the Wood Brothers at Hopmonk Novato Beer Garden, July 27, 2024

KC Turner presents the Wood Brothers, with opener Joe Craven & Hattie Craven
HopMonk Novato Beer Garden
224 Vintage Way, Novato, CA 94945-5005 USA
6:00 PM, Saturday, July 27, 2024

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

* You Wreck Me * ? * ? “From my heart” * Keep Me Around * Ain't No More Cane on The Brazos * ? “I love you like (mumble)” * ?

[3:51 PM] Joe & Hattie's soundcheck is at much lower volume, so I can't ID most of what they're playing. They do at least 2-4 songs, with Dark Hollow being the last before they stop.

[5:57 PM] {Greetings & Announcements from KC Turner}
[6:00 PM] {enter Joe & Hattie; HC on banjolele; JC on mandolin; greets from HC}

1. [6:01 PM] Right As Rain (Hattie Craven)
   [6:06 PM] {HC: TYSM… talk about being excited to see the Wood Brothers & playing with her day; JC makes a dad joke‚ then a bluegrass joke}
2. [6:07 PM] Dark Hollow (traditional)
   [6:12 PM] {JC: TYSM; JC swaps to violin; HC yacking about her banjo collection over the start of the next tune}
3. [6:12 PM] Working on a Building (traditional)
   [6:17 PM] {HC swaps to acoustic guitar; JC: TYSVM; JC yacks about his history with the Wood Bros‚ lauds them and KC Turner; HC introduces the next tune}
4. [6:19 PM] (new untitled HC tune: 1st line: “I just thought I would come to say goodbye” … Chorus ends: “Even if I'm gone”) (Hattie Craven)
   [6:23 PM] {JC swaps back to mandolin; talks about playing with Garcia & Grisman by way of introduction of the next tune; HC just singing (no guitar)}
5. [6:25 PM] Russian Lullaby (Irving Berlin)
   [6:31 PM] {JC: TYSM; HC back to banjolele; next tune starts with a sort of beatbox solo from JC‚ who sets up loops to accompany himself while he then plays mandolin}
6. [6:31 PM] Seven Nation Army (Jack White)
   [6:43 PM] {applause at set end; outro and announcements from KC Turner}
   [6:43 PM] {set break!}

• Hattie Craven: acoustic guitar, banjolele, mouth trumpet, lead & harmony vox;
• Joe Craven: percussion, mandolin, violin, beatbox vox, lead & harmony vox.

[7:14 PM] {Pre-show announcements from KC Turner}
[7:17 PM] {KC done; dead air!}
[7:19 PM] {aud hollering as the band enters; pause while they get plugged in and ready}

1. [7:21 PM] Tried and Tempted
   [7:25 PM] {OW: Well alright! TYSM}
2. [7:25 PM] Alabaster
   [7:30 PM] {OW: This is the best saturday night ever‚ look at this‚ aren't we all lucky? CW swap to electric bass guitar}
3. [7:31 PM] Little Bit Sweet
4. [7:35 PM] Far From Alone
   [7:40 PM] {OW: TYSM; back announcement of previous tune; lack-of-merch pitch}
5. [7:41 PM] Raindrop
6. [7:45 PM] Happiness Jones
   [7:50 PM] {OW: TYSM; setting up to play acoustic up front; CW back to contrabass; OW swap to acoustic guitar; JR out front on shuitar; OW lecture to the crowd about what's next}
7. [7:52 PM] The Muse
   [7:57 PM] {pause to bring Joe (mandolin) & Hattie Craven (banjolele) up onstage}
8. [7:59 PM] Up Above My Head
   [8:03 PM] {guests off; CW adds harmonica}
9. [8:04 PM] Keep Me Around
   [8:09 PM] {OW compliments the crowd on their singing}
10. [8:09 PM] When I Was Young
    [8:17 PM] {done with the acoustic segment; JR back to the drum kit}
11. [8:18 PM] Fall Too Fast
12. [8:23 PM] Little Bit Broken »
13. [8:28 PM] Sing About It
    [8:33 PM] {OL: Lotta research goes into these songs guys}
14. [8:33 PM] Worst Pain of All (CW)
    [8:38 PM] {OL lauds the JR & CW}
15. [8:39 PM] Pilgrim
    [8:44 PM] {OL lauds JR again}
16. [8:44 PM] Atlas
    [8:49 PM] {OL: TYSM; quasi-back-announce; OL joking about the venue; CW swap back to electric bass}
17. [8:52 PM] Postcards From Hell
18. [9:00 PM] Wastin' My Mind
    [9:08 PM] {OL: Feels great out here y'all; noodling}
19. [9:08 PM] Jitterbug Love
20. [9:12 PM] Little Blue
    [9:17 PM] {applause & encore break}
    
    Encore
    [9:19 PM] {OL: It's one for the books y'all}
21. [9:21 PM] Luckiest Man
    [9:26 PM] {OL compliments the crowd on their enthusiastic singing}
22. [9:26 PM] Honey Jar
    [9:34 PM] {final applause}
    [9:35 PM] {band off; final words from KC Turner; PA up; lights up!}
    [9:36 PM] {show ends}

the Wood Brothers

• Jano Rix: drums, percussion, keyboard, shuitar, harmony vox;
• Chris Wood: contrabass, bass, harmonica, lead & harmony vox;
• Oliver Wood: guitar, lead & harmony vox.

Traffic is messed up in multiple places around the bay when we set out, so we take the ridge route to avoid the worst, and mesh with the leisurely flow west once we join 580, arriving at the venue just a couple minutes after 3 PM. There's already at least a dozen people in line, but I have a feeling that everything is going to work out fine. I drop Ting off at the door, then circle the car around the shipping center to park in the shade in the outer edge next to the Session Room. Temps today are in the low 70's here: very pleasant, though the direct sun feels strong enough to send me into the shade more than once to cool off during the next hour as we listen to soundcheck and wait for the doors to open.

Soundcheck runs a little late, but we're not in any rush to get inside: it's perfect enough sitting along the outer fence as it is! Eventually Joe & Hattie are satisfied that everything is dialed in correctly, so they get postage, and KC Turner comes out to welcome us inside.

4:20 PM and we're settled into my first choice lawn spot: second row center. Psych! Getting here early paid off! We get settled in, then head over to the kitchen around 5 PM to order meals and eat it the main dining room. On account of today's sellout, we're limited to selecting from the cookout menu: not optimal, IMHO, but it doesn't bother me enough to send me to one of the external vendors around the shopping center. Maybe next time instead? The short line makes it easy deciding to stay here!

5:30 PM and we're back on the lawn relaxing and getting to know the neighbors. I'm gifted a Tommy Breeze cap by the woman on my right, who has a half dozen samples (or seconds?) to pass out to folks nearby. Perfect for blocking out the late afternoon sun!

Joe & Hattie Craven warmed us up with a terrific opening set of acoustic music, sprinkling a few of Hatties originals in with a selection of classic American tunes. Super good!

Break meant it was time to go layer up (today probably being the coolest day of the month): thick pants, wool socks, and a down vest to stay comfy as the evening dropped back to fog temperature at 58 F.

By now the house was full enough that it was a little hard to move around, but happily, we ended up with a decent amount of space on the lawn despite Rod the Security Ambassador's attempt to squish us all together like sardines. Another benefit of years of show going is learning how to keep your space!

The Wood Brothers play us a very energetic two hour set. I think they enjoyed the weird situation: not quite indoors, not quite outdoors, not quite a bar, et cetera. Just the right place for a Saturday night party: let's do it again next year, eh?

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

Whoa! This section is incomplete for now, sorry!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!