Number 70 May 21, 2011

I've mentioned that I was so busy with The Valence Project debut gig at Yoshi's that I haven't had time to write about some great shows of the last few weeks.  Jeff Beck's tribute to Les Paul at The Fillmore, with the Imelda May Band as his backup was just stunning.  Rock, jazz, rockabilly, it's all there at his fingertips.  And Imelday May, and her husband Darell Higham, are the real deal.  Born in Dublin, she has that Celtic connection to American roots music that runs very deep.  Which brings me to seeing Robert Plant at The Greek Theater with Band of Joy.  Yes, the first tune was Black Dog.  And there was a cover of the Airplane's She Has Funy Cars.  ("Thank you San Francisco!")  Twirling the mic stand constantly, there is a certain confidence that comes from being a rock star for 40 years.  And Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller were mind blowing.  One of the best concerts I've ever seen.