s preferable name) chose to bring this event free to the public in hopes of sharing cultural awareness with the eclectic jam sounds of the NOKAS. I asked him for a few words while we twirled through the gigantic Hora circles during the show. His exact words were: “look at the way the music has brought a transformation to the crowd.” Dancing is always the key to good shows, and Seth knows this and as he stared into my eyes with that glazed happiness I could see that familiarity that brings us together.

Its all about those moments. Like the first time I heard dark star or the first time I let myself twirl, as I have seen in many hallways at shows. When I saw Seth’s cherubic stare, I realized the scene will never fade away. The way light energy drives photosynthesis, music drives people to grow.

It isn’t the resonance of sound waves. John Cage has proved this in his many silent compositions. Leave the musical theory and composition for the musicians. We all know where Jerry, Trey, JB, or whoever have taken us and we all have made a mention that we hope this happens once again. They keep learning more ways of tuning our brain’s receptors for sound waves. Every time we encounter these musicians, they get better at doing it, and some don’t and then we get picky. But I don’t care about the vibrations of their guitars or synthesizers. How many times can I pick up a guitar and realize that sometimes listening is better off.

Music is a catalyst. It binds to our minds and rewinds and fast forwards and sometimes it’ll even cause double exposure. The feeling in the presence of music is what has been catalyzed. The emotions, the insecurities that plague our self-meditation. Its almost like the ignition and the spark plug and the engine. The Musician ignites, the mind is sparked, and the body is running on penzoil and it ain’t gonna stop until its so red that the commercial is over.

I feel it right now. Listening to a sweet copy of the Disco Biscuits performance at the Chameleon Club in May of last year. Hearing the trance sounds fused through melodic guitar riffs and poetic statements softly synthesized by the keyboardist, there is that catalysis, the chemistry active in the confines of my skullcap, penetrating areas of the brain that I can only study in neuroscience classes.

Seth and I went together to this show at the Chameleon club. I forced him into my ride and we headed out the four hours one way and eight hours both ways to see these guys because I had been victim to the bisco once before in Savannah and he needed it. After scraping the remains of his body from the wall he was plastered on, I reprecipitated his particles with my special psychoactive potion, and he has been spun ever since. Just part of the forces that have brought the music to our town.

So now, we may not have to travel so far and we shouldn’t have to. Bands are coming to Tallahassee thanks to SHIMON PRESENTS and other productions like SHAKTI PRODUCTIONS, brought to the public by Dave Fagen, the percussionist for a local salsa-funk squad known as 6 degrees.

So who cares about little old Tallahassee. A town known solely through the memorization of 50 states and their capitals.

I care. You should too. It’s the whole family thang. And so maybe you don’t have any contract obligations but don’t we all want this to keep going strong. Call 1-800-PHUCK-YEA for more instructions on how to donate your soul to the devil behind the jam scene. But seriously beam yourself back to 1971, and imagine that New York and the rest of this coast never opened their arms to the tunes of the San Francisco born Grateful Dead. We would have the paradox that ruins modern rap: East Coast All-Stars vs. West Coast Loonies. Fuck that.

This is my chance to verbally SOS to all the kids (especially Southeast folk). We are not alone and we are no longer on our own. We don’t have to guzzle gas to see music we like. For all the music lovers in Tallahassee, get out of your CD infested homes and go see some live music. Check out the events that Shimon Presents or any of the shows that come through. In the next two months there are a plethora of powerhouse bands bringing down the funk in Tally. CHECK THIS OUT! For the Jewish Student Union’s Purim Party on Saturday March 18th, there is free beer and free music at the Cow Haus. And guess who’s helping celebrate the festival of sweet Esther saving the Jews (consult your local rabbi if you don’t understand): MICHAEL RAY AND HIS COSMIC KREWE!!!!! Bring a costume, and an empty stomach, and come get wasted with Michael Ray and his Nawlins flibbety funk.

Exactly a week after Michael Ray’s show in Tally there’s Suwannee’s springfest nearby but before the fest make sure to catch Merl Saunders, who’ll be playing at Tallahassee’s #1 frat bar Potbellys Friday night the 24th, right in the center of FSU’s campus (if you are intoxicated). The month of April will be bumpin as well, the kind of music that possesses shamanistic qualities of magically whisking peoples feet into dance positions they never knew existed. Some of the bands that’ll be playing include Col Bruce, Acoustic Syndicate, the Moshav Band, and the B-3 organ driven smooth criminal funk of Robert Walter and his 20th congress at Venues like the Cow Haus, the Warehouse and Yiannis.

And why would any of the Northeast kids be interested in any of this nonsense? The Allman Brothers and Phish are doing a few nights each in NYC so why ever leave. The answer is simple. There comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says don’t you see. Every one of you will need to see more sunlight than that which peaks through the monstrous buildings of NYC, Boston and the rest of the New England Area. I think its time for some of y’all to come down South like the birds. Who don’t need their coat and jacket to survive the cold. All you need is a change in weather and in scenery. The palm trees are swaying from left to right hoping that some of you folks will come down this way and see some of the music that has begun to invade the sunnier side of the street.