A packed house at Santa Barbara's Lobero theater, was serenaded by some of American Rock Blues most elite veteran performers, in a sold out double bill, January 6th. Both, opening performer David Bromberg and headliners Hot Tuna, are touring in support of new albums, but have respective catalogs of music dating back nearly six decades.
Bromberg's long opening set featured his Quartet of accomplished musicians, playing in an amplified acoustic format, which was the order of the evening. The Grammy nominated Bromberg has been on the pop charts since his 1972 hit, a seven minute version of “Mr Bojangles”. He has collaborated with some of the biggest names in classic rock music including, George Harrison, (who played on his first album), Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and, of course Hot Tuna. Lamenting, love lorn blues were the order of the night for Bromberg and his musicians, Nate Grower on fiddle, Butch Amniot on electric bass, and guitar extraordinaire, Mitch Corbin. The quartet opened with “Brown's Ferry Blues”, in a furious flurry of wailing strings. “Fifty Dollar Wig”, followed, another sarcasm drenched lost love lament. Several country blues classics came next, highlighted by a version of Gram Parsons, “She's The Woman I Love”, a rarity. Towards the end of the ninety minute set, Bromberg introduced the band and quipped “I am perversely proud to have guitar players better than me in the band”. Then Corbin was left onstage alone to perform an engaging solo. Bromberg then returned to the stage to do his own solo version of American blues classic “Statesboro Blues”, changing up the lyrics to give a nod to the Santa Barbara crowd. To the delight of the crowd, Bromberg was then joined onstage by Hot Tuna's guitar player Jorma Kaukonen and Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin. The trio played a pair of classic Bluesy tunes, “Uncle Sam Blues” and “Ninety-Eight Degree Blues”. The Bromberg's quartet returned to finish up what was probably one of the longest opening sets ever for a band at the Lobero. First they played songs from Bromberg's new album “Use Me”. Then in a final encore, the band came to the edge of the stage and played an unamplified version of the classic, “Roll On John”.
After an extended intermission, many in the crowd may have wondered if Hot Tuna was going to play a perfunctory set, following the marathon opening. The band had played the same venue less than a year ago, with harmonica madman Charlie Musselwhite in tow. In that appearance they had played both an acoustic and electric set, featuring of some of the their classic Rock tunes. Bass player, Jack Casady and guitar player Kaukonen were the driving rhythm of the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, from 1965-1970, before forming their side project Hot Tuna with legendary violinist Papa John Creach, in 1969. Music fans were happy to discover that even though Hot Tuna was performing a single acoustic set on this go around, they had no attention in going home early. Kicking off their nearly two hour set, the trio consisting of Casady, Kaukonen, and longtime band member Mitterhofff on mandolin began with and old Hot Tuna gem, “Been So Long”. The band then played the first of several covers, by the Reverend Gary Davis, “Children of Zion”. Kaukonen often cites Davis as a principle influence on his guitar playing. Hot Tuna's first new studio album in over twenty years, “Steady As She Goes”, features this track and has been well received by music reviewers across the globe. Blind Gary Davis was a black American blues and gospel singer, as well as a harmonica, banjo and guitar player, whose innovated style influenced some of America's greatest guitar players from Bob Dylan to Jack White. Hot Tuna played other classic Davis tunes in their long set, including, “I am the Light of This World”, Let Us Get together Right Down Here”, “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”, and the longtime favorite cover of the band “Hesitation Blues”. Cementing the theme of the night, classic American Blues, the band also covered many other of the genres most enduring legends. They included songs by John Lee Hooker, Mose Allison, Blind Blake, Julius Daniels, and Lightnin Hopkins. Songs from the bands exceptional new album were interspersed, painting an historic link from the old to the new in the evolution of classic blues picking styles. It was a marathon night of music at the old Lobero theater, featuring historic musicians playing, playing even more historic roots music.
Setlist for David Bromberg
Brown’s Ferry Blues
Fifty Dollar Wig
Hello Stranger
The Things I Used to Do
She Thinks I Still Care
She’s the Woman I Love
Instrumental (Mitch Corbin)
Statesboro Blues / Church Bell Blues
Uncle Sam Blues
Ninety-Eight Degree Blues
Summer Wages
Tongue
Roll On John
Setlist for Hot Tuna
Been So Long
Children of Zion
Second Chances
Hesitation Blues
Another Man Done a Full Go Round
99 Year Blues
I Am the Light of This World
Come Back Baby
Parchman Farm
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
Things That Might Have Been
Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
Genesis
That’ll Never Happen No More
I Know You Rider
Helpless Blues
