Slim's presents Stu Allen & Mars Hotel,
co-headlining with the Fall Risk
2014-08-16
Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA
9:00 PM, Saturday, August 16, 2014
Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!
[9:01 PM lights down, announcements]
[10:52 PM lights down, announcements]
Strong showing from both bands tonight! The Fall Risk ripped briskly through their co-headlining set, leaning mostly on established favorites, but with a few tweaks to adjust for the absence of Matt Twain (on vacation in England, the lucky dog). Highway to Hell was an interesting addition to the set. They rearranged it into a somewhat less head-banging version than the AC/DC original, a change that worked for me, since I could rock hard on the memory in my head while grooving on the differences ofthis rendition. The following tune, Lemonade, was stretched out, like usual, via a sequence of solo showcase segments, particularly emphasizing Mike Emerson's prowess this time around. As an aside, I should add that Mike's contributions throughout the set were tasty and effective – at no time did I feel like he was lost or otherwise unprepared for the task of filling in for Matt. I guess that makes him a pro, no? Closing the set with Space Truckin' and I Want You/She's So Heavy was great, if not particularly novel anymore. Got me thinking that it would be cool to see if they might add Hey Bulldog or another semi-obscure Beatles tune to the cover repertoire.
Break was altogether too short for socializing – even with a less-than-full house, and I offer apologies to those folks I didn't get to visit properly with – maybe next time!
Stu opened his set with the exhortation to Let the Good Times Roll – always a good thought! – and then dove off the deep end, seeking cosmic mystery in classics of the Grateful Dead repertoire. Playin got way out there, eventually falling apart into a chaotic, clanging mess before coalescing into a fine romp through a mid-70's based version of Eyes, followed by an intense reinterpretation of Stronger Than Dirt Yippee!! Great stuff
So was I happy to recognize the opening lick of St. Stephen? Oh yeah, but then, in some ways, I'm very easily pleased! Stephen segued properly down the jingle bell rainbow into a thoroughly psychedelic Eleven, and the crowd danced along ecstatically. More peaking! Whatever reservations I had about paying to see Stu were blown apart by this point in tonight's set. I love this music, and hearing Stu and his band of merry men play it is a joy that I would not easily forsake.
Encoring with Brokedown was a nice way to wind things down and send us spiralling gently back into the more mundane places of the universe. In our case, this meant skipping past friends assembled on the sidewalk for hugs and goodbyes towards a predetermined appointment at the deli counter of ?Majid's? Market across the street for the siren song of the deviled egg is a temptation too tasty to resist!
Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!