Monday, May 4, 2015

Desert Rose

I see tonight that she's alone....

well, I got tickets to the Chris Hillman/Herb Pedersen show at the Carp Plaza Playhouse Theater a while ago..I figured it would sell out...it did...



it was a really fantastic show...Hillman is of course is a musical legend having played with the Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros, Desert Rose Band and Manassas to name a few...Je suis a huge fan of the Byrds and Manassas...

Americana, roots- bluegrass- rocknroll..these guys played it all...and they influenced nearly everybody...I heard the Byrds in Illinois, then we moved to California in 1966 and..well...it's in my blood..the music, the state...

but what a great place to see a show..the old Plaza Playhouse Theater is one nonprofit that I support without hesitation...200 of us packed in and were treated to some real fine music..show started at 7:30 pm..on the dot....first with Chris and the Agape Trio...local church/gospel singers...so we got some good old time spiritual music for a half hour...Herb Pedersen joined them for a few songs...they ended with Mr. Tambourine Man!

then a 15 minute break while Chris and Herb got ready for their set...




Herb Pedersen is a great guitar player in his own right having played a duet with Emmylou Harris on "If I Could Only Win Your Love"...gorgeous song he did with Chris...Herb was with the Dillards and has lent his chops to many fine recordings over the years

Hillman is a great guitarist and superb mandolin player..they sounded so damn good partly because they had very nice expensive incredible Martin guitars that were miked instead of electrified with a pickup..it was sweet....placing the microphone in front of the guitar keeps it acoustic..oh boy that Martin 12-string that Chris played was ridiculous

and the songs were just lovely..."Desert Rose", "Hey Boys", "Bells of Rhymney"..and as they played on the crowd got really into it.... "Turn Turn Turn" and "Eight Miles High"  brought the house down..just two guys with a mandolin and a guitar..and a whole lot of talent..and a whole lot of memories and goddam it, it was emotional!!

Hillman and Pedersen closed with "It Doesn't Matter" from Chris Hillman's Manassas days..that really was awesome and made my evening...you don't know what that song means to me, but I do

thunderous applause and they came out for an encore but I was still buzzing....I left the theater and looked out at the night....

a bright full Matala Moon was shining like a great big silver heart

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great personal review.