Posts made by mccuem

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for 2019-12-27 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA

3rd in the series of LA Slaps. Thanks to @Phokus for the execution.

Los Angels, city of Angels, we meet again. I’m not lying when I say it’s been too long. So I headed out solo from overcast and dark Phoenix and was so happy when I landed in Cali, I stepped off the plane and was greeted by sunny skys and a mellow 65 degrees. If’ you’ve never flown into Burbank, there are no jet ways so you deplane onto the tarmac and feel a little important, I mean its not a PJ but instagram doesn’t have to know. Since I was going to be doing a 4-show/5-night run I checked a bag. Hey, it's free and on SWA you get two, so why not? For the first time ever the airline lost my bag, well didn’t lose it but just decided not to put it on the plane so my bag was chilling in Phoenix. Some frustrations aside, I was informed that the bag was delivered while I was having my face melted. So I’m only slightly annoyed.

But you came here to read about the show, not read about me bellyaching about lost undies and, yes dude, the ringer is full of my dirty laundry, the whites, because the ringer cannot seem empty. Nothing is fucked dude.

Photo credit Jon Rose

Ok, Big Lebowski references for the most part done let's talk about the show. I normally don’t do the VIP meet and greet but this time I got hooked up by a fellow nerd with the promise that I send him the VIP print. Which, can we pause real quick, is absolutely killer. Known Associates pays tribute to the 10 year anniversary of the band and is signed by all 6 members of Spafford. Wait there are only 4 ppl in the band right? Well, we get the man the myth the legend Chuck Johnson’s signature on there as well as Mr. Rose's. Absolutley stunning. But wait, there is more. The great Joey Feldman had a print as well, specific to the 2 nights in Hollywood. “Ballet” is so stunning. Simple, elegant and beautiful. I’ve been a fan of Joey’s ever since his first Spafford print 2 years ago and he was teasing this print on social media all week so when I found out that it was indeed a Spafford print I was over the moon. Check Joey out, this dude is amazing.

Photo stolen from Spafford Instagram

VIP meet an greet is so much fun. I think that there were 7-8 of us at the sound check and we had the run of the place. Met some friends and made some new ones while the band offered us 30 min of fresh new jams to stint our collective 6 weeks of withdrawals. A super intimate performance was followed by some Q&A and despite my best efforts no one wanted to tell me if I would have an Aliens in store for me in a few nights in San Francisco. I think I got personally scolded by Brian for that one, but he had a point, they have never leaked a set list so I don’t see them doing it anytime soon. But hey, it never hurts to ask. Also wanted to give a huge shout out to Jeff and his incredible new ink! He and his special lady friend flew out from Indianapolis to rage and I was super stoked to meet him. If you see this guy at a show give him a high-five he’s definitely killing it.

Before I get into the music just let me say this, the Roxy is AMAZING. Intimate room, I’d guess somewhere around 300 capacity, efficient bartenders and an awesome staff. Their security was so chill nice and friendly that I made like 6 new friends. I never realized how much security can make a show (I take that back, I have been to a certain venue in Phoenix that is kinda rough), these dudes were so nice and accommodating and I don’t think they got annoyed at anyone all night. Plus it’s the Roxy, pretty sure there can be a post made about the history there but that’s for another time. If you get a chance, go. I’d have to say that the Roxy is in my top 5 venues. I’ll let you know about tomorrows show but it’s such a cool place and I defiantly will try and catch a show here again.

Ok, music I got you. Bear with me I started this day after show and have been trying to get to words on paper quicker for you. Now I find myself in a hotel room in cold and rainy San Francisco with a mixlr feed in my ears and a frosty beverage. So lets talk about night one. First off, Jeeeasus Fucking Christ. A God dam heater. Now I’m one for casual cursing but right out the door with All my Friends. Such a great song to get the night rolling. A nice easy segue to get everyone’s feet moving. I may have been more enthusiastic than most but I’m not concerned. As a way to kick off a tour after 6 weeks off, they segue into Bee Jam. All-in-all a solid 20 minutes of Jams to put us in the right mind set for the evening.

A brief pause a lot of shouting and then whats this? “You begin…” floats from Brian and I’m stoked for Be Strange! Having been at its debut a few months prior I’m soooo happy that this is making the permanent rotation. When it debuted it took me a minute to process how epic that Red Rocks show was. Be Strange has started to get a little longer, there are some jams happening and some more room for some more. I think Brian does an amazing job on this one. Gonna give him the gold star for set one based on this one.

After the first break in playing, Brian says what’s up to the crowd and Jordan greets us with the bass line to All In! This song absolutely destroys the place! At this point I’m jumping around and can’t contain myself! I’m pretty sure that I black out at some point due to pure bliss...well, we might as well drive and Spafford is the vehicle that will get us there. This song has the place literally burning to the ground, tempo changes and then the back and forth between Red and Brian with Jordan and Nick keeping everyone on track. Love it Dudes!

Next was a first for me! Tongue N' Groove by Steve Kimock Band is stellar. Only the 4th time that they played this and it’s amazing. I had @finegina tell me about how it was one of her favorites and now I know why. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish and gives us in the crowd a moment to slow down and sway back and forth while collecting out collective breaths. Remember when I mentioned that they hadn’t played a show in 6 weeks. You’d think they would be rusty. I’m here to tell you absolutely not. I can feel an epic run coming on. Put down your phone and go stream this right now. I’ll wait.

Closing out the first set was Shake you Loose! I happened to be standing by Chuck and saw him with a setlist in as he was tweeting the songs and almost asked to see the rest of it. I held back and I think Chuck could read my mind as he promised me a copy post show! Thanks again Chuck for all you do! First set came to a close and I was stoked to be hearing my favorite band again and looking forward to the rest of the night!

After a quick set break the gents jumped right into My Road (My Road) an original that is absolutely fantastic. Slow, fast, jam, improve this song has it all. Great intro to the second set with a solid 15 min jam. And then what is this? Sill haven’t heard a member of the band pronounce this one so I’m still kinda up in the air but Fünkenseven is up next. Still a newer song with only 5 appearances in the rotation, this is an ultimate Jam. Everyone gets to shine while Jordan keeps everyone in line with his steady bass lines. I though that Nick was going to hijack this song a few times but Jordan always brought him back. Little di I know that was this was going to be the start of one of the most epic segues in memory! After the crescendo Nick jumped into the beat for Weasel! Weasel is such a funky jam and it seemed like everyone was feeding off him and just jamming until, wait for it, Palisades! No way I can do the Palisades justice so I need you to go listen to that while I have a post coital smoke, yeah it was that good. Oh and to end the segues and close out set one, lets jump back into Weasel. Just ridiculous. And then it was over. I was informed that Legend was on the list but probably had to get cut due to strict noise curfew. So we waited, almost positive that there would be an encore.

The boys did hit the stage again and thanked us for hanging out and immediately dropped into Ain’t That Wrong! Not sure if the curfew had anything to do with it but this seemed fast hard and loud. Perhaps because of where we were (next door was a statue to Lemme, Guns and Roses lived a block away and Van Morrison lived in a hotel, the one I stayed at btw, just up the street. So perhaps they raged a little faster and harder. I don’t know…

I was absolutely blown away by this show. I’ve seen them a few times and it seemed that they were just itching to get on stage and throw down. I’d like to thank everyone, band, fans and crew for making it such an amazing evening. See you at the next one!

Sorry for the lack of action shots. If I stream I cannot take pictures (I've tried) so please go check out the bands page for some shots. I'm working with the photographer to get you some more imagery for the next reviews.

Less than one week brother! Epic review!

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for 2019-11-02 - The Orpheum - Flagstaff, AZ

All right Flagstaff! How have you been? It’s been over a year since I got to enjoy a show in your cold embrace! I was super excited to not only see a show in Flag again, but also to see all my northern Nerds that I hadn’t seen in a minute! Spafford has such a cool community around them and heading to a home town show is always a special event. You know that the band is going to bring it, hometown crowds rage just a little harder and it’s the last show on their Fall into Place Tour.

Lindsay McHenry @linmack.photo

First disclaimer, huge thanks- Lindsay McHenry (@linmack.photo) for allowing me to use your pictures. I didn’t take any so thank-you for graciously allowing me to use your images and Lizzy Morelli for running such a cool site and allowing me to borrow images!

Well we needed to get to Flagstaff and while I wish we had taken the bus, I was afraid that I would not have made it to the show if I was allowed to party all the way to the venue. I did see some pictures from the bus, looked like a lot of fun, I’ll have to make sure that I do it next time.
But good thing that I was driving! @FL-AF was still rolling with us, having met me in Santa Fe a few days prior showing the west how they do it in sunny FLA. Eventually we made it out of the valley having picked up a few more nerds on our way out of town. I wish I could say that the ride up was filled with non stop raging our way to the venue, nope, I think we all knew to enjoy the calm before the storm.

Obligatory first beer at Flag Brewing Company and then headed over to the Orpheum. Now I was told that it wasn’t that cold (low 40’s) but it was a little too cold for this Phoenician. Quick stop by will call for out tickets and to give the attendant there some slaps as he requested on the Spaffnerd Facebook page earlier that day, I was able to secure the newest work of Mr. Sean Tierney. “Autumn’s Keeper” a 4 color screen print looks absolutely stunning in person. I lifted this image off of Spaffords Facebook.

Spaffords Facebook

We setteled into our spot for the evening, right behind the sound board. The Orpheum is a big room and the sound from the ADA seats was amazing. Last night in Tucson ADA was right in front of Red, and while I am great full for the accommodations for my show buddy, I think all she got to see was the back of Reds Keys and his groin area. At the Orpheum we got to see everything from our seats behind the sound board.
I know that I stress checking out the opening bands when seeing Spafford and I really wanted to catch Stig. A self-described quartet power Trio these guys absolutely rocked it! Love me that sax!

Lindsay McHenry @linmack.photo

Dirtbath kicked off the evening clocking in at right around 25 minute mark. I am amazed that this is one of the few repeats that I have gotten this run and couldn’t be happier with it. Its such a fun jam that bobs and weaves, zigs and zags, not really letting you know what you’re getting next. And I can say that this song has really grown on me since I first heard it in April of this year. Give it a spin and let me know what you think!
Up next was a song with some of my favorite lyrics. Eternity keeps us going and starts the evenings sing along. I remember writing in a previous review that the lyrics really resonated with me and it couldn’t be truer this evening. Hanging out in Flagstaff with all my friends, “Here to stay, We all belong now”, Jordan belts and all I can muster is to belt out some Yeah, Yeah Yeahs!

Ohh, what’s that? One of my all time favorite songs? Easiest to introduce new nerds to us? And, I’ll ruin it for the sake of the review now, or first Jammwich? I know its referred to as a Sandwich, but I like Jammwich better. Electric Taco Stand takes a whole different turn than what I’m used to, and then I remember that Jordan got a new bass today and is taking it for it’s first walk. Not sure if the bass has been given a name but it is a new custom 5 string by Solstice Guitars.
Ahh there is! The opening notes to Palisades! Wait, isn’t it normally Weasel >Palisades> Weasel? Switching it up, I like it. I love the guitar work on this one, absolutely brilliant and allows you to catch your breath for just a second while not losing any of the vibe that the previous songs have built. And then to complete the Jammwich, back into ETS and everybody was jumping around and just feeling the vibe of the evening! “As the times go Byyyyyyyy”
Short tuning break and then it’s Radio! One of the slower songs with a steady build, Brian serenades us with every instrument taking a few moments to shine. That last part could be entirely made up and that’s just how I’m hearing it, but this is my review so I’m going to go with that.

Brian welcomes out Drew Hall for the first sit in of the evening. Drew is local to northern Arizona plays with a few different bands, is a solo artist as well as a teacher he plays with northern AZ’s The Cheektones. This is of interest as I was able to confirm with my Prescott correspondent @SonrisaSmiles that Brian had performed with The Cheektones prior to Spafford, so a little local connection there! And once Drew steps on stage they jump right into the Allman Brothers classic, Whipping Post! Go get lost in this song/jam!

Set two kicked off with Fünkenseven, a new original that wasn’t even a month old as it is being played at this show! A funky jam that gets us back into our dancing rhythm and I can’t wait to see how they start to stretch this jam out as they get to perform it more and more!
All In for the win! This version saw Ryan Stigman from the opener join the band on stage. This is now the 3rd time that I have seen Spafford with a Sax and the first time for All In to get the treatment. This version absolutely kills it. Stig seems to take over the jam and leads the band down an entirely different path that I have ever heard this song go down. And not to be outdone Nick unleashes some Untzes on us as well. Listen to this jam, this song earned the gold star of the night from me!

Next up was Hollywood! One song that for an original Spafford tune I have not heard nearly enough. According to Spaffnerds I have only heard this one a mere six times. I really get into this and try my best to whistle along but give up in favor of miss singing the lyrics. Still one of my favorites.
I thought Hollywood always ended abruptly, but not this time, what are they jamming, that’s defiantly some Virtual Bean Dip. This song made it’s debut during my first Spafford show and might be one of my most listened to songs of theirs ever! Go give this a spin and keep a post jam cigarette at the ready. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you finish. Speaking of finishing, that Jammwich that started out as Hollywood> VBD has now just dropped into In The Eyes of Thieves. But a really short version of Thieves. Look and you shall find. Jordan put in the nugs notes that this was to finish the Thieves that they didn’t finish the night before in Tucson!

The Remedy brought the show to the end of it’s second set. Another song from the old guard, this was one of the first songs where I really appreciated how many turns a Spafford song can take. Vocals, jamming where it seems like the guitar is taking the lead, then the piano and back. Slowing things down to picking the tempo right back up and dropping back into lyrics.

Lindsay McHenry @linmack.photo

Right as I was thinking that the Band would stick to old staples they busted out the first song of the encore for its 3rd time ever, Ginger Stardust. This is a new Jam and I’m not sure what they have in store for it but I am excited as I think they can take this in a lot of directions and for it only being the 3rd time played it sounds like an old staple. Now I had heard rumors of the closer and I was floored when they dropped into Rusted Roots Send Me On My Way! Such a perfect funky way to end the evening!

Flagstaff it was a blast to see you again! Thanks to @FL-AF @AZCOUG and @phokus for doing an impressive run with me, all the nerds I got to hang with and meet on this run! Also @persevere for agreeing to the AZ run on a bad leg with me as a helicopter parent. Lindsay McHenry for taking pictures and allowing me to use them and Lizzy Morelli for allowing me to lift them off your website. If I forgot to thank you, make sure I do it on the next review. Wait also @damian and @Johnny-Love for all they do for this site!
Hope to see you all at the next Show!

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for 2019-10-31 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ

Halloween found me in Phoenix at The Van Buren. Still in a haze from the Meow Wolf show I was excited to see what the boys had in store for us. I am not normally one to dress up as I lack creativity in that department, but this time my decision was made for me since this was the Raven’s ball and all.

For the first show in a long time there was no official meet up or pre-show drinks as it was Halloween and most people were enjoying the holiday with their families before they set out for the evening. I got the message that we needed to be at the venue for pictures at 8pm. And we made it with mere moments to spare. Pictured is the group photo of the Fun Cult aka Fun Club. Membership required, PM me and I will give you the contact information of the powers in charge, if they are accepting new members. It’s a lot of FUN!!!

Credit Jay Stevens, Stevens Design

Just to be upfront with this review, I had not planned to write it but I reached out to one of the evening's sit-in performers for a few words and ended up getting some cool insight so I decided to pen something. Also huge thanks to Jay Stevens of Stevens Design and Photography for letting me use a few images from the evening as I had entirely forgotten to take any pictures.

Alright, so Fun Cult picture over with it was time to enjoy some of the costumes and grab a drink as we made our way inside, all while scooping the Jon Rose's “The Raven’s Ball”. Jon continues to blow me away with all his prints and it is always a treat to see a new print in person.

We settled into the main room of The Van Buren and I immediately noticed that there was way more gear on stage than I have ever seen. Looks like at least one extra guitar set up, monitor what have you, and a percussion kit just off of Nick's right. As I’m taking in the scene in front of me, I am also taking in the crowd. There were so many cool costumes, I was really impressed. Lumberg, Guy Fieri and Jacob Daffner costumes all won the evening. And I don’t mean Jacob’s costume, I meant Robbie who dressed up as Jacob. If you didn't see it please go back through the Album on the Facebook fan page.

Credit Jay Stevens, Stevens Design

Monster Mash on the house speakers and the boys walk out decked out in their Ravens Ball attire. I must say I was impressed that they kept those outfits on all night especially the masks! Brian introduces the first piece of the evening, a Vocal Warm Up that they do sometimes backstage and encourages us to try and keep up. Guitar accompanied by what I can best describe as Skat that gets progressively faster, where the crowd repeats what they just heard. I think Brian said we did an alright job with the Vocal Warm Up. For the first song of the night, first of many firsts, Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight floats over us. Closing your eyes you wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was Red or Phil himself up there singing. The whole song, right up to Mike Tyson's favorite part had an eerie vibe to it and I think Spafford nailed that cover. And once Tyson's part kicked in, I believe 75% of the audience was playing air drums.

After I put my air drum sticks away, Brian dropped into Backdoor Funk. A member of the older guard, Backdoor Funk is one of those songs that Spafford continues to shred anew every time that they play it. Great songwriting, excellent vocals and in this rendition some chunky bass lines as well as piano.

The Evil was up next and I can’t remember ever hearing this live. A quick look at my witnessed songs confirms that I have in fact never seen this and that it has only been played 3 times total, including tonight. I think that if this got the Backdoor Funk treatment, this song could become a song that they could stretch out to a 20 min jam. Brian does give us a little taste of what that could sound like in the future but then reigns it in just as I’m starting to get lost in the groove. And as he lets us down, he brings up the evening's first guest, Jayson Johnson. Ain’t That Wrong is what the band jumps into and it’s fun to see the back-and-forth between Jayson and Brian on stage. I did a little digging as to who Jayson is and the best description I was given is that he is the only other guitarist in Phoenix that can come close to shredding as hard a Brian does. Jayson plays with a few local acts here in Phoenix, The Uncommon Good and one of my favorite singer songwriters, Shawn Johnson. But back to the music, these two absolutely shred! It’s a fun back-and-forth and at one point I’m not sure who is having more fun, Brian or everyone else present.

Credit Jay Stevens, Stevens Design

Now remember I mentioned a percussion kit earlier in the review? Well, Brian brings out and introduces us to Arturo Sosa. Then they drop right into the Funky Meters' classic, Fire on the Bayou! Second cover of the night and also the first time they have played this particular song. Having the additional percussionist really gives this song another layer.

Well, some internet sleuthing and all I came up with was a Facebook profile for an Arturo Sosa and I decided to reach out to him and get some background information on him. I sent him a message asking if I could share a brief bio and how he met Spafford. Here is what he said about meeting them: “ Yes. Spafford used to rehearse right in front of my rehearsal studio. I’d listen to them as they jammed on. I quickly became interested in meeting the guys. I persisted they let me play with them and little by little I established a relationship with them.” On the boys and his career: “Love the guys. Such BadAss musicians and souls… As a percussionist, this is the music I love to play most on. All this funk, rock, Latin, ect… blends they do, ask for percussion. I play with various bands. I’m a drummer in some bands, and a percussionist in other bands. I love my passion for what I do best. I love to play and perform always. I’ve toured as a percussionist, and I’ve toured as a drummer. But to play percussion for Spafford , is a total different story. The vibe the music, the whole crew makes this experience go to a different level. It’s a great team. Hopefully I’ll see you ln the next Spafford show. Hopefully I play them.” Thanks Arturo for the response always interesting to hear how musicians meet each other and start jamming together.

Credit Jay Stevens, Stevens Design

Still listed on the setlist on Spaffnerds as part of Fire on the Bayou we start to notice the drums and percussion taking things over, and that is in fact the case. Red, Brian, Jordan and Jayson leave the stage and we are treated to some Drums! Nick and Arturo have themselves a drum solo, or is it a duo? Anyways it gets funky and there is not a single stationary body in the house. Arturo and Nick go back and forth and jam out together just getting down!

Eventually, Red, Jordan and Brian walk back on stage while the drums are starting to cool off and the band segues into Salamander Song. Salamander Song is another member of the old guard and lets everyone shine, even the crowd, as long as they get their heys correct. I really like this song when I get to hear it in Arizona, it seems like they are playing just a little bit harder and jamming out just a little bit more as they are dancing the whole way home! What a great way to close out a solid first set of music!

After a quick break the boys re take the stage and drop Chris Isaac’s Wicked Games on us! Another first time cover dropping on the hometown crowd who has been waiting since New Years for a show! I must have looked perplexed because @persevere looked over at me and sang me the chorus letting me know what song I was hearing. I really hope that this is not a song that never gets played again- I think this has great jamming potential!

So a few new covers into the show, I wonder if we will get any new originals and little did I know I wouldn’t have to wait any longer. The Waltz made its debut on Halloween! Now I don’t know my music theory but if someone could confirm that this is in ¾ time. I’m also picking up some different themes in this one, a few bars reminded me of the Vocal Warm Up as well. Lets keep an eye on this and watch this song develop!
Brian stepped up to the Mic and did the first song dedication that I can ever remember hearing. Thanking the band's (and my) dentist they laid into another first time cover, but not the last, with Bill Withers' World Keeps Going Round. Not a tune I’m familiar with but seemed like a good mellow break leading up to our next song.
Estimated Prophet brought up the Noodles John Reuter to the stage. For those of you that don’t know the Noodles, they are a tradition here in Phoenix. Playing every Sunday they provide church for the Dead Heads of the Valley. John does an amazing job channeling his inner Jerry, so much so that you would think that it is Jerry up there jamming with Spafford. Estimated Prophet was the longest jam of the evening but wait, what’s that, that now sounds like Weasel, could it be? Yes, that is definitely Weasel. I really liked having the two guitars up there for this one gave it another layer as well as another tempo, this seemed a little more relaxed perhaps even a little slower or piano.

Be Strange to close out the second set! I was lucky to catch this song's debut at Red Rocks this summer and really enjoy its Reggae vibe! The gents fall into that familiar groove and I notice those around me gently swaying to the beat while others attempt to sing along. And with that the second set draws to a close. We all know that they are coming back with a fire closer but I don’t even want to guess what it is going to be as I can never get that guessing game right.

Brian takes the stage with the boys again and lets us know that they have two more songs for us and that he hopes to see us at the next two shows, Tucson and Flagstaff! Are you kidding, I’m not missing any home state shows! With that out of the way they drop into Doghouse>Part II. These are really new songs/ segue, both having just debuted less than a month ago in Nashville. Again, I really like the tempo changes in these songs, at points I feel like Brian is trying to assault us with the Raven. Part II is a phenomenal Jam that whips the crowd into a frenzy! What a great show! Not that Spafford has ever disappointed but this show was amazing. New covers and a new debut, catering to the local nerds! And it was completely different from the last few shows.

I would like to thank Jay Stevens for letting me use his images, please go check his stuff out! You might even recognize a few pics! Arturo Sosa, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Ford Oliver, thanks for your stellar recording! And all the nerds that made this night special and FUN!!

Credit Jay Stevens, Stevens Design

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for 2019-10-26 - Ogden Theater - Denver, CO

All right Night Two, lets do this!!! Second night of Spafford in sunny Denver! I woke sometime around noon to one of the prettiest days I have ever spent in Denver, 70+ degrees not a cloud in the sky and news reports of up to a foot of fresh Pow Pow predicted in the next 48 hours. Record scratch, what? Snow? No way. But this is Denver so anything is possible.

I started out the day with what can be described as the most Denver place ever, craft beer and coffee inside a bike shop. Denver Bike and Coffee Company. (Phoenix has a similar institution but I digress). Then I took a stroll trough Denver to meet up for a late lunch with some resident nerds. I try and look up new places whenever I travel, recently I hit up Avante, solid choice, but this trip I decided to hit up Pizzability with my friends since we had been sharing their Facebook page for the last month. Cool spot, great food, and awesome staff. We were planning on doing a little bar hopping but ended up just having afternoon beers on their patio. Check them out next time you’re up there!

Sooo getting amped for the show. I had put up a last minute meet up for pre-show over at Sanchos for a drink just in case anyone needed somewhere to meet pre show. The previous day I had helped nerds find tickets of find homes for their tickets so Saturday preshow was all about getting my mind straight. I showed up and found the evenings tapers sipping drinks at the bar. And I did this one right! Last meet up I did (Los Angeles) I picked a bar that was closed when I had asked people to show up! Ooopps, but this time I got it right, so I’m not gonna brag but I’m getting better at adulting! Look Ma, no Hands!

I had met up with the tapers for the evening and got to walk in and watch them set up their mics and prepare the stream that those playing from home would be enjoying.

Eminence Front from The Who kicked off the evening! Clocking in at just over 30 minutes it set the tone for the evening. I think everyone was feeling this, and now re-listening to it I can finally understand the lyrics, I don’t want to list the things I thought that they were singing during the chorus man Slippy, Slappy Samsonite…I was waayyy off. Also just wanted to say that Jordan proves that he has been rehearsing his ass off lately. He sounds so dialed in and focused! Jordan, come to the front and get your gold star bud!

Leave the Light On was up next, crowd fave and a source of controversy this evening. I was making random observations to the tapers who still seemed happy to be putting up with me. First one was that Brian DID NOT HAVE THE RAVEN, rather a solid-body Gibson. Secondly and this was funny, Jordan messed up his doot doos! I don’t think that has ever happened. The band played through it and Jordan told us in song he would redo the part that he messed up, which he did, so he was forgiven.

So I had just seen my second-most seen song and then I get my favorite song to introduce people to Spafford to, ETS as the kids say. Electric Taco Stand for the win! I will never tire of this song! This version is about 2x the length of the first time I heard it and it never fails to remind me why and how I fell in love with this band in the first place. It’s such an approachable song and a great first song that I use to introduce my non-Jam Band friends to Spafford. The lyrics give way to a solid jam before bringing everything back to “as the TIMESSS GO BYYY”.

I was looking over the shoulder of the tapers when I noticed one of them posting on Facebook that they just recognized the opening licks to Fire Water Burn by the Bloodhound Gang. The covers that these guys choose never seems to amaze me. I wonder if one of you had responded to that text asking for that song. Seemed like most of the crowd knew the lyrics as well and every one around me started singing, giving some special emphasis on the MF’s. What a great way to close out a first set!

I was so elated after these first three sets I honestly did not know how they would be able to take top their performance. Wait, what’s that? Is something dripping off of Jordan’s Bass? That’s definitely All In! Again this is one of those jams that shows off everyone’s talent and lets the band go different places each time they play it. Fast or slow, I’m really digging these tempo changes.

Seven follows up and it takes me a minute to remember that this is not a new song. It’s been around for quite a while but compared to some of the other heavy hitters heard earlier in the set doesn’t get on the rotation much.

Next up was a song new to me! I always love these, having no idea where a jam is going to go it’s always exciting to get new to me music dropped on me. And yes, I know it has been played since the beginning of this month, but I have a weird thing about listening to shows I wasn’t at. I regret not going so I have to wait until this tour is over to go back and listen to songs from the Fall Into Place Tour, don’t judge. Doghouse transitions into another new to me song, Part II. I love how this song starts out so aggressively. Brian’s licks that he plays sound super aggressive, more so than anything I have heard them do before. But then they dial it back into a super mellow jam. I’m excited to see this segue develop.

The final cover of the evening followed next, not only a cover but a new cover! War of Man by Neil Young! Off of the 1992 release Harvest Moon. I’m going to be honest that I am not that familiar with his catalogue so I can’t compare this version to others, I just know that the boys took this on a 25-minute jam that I don’t think it has ever been on before.

Right as they close War of Man, Brian drops us into Weasell, that forgotten space in the back of your mind! Weasel always gets me moving and this version was no different and had me shaking my proverbial rear end all the way to the end of the set.
After a quick encore break, Brian thanked us for spending two nights with him before they busted out All My Friends! What a great quick song that lets Red explore the range of his rig! I’m not sure but that really sounds like a Leslie speaker, gonna have to ask him.
I was half expecting them to drop back into All In or something similar but nope, they drop into another song that made it’s debut this month Funkenseven And before you ask this is not a German word, looks like someone had some fun adding Umlauts to the word funky. Ohh good segue, because yeah this song is funky. It’s really cool to hear a new jam and this one will surly develop into a crowd favorite!

And with that my Epic two nights in Denver were over. Such a fun weekend, it was great to meet new nerds, reconnect with ones I hadn’t seen in a while, and boogie with some of my fellow Phoenicians who made the trip up. I left the Ogden floating away at the two nights of music and friends I had just enjoyed and looked forward to my favorite show, the next one.

I’m so bad at guessing stuff but I’d be down! Guessing sets songs would be better than fantasy sports. Ohh fantasy setlist. Draft your songs or something like that.

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2019-10-29 - Meow Wolf - Santa Fe, NM

Meow Wolf Baby!

Santa Fe what an amazing 24 hours I just spent inside you! Meow Wolf was so much better than I could have hoped for, from the show to the Venue the people this show reminded me of why I fell in love with this band so many years ago. The intimacy of this venue and seeing a lot of familiar faces gave this show a feel of a Spafford show circa 2015 Last Exit Live.

VIP

So, for this show I decided to do VIP. I had seen a lot of pictures on Spafford's Instagram lately and thought that I should do VIP for at least one show this year. Plus poster, sound check, and a brief Q&A and we got first stab at merch. The really cool thing that was rumored was that Meow Wolf would open its Installation Exhibit “House of Eternal Return”. It is an Art Installation that spans a huge warehouse and has a 2 story Victorian House inside and I think I read 70 unique rooms to explore. There is a story line and you can solve the mystery of what happened to the Family that lived there. I only mention this because I had just thought it was a collection of art installations.

Leading up to sound check I got to meet a bunch of local New Mexico nerds. They were happy to be treated to a show since it had been a few years since Spafford had performed in the Land of Enchantment. VIP was an intimate performance of about 25 or so minutes that saw the band dive in and out of songs, shortening them up so that we could get more tracks. Q&A followed and we were asked to write questions on a sheet of paper that the VIP host then posed to the crowd as they sat on the edge of the stage. Turns out the band stated that Grand Rapids was their favorite show so far on tour while Red didn’t want to commit and ended up stating Denver night 1 to be his favorite. Also found out that they don’t have a favorite between red or green sauce almost in unison they answered ‘Christmas’ to the question about their preference. Good call Gents.

Before the doors for GA opened I was able to secure Brian Bojo’s latest work for the band. This is a beauty of a print and one that went really fast.

While we waited for the show to start the venue did open the attraction and wow was I impressed. If you go make sure to arm yourself with 3D glasses for the full experience. It is trippy to say the least and can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not ready for it. The venue is part of the exhibit and I had a great time exploring while the crowd trickled in. The venue holds around 300 people and I would say there was perhaps 200 there. Large contingents of AZ peeps, locals and those who didn’t get stranded in Colorado due to the weather.

Spafford takes the stage and launches right into a 30-minute Bee Jam which welcomes you to gently sway while you are looking pretty much everywhere but the stage. I think it was about now that I went up to the balcony and put on a FB live stream. I think it’s still up on FB if you care to look for it. Mind's Unchained was up next and this tune never fails to amaze me. Perfect jam wrapped up at the beginning and the end with the musings of our own Chuck Johnson.

Plans starts to float out of the Raven and I know that the dance party is just starting. And judging by those around me everybody was feeling this Jam. Again the room was electric and had high energy vibes, little to no chomping and it had a real intimate feeling that you can only get in a small room. I know that I have been saying that we needed to enjoy the smaller rooms because we wouldn’t be getting them for much longer (probably around ’16 or ’17) and now I think the last dozen or so times I have seen them it has been primarily in venues with at least 1000+ capacity.

Comfortable comes next before we get the sole cover of the night, Down Under by Men at Work. Comfortable gets the crowd in the grove then Down Under gets the building shaking. I always feel that Spafford gets people going with this song because I feel that they step up the tempo quite a bit, but what do I know I’m just here to get down.

Thanks Rob for the Photo!

Set 2 started with Lovesick Melody and again Jordan's Bass seems to be taking things to another level. Give this one a spin I really enjoy how the Gents have mastered switching up the tempos on this song which leads right into Soil. Since making its debut almost two years ago it is in heavy rotation making an appearance about once a week when they are on tour.

Windmill to keep the dance party going! ‘A simple song it has no cost, through this riff my trouble's lost' and 'You’ve got me dreaming again’ were probably the two lyrics that I was belting out the most.

Slip and Squander keep the evening rolling. Red serenades us before the band jams out again. The boys take a quick tuning break before the synth intro of America washes over us. Well, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was in the moment but that’s the benefit of writing this post show with an Archive recording to jog the old memory. But just as the band is gently letting us down and catch our collective breath, that funky bass line walks us straight into The Reprise. I need someone to give this a listen for me and compare it to other versions as I thought they threw a new ending at us.

Speaking of funky bass lines, Shake You Loose to close the second set! The evening so far has been absolutely stellar! One cover and a lot of older songs to treat New Mexico to their first show in as I had over heard in the crowd ‘way to F$@&ing long’.

After a quick break Spafford returns to the stage and jumps right into Galisteo Way! Cool to see this song hit the century mark! Now at the Q&A Brian did mention that Jordan now has two songs where he gets to drop and F-bomb and Brian only has one. Wonder if there was some last minute set-list doctoring? Brian is urging us to dance and sing along and there is not a stationary person in the venue. Thank you Spafford for one hell of a show! New Mexico, I will see you soon.

That however was not the end of the evening folks…. Perhaps you had seen posts on Facebook about a pre- and post-show down the street? Pherkad, a quartet from Albuquerque, were set up down the street at Leaf and Hive. These guys also jam. It was a lot of fun to get to see them again as I had missed them the last time they were in AZ. Give them a listen check them out. They have to be pretty legit if everyone from Spafford makes the walk over, right?

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2019-10-25 - Ogden Theater - Denver, CO

October 25th, 2019 was finally here! I hadn’t seen Spafford in four months and I was really jonsing for my own dose of the electro funk therapy. My wait was over and I was going to get to see the gents in their home away from home: Denver, Colorado. Beautiful weather greeted me as I stepped off the train from Denver International. I strolled around Union Station and killed time taking in the sites until it was time to check into the Air BnB for the evening. I briefly thought I’d go back through some of the sets of the past few shows and see if I could take a stab at a set list. I quickly realized that would be a waste of time as anytime I’ve tried to guess a set list they've far exceeded my expectations-- see the Red Rocks set from last year, who saw that coming?

If you get a chance the Ogden is an amazing venue! Listed at 1,600 capacity which I thought was a bit generous, but I did not go up to the balcony. Great sound, super efficient staff, and an impressive layout. I found myself just to the left of the soundboard for most of the night and had plenty of room to get down.

Alright, so I took my own advice and got to the show early. Excited to secure my next Jon Rose. And he did not disappoint! Somehow We Make It. Three-color wood block edition of 50. Now I’m not going to get too hung up on it but there was a variant of this print and only a few were produced. I thought I’d be able to get one seeing as I had showed up early. Nope, all gone, next time get VIP.

(Image taken from Spafford FB Page)

Hanging out and chatting with nerds getting really excited for the next two nights of Spafford at the Ogden. Two nights is always a blast be cause you know that they will be bringing that hot fire! Well, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Night 1 Set 1 was utter insanity. No vocals, just jams (well there were a few moments I’ll elaborate on later) and possibly some foreshadowing to next week’s holiday and defiantly some reminiscing.

Opening the set was the ominous tones of Halloween Theme before they segued into what Nugs (and by extension the band) called Themes Jam 1. Overall the evening would give us 6 of these seques in the first set. I thought to myself that was interesting, had I heard that before? Yeah, in 2014, the only other time it was ever played. Hmmm, is there something to this?

Next up the Legend of Zelda Theme! What a rarity! Only played once before! Thanks Spaffnerds.com! After the Legend wrapped up the boys took us on another funky 20+ minutes of improv! I’m not going to do any sort of descriptions justice so do yourself a favor and pull up this recording! All I can say is that I danced my ass off in anticipation of another possible dusting off of a rare song.

My questions were answered a short 20-minute jam later when Red started into Celine Dione’s My Heart Will Go On! Last played at my second ever Spafford show in Flagstaff in 2014. Slowly it dawns on me that they boys are taking songs from Halloweens past and tossing them into their Jams! Brian takes over for Red and while I expected one of them to step up to a mic and sing perhaps the chorus, what really happened blew me away! The crowd started singing, and from what I could make out, they nailed the lyrics. I got goosebumps from all the feels. Spafford was connecting with their fans and it’s one of those cool concert experiences when the fans and band share a moment. Never thought I’d be raving about a Celine Dion song but there is a first for everything I guess. (BTW I went back and looked it up for you. 1:20 mark of the Nugs recording you can hear the crowd singing!)

Another Jam brought us to one of my favorites of the night! The Ghostbusters theme from the 2016 Halloween show! Sped up a little it really got the crowd going and asses shaking. I think that Spafford just jammed to let us catch our breath before they threw another cover on us to get us going!

Another Jam and then they segued seamlessly into The Lion Sleeps Tonight, resurrected from The Parish at the House of Blues in NOLA 2 years ago! They alter between Lion Sleeps, a Jam, then back into the Halloween Theme to wrap up the first set for us. Really cool and unique. I can’t state how cool this was, I just need you to go give it a spin on Nugs or here on the show page with the site's built-in media player.

Set one started with that funky bassline announcing My Road (My Road) and I need to ask you all, has anyone else noticed the evolution in Jordan's bass playing? He seems to be ever evolving. From some heavy plucking around NYE to this new silky smooth playing. Again I don’t know much, this was just a side-note by me.

Low followed up next, originally by Cracker. According to Spaffnerds.com this was another song that was last played at a Halloween show in Flagstaff last year. This song had every one around me singing off key and I could tell that everyone around me was having the time of their lives!

Dirtbath! Now if I had to make a list of songs that would make an appearance on a two-night run this would definitely be on that list. Debuted a mere 8 months ago this gem has seen a setlist quite often. This is one that I just can’t describe. Such an epic jam, tempo changes bobbing and then weaving worthy of multiple re-listens! Just when you are getting lost in the cries of the Raven, Jordan and Nick pick things up and the jam turns a corner.

Remember I said that some of us had started to sing off key? Well, for Lonely it was not only off Key but a bunch of us singing LOUDLY off key! An original and one of my current favorites. It think it also really showcases their writing (nice work Chuck). Uptempo and fun to dance to, Lonley had those around me really getting down!

Gold Glittered Hat was one that I had hoped to catch this weekend. Less than a month since its debut I was curious to see if Spafford would take this out for an extended jam as I believe it has the potential to turn into a new staple jam. I say that because it think that they are still holding back on this one, can’t wait to hear what they do with it moving forward.

Ok, this last one was a complete surprise! Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If I thought I was loud and off key before, multiply that by 10! When Brian played those opening licks I was floored! The perfect cover to end the night!

Ain’t That Wrong brought the evening to a close. A member of the old guard, this uptempo jam got the last of my energy out. Toward the end of this song I had to touch my face and make sure it was still there and hadn’t melted completely. This song is what I hope Gold Glittered Hat can evolve into, plenty of room for jams and the ability to alternate tempos or in this case whip us into a frenzy before dropping us back into the final chorus, setting us back on solid ground with Brian telling us he will see us tomorrow.

Night 1 in the books. Can’t wait to rage with you everyone Night 2.

One last thing, did you guys see that Jambase released a list of the top 20 fan sites in the last 20 years? In case you haven't, here it is. @damian has done such a great job with this site. Please spread the word if you haven't already. I know that a lot of others do a lot of behind the scenes work on this page so I just wanted to take a second to say thanks for all you do!

Thanks for the write up! Sounds hotter than a Tied meatstick.

@Doughnuts still up in the emporium as of 6/26/2019 https://emporium.spafford.net/

Ok, I was wondering if we need to see if we can get a chronological listing of prints with added images. For Scientific purposes. I would not know how to do such a thing but would try and scour the internets for images.I would also beg Jon to let me see the archives, again for scientific purposes. Thoughts?

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2019-06-21 - Red Rocks - Morrison, CO

Rocks Baby, Red Rocks!

Little over a year has passed since Spafford played their first show at Red Rocks and I was eagerly awaiting their triumphant return. Leading up to the show there were a few questions on my mind like, What are they going to play? Will the headliners crowd be into them? And will they get more time to play like they did last year? Oh, you don’t remember that? Yeah, the Biscuits tweeted that Spafford would get extra stage time allowing them to get a little lengthier Jam in. You can read all about that performance here. Alas, we would not be getting any extra Spafford this time around.

And to the question of what they would play, I was wondering if they would just jam out with some staples, maybe do a Weasel into America and play it safe? Or could they throw out some monster jams and knock the socks off Red Rocks in an hour? Granted an hour slot doesn’t really lend itself to extended jams, but hey who knows… they are opening for Umphreys so their fan base has to be somewhat familiar with Spafford given the number of shows that Spafford has opened for them over the years.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Unlike last year when we had pristine weather, sunny skies and a cool breeze, when we pulled up to the Upper South Lot we were greeted with grey skies and light rain and a chilly breeze, but we were going to make the most of it. We even got as far as setting up lawn chairs before we were chased into our ponchos and ultimately our vehicles, but not for long.

Photo credit Jon Rose, stolen off of Spafford prints on Facebook

Soon we were headed up the hill to score those sweet, sweet Jon Rose posters! I stole the above image from the Spafford Print group of the Summer Vacation poster, alas no show specific poster like we got last year but at least we got our date on the poster! Grab yourself one of these this summer on tour! “To Be The Only One” is killer in person!

Now that posters and spots had been secured, I returned back to the question of what we were going to hear. I had a few nerds standing close by and we chatted about possible songs and wow was I wrong. I was expecting a high energy set of tried and true material with some back and forth segues of the tried and true variety.

Who would have thought that they would bust out not ONE but TWO new songs and drop a straight fire Jam then bring up a Special guest? And they had to fit this all in in under an hour. Strap yourself in, this is going to get intense. My guess of old staples was also wrong. 4/6 songs played debuted this year and one of the older songs just got immortalized on a studio album with an added twist. Can you guess where I’m going with this one yet?

The boys walk out and take their positions, left to right you have Red on keys, Jordon on Bass, Brian on, well, the Raven, and rounded out with Nick on drums.

Some last minute tuning, shouts of pure anticipation and then they drop into….what’s this? Wait are they messing with me? Nope this is new. Has to be a debut. Be Strange is the title and has a strong reggae vibe, to get the feet moving. One of the more lyrically heavy songs in recent memory with enough room for Brian to take the Raven on a little exploration before the closing verse. Great song to get the night rolling and as I write this, I am over looking at the lyrics on Spaffnerds. Thinking about this show a few days removed one of the lyrics stands out to me and how Spafford chose to attack this show full force and not knock out a few tried and true tunes “No time for normal, and it’s not today.” Go back and re-listen to this set and compare it to any opener you’ve ever seen. These Guys kill it.

Next up the boys surely will drop into a tried and true old school tune. Nope, 2 notes into this and @mdjabber leans over and answers my question. Dirtbath. Such a sick Jam, and here I thought I wouldn’t get a Jam. Making its debut in February this year it has been one of the most anticipated songs that people are talking about that they want to see on Summer Vacation. This 20 minute Opus grabs you by the soul and take you for a ride. If you’ve read stuff I have written in the past you’ll remember that I know nothing about music theory. This song, at least for me, invites you to sway dance and just lose control.

Alright 2 songs penned in 2019 so far.

Comfortable was up next, another member of the class of 2019. Catchy tune that lets Red swoon us through out the entire song. Catchy upbeat and a perfect little breather from the heat that was Dirtbath. Since I’m addressing nerds here I don’t think I need to mention it but next listen through go pull up the lyrics and read along. Chuck has a way with words and I really dig how the boys interpreted these.

Brian takes a quick second to let us all know that they are having a blast and lets us know that they would like to welcome Jason Singer (and his Saxophone) to the stage. Ok, now even I know that Electric Taco Stand is coming next (debut 2011, so a member of the old guard). Remember earlier when I was foreshadowing this review and mentioned that they had recently immortalized an older tune on For Amusement Only? Well, unlike on FAO's cut of Ain't That Wrong when there is just a little sax, Jason gets down throughout the song. ETS has been my primary song to introduce people to Spafford. ETS with some brass is absolutely next level. *s the times go by!!!!!!!!!! It doesn’t even seem like Jason is holding anything back, he is jumping right in and leading Jams.

Brian then lets us know that since we already got one new debut, we might as well have another and they jump into Pretty Mama with Jordan on vocals. Pretty Mama has a great rock feel to it and some of the opening notes have a distinct vibe of another band that will be on the stage later that night. But just a few and once the band hits its stride I almost forget that thought and jam on out. I can’t wait to hear how this one grows as they play it at shows without time restrictions.

Looking at my watch I know that we were going only get one more song. ALL IN for the win! I take a brief look around me and see everyone absolutely losing their shit! As I look up the rocks I see that it is nearly full, save for a few rows at the very top. I love how this song builds and then drops into that awesome bass line with drums right in the middle. Speaking of drums, I’m not sure if it was just where I was sitting, but I think they owed Nick money the way he was beating them towards the end of the song.

Then just like that it was over, Brian thanked us and Umphreys and took a quick curtain call before disappearing back into the Rocks. I must say that I was absolutely blown away at this performance. Instead of playing it safe they dropped 2 debuts on us, rocked out a solid 20 minute jam and even brought out a guest artist. I don’t think that you could have packed anything else into that hour.

Hope to see you all soon!

I tried to capture the spirit of the thing. -Dickie Dunn

I tried to get a good nerd Pic and some more show shots but honestly I was stuck in the moment and it was really cold and rainy. So if I saw you and didn't immortalize you in this review I am sorry I'll make it up to you next time around.

@StankyMuffin Great write up! Glad you were able to see them in my favorite city in the world!

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2018-11-10 - Terragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA

Obligatory, I was there but no one wrote a review, so I will comment. I am writing this 2.5 months removed from the show so if I embellish or forget, oops. Also I am writing this 2 days removed from a major birthday and am looking forward to the tour opener in Minneapolis so to quote Minnesota’s favorite son: “I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if I go astray…”. I may or may not be in full control of all my memory of this show.

Saturday November 10th found us waking up groggy after having just seen the best performance that Spafford has offered to date. It’s hard to argue with the openers Midnight North, but the sit-in Karl Denson, you have to be kidding me! I was still sort of elated that we got treated to that!

A short drive up from Solana we hit Los Angeles and I was told it was a pretty historic piece of road, the Pacific Coast Highway! California is beautiful year round but an easy Sunday stroll up the PCH was almost relaxing and I don’t know if you can say that for any driving in California! We checked into the Mayfair Hotel and then started co-ordinating with all the nerds that we knew that were going to the show. We had stayed here last year and were somewhat disappointed that it was under construction, but the renovations were complete and it was a beautiful art deco hotel with a breathtaking lobby and lobby bar all restored to its 1926 glory! Most importantly, a 2 minute walk to the venue. (pictured is the view from the room and as an inside joke, there is a hair dryer in that bag that has been to 6 cities for Spafford shows in at least as many states and guess how many times it’s been used! Zero.

As a good nerd I had arranged a meet up at a bar down the street so we settled in and got ready for the evening of music and hanging with nerds. Quick pointer, if you plan a meet up, make sure that the bar and or venue you plan on meeting up at will be open. Turns out the bar I had picked doesn’t open until 10p and I was fielding calls from people asking me where we were as they were standing outside the bar only to find out it was closed. Problem solved when we remembered we were staying at the historic Mayfair and they did in fact have a bar, which was soon overtaken with nerds sporting poster tubes.

Now I know I said this last review, it is imperative that you get to the venue early, not only to hear the opener but also to snag a print of the evenings poster. This time around in LA it was another first timer with the print, Joey Feldman. Words don’t do it justice so I will just share an image that I lifted off the Spafford Prints page. I did manage to get some background on the print. Joey is an established artist in the LA area and has done prints for the likes of Pearl Jam and Metallica and had asked about doing a print for the band previously. I think we need to acknowledge Jon Rose as Creative art director at some point. I always enjoy how other artists interpret the band while bringing their signature style to each new print. Not that I need an excuse to buy another print, but it always helps me when I can justify it in some way, in this case a new artist. I know some of you are in the same boat as me so I feel the need to type that.

Travel and meet ups over for the day it was time to get into some Spafford! The Terragram is awesome! I would say capacity of about 500-600 and was at least 2x as packed as the previous year we saw Spafford play there. Boys are getting bigger and everyone says it but I will re-iterate it, soon we will be seeing them at massive venues and these intimate shows will be few and far between.

My Road (My Road) kicked off the evening and it was the perfect opener, clocking in at just under 12 minutes it helps introduce the band to those that might not have heard them before. Lyrically and musically it allows the band to sort of give you a how do you do, this is what you’re in store for. Jams, vocals and everyone sort of takes over for just a second before returning to the collective jam and if you’re playing along on Spaffnerds.com it was the 4th time I’ve heard it live the last being a few weeks prior in Flagstaff. I’m going to mention the site again a few more times through out this review but make sure you are over there, or more rather here tracking your stats. And then just as you thought they were going to play this one quietly and let rob you of a high energy jam sit tight until the 11 min mark of the nugs recording, it evolves, escalates and lets you know what you are in store for! I’m not going to try and write creative reviews of the jams, go listen to it!

When it Falls was next up. A newer song that only saw the light of day this year and always gets me dancing, it almost opens with the crescendo of drums ( think I’m using that term correctly). The lyrics “I will find my purpose once again” leaves me wondering who is talking or why they wrote that. Brian finds a new theme within 2 seconds of that lyric and then the band takes over and it always stands out to me that Cam is hitting the Bass just a little bit harder. I love that particular theme that Brian plays, it even makes multiple appearances in the song front to back, back to front leaving me guessing how I am supposed to be getting down/up during this song.

Electric Taco Stand My most witnessed and my favorite song to turn new people onto. There is a version from 2012 I believe from the Sail Inn that I still love. As the times go by always gives me the goosebumps and while everyone is playing their hearts out on this song red still gets me with the super silky keys. ETS also has some of the most debated lyrics of any Spafford Song. BRRRRRRTTTT is my personal interpretation but I’m not here to tell you what it is, just give you my feelings on this. The jam that follows is epic, while Jordan is keeping the overall theme of the song it seems that everyone else is exploring other jams while keeping it cohesive. I may be wrong but the end part of this song might be some of my favorite keys I heard over the weekend, again go listen to it! Also I need to speak to Brian’s luthier, I don’t think I have ever heard a guitar play notes that high. This is just an epic song and like other ETS’s before it, never played the same 2x. It was at this time in the show I realized I was in a puddle of tears of appreciation. My fav band in LA, a huge contingency of nerds and everyone just getting down. Perfect moments exist and they happen as the times go by.

Made for Wesley followed and I had to look this up has only been played 4 times and as it turns out is a cover of the Jimmy Rosenberg Trio and also my first time hearing it. After listening to the original I am blown away how much better it is with piano. Cold listening one would think that it is made for Red. Nope he made it his own. In the original there are no keys and Spaffords rendition is head and shoulders above the original, just this nerds humble opinion. Have I ever mentioned that I am always blown away by what the band decides to cover? I know they recently did a poll on what they should cover via text, I put in my thoughts but really don’t care if my suggestion of Champage Jam ever gets covered (well I’ll take credit for it if they do). But let them decide what they feel they can cover, I for one am happy to be along for the ride!

Backdoor Funk one of the long time main stays and also one of the most popular songs Spafford does to segue in and out of songs. For me it was a break allowing me to come down from the intensity of the opening songs. For me this song sort of allows you to find yourself again giving you almost 15 minutes to ground yourself in the middle of a show. Take a second to reflect on vitals, heart rate, consumption and head space. Gather yourself during this jam, make sure you are ok before you’re transported away again and embrace the music. If you don’t let me know I will just be on my way!!!!

West L.A. Fadeaway saw the band bringing out Grahm Lesh from the opener. Lesh, I’ve heard that name before. Rings a bell. (I honestly thought I saw his father in the audience and Chuck had to promise me that it wasn’t his dad. I’m still not certain, but I wasn’t able to ask anymore as the person in question disappeared back stage and Chuck walked off). The Dead have been a welcome cover for Sapfford for a long time. I do have to admit at my age I never had the pleasure of seeing the Dead live and was not raised on any Dead. This will get me in trouble but I prefer Spafford’s versions to the originals any day. All that being said I toughly enjoyed this tune. Having another guitar frees up the musicians and they can take the song deeper and jammier than anyone previously had covered it. This was a perfect way to close out the first set.

Red's Jam would be the theme for the second set. One thing that I have never seen a band do it take a theme and bookend it around a set, show or tour. Spafford has done all of these (Ghostbusters, Steak Sauce just to mention a few). I am a huge Spafford fan and sometimes things are lost on me as I am not into other more mainstream bands and their tours. However, for me this was the best segue into a second set that I had ever heard. (fight me in the forums). I was kinda sad that this would be my last 2nd set until New Years Eve run having just come off of shows in Flagstaff, Tucson and Solana. I had always wondered why Red has at least 6 sets of keyboards on stage, well, give this a listen and you won’t wonder anymore. I remember running into Red at show in Phoenix where he wasn’t playing and he told me his wife had told him he was not allowed to buy anymore keyboards, I would bet that if he was allowed a few more we could convince her it is necessary.

Wait what’s that? They are dropping into Weasel? I also thought I heard an on fire tease there as well……Nope its Weasel up next!
Weasel that forgotten space in the back of your mind! I know this isn’t going to be the peak of the evening but they tease it like it is, and then Cam drops the UNZ’s on us. It’s now more of a dance party than Jam band show. I take a small moment to reflect and look around. I can spot new and old, local, traveled and Phoenix Nerds just getting down. It was 6 minutes of pure happiness, and to use the German word; Freude! Weasel is that up beat Jam that just makes you happy you made the trip from Phoenix to hang with friends for the evening listening to your favorite band. Untzes give way to bass to guitar and ultimately to Red laying down synth. Ok I will quote a lyric from another jam band that fits; I was bouncing around the room, literally and physically.

Palisades perfect segue. Now is when Red serenades you while the band tries to over power him. Perfect back and forth into that epic peak. No words needed, during this jam you are where the band wants you, felling just what you expected at a show. The Raven talks to you just to enjoy the experience. Wait, what’s that nope, not again, YES, you’re transported back into Weasel oh, sneaky, I bet you won’t try that again Spafford. I was just jamming to Palisades and telling those around me how much fun it is to just let go and feel the music. As I am writing this months after the fact I am just getting down listening to it on Nugs. Please follow, donate and buy your tickets through this site, Spaffnerds.com I mean Damien makes it so easy. They have been known to do some nugs giveaways in the past.

Just a frame of reference, I stepped away from the computer and just listened to this jam. I don’t think I can stop dancing. I’ve already alienated the dog, neighbors are complaining that their faces are melting, and I’m in a puddle of sweat. Wait what was that Spafford? You jumped back into
Red's Jam. Holy cow, I remember not being able to contain myself before but now, even with a brief time signature change I cannot calm myself. Cam is trying to sound the end of the evening and I’m left with wanting more. The crowd is so loud that the noise is messing with my phone as I was trying to take pictures for the review. I hope that isn’t the end; It might be but the house lights are not on yet…. Lets wait. IS that Brian going back up to the mic?!!! Yes it is

Encore!

Windmill Oh I always for get how fun this song is. I’m remembering that I had promised you a dance that I had learned at the Mish a few years ago that some new nerds had taught me. Well that will have to wait. Hard intro, driving lyrics and then a mellow jam. You think the evening is over just winding down. In hindsight I know there is about another 12 min of jams ahead but in the moment I never wanted it to end. Simply enjoy the rest of this song, be in the moment don’t chomp and if you have to, let those around you know that you’re glad they are here, give ‘em a hug and let the music wash over you.

I’m looking forward to my fav show, the next one, but am happy to be here practicing my windmill dance, lets get it down together!

Post script; as the show was over, boys took their curtain call there was a contingency of nerds front and center. It dawned on me that we hadn’t gotten a pic pre show so I decided to rectify that. Security was trying to get us to leave and in my loudest voice I got everyone to the front of the stage to take a group pic. Security thought I was important so they let us get some shots with the nerds in front of the stage. Haha. Thanks to everyone who came out, the band for being them and people agreeing to travel with me.

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2018-11-09 - Belly Up - Solana Beach, CA

Hey Y’all Nerds! Just wanted to preface this with the fact it’s been a few months since I attended this show.

I was talking to the Man, the Myth, nay, the Legend Johnny Love and he had mentioned that a few reviews never took place because ppl didn’t volunteer, backed out, or may have forgotten to submit a review. I love sharing my memories with you all so I wanted to give you my experience from this show and possibly the next night as well. Please enjoy a delayed review.

(Read in a narrator's voice-over voice)

On November 8th, two Nerds set out for San Diego from Phoenix. They were going to see their beloved Spafford in sunny Southern California a mere 350 miles away. Little did they know they were about to be treated to the best Spafford performance that either of them had seen in their entire lives. Now both of these nerds are not exactly light weights. Together they are well over the half century mark in shows seen so they can spot a stellar night when it presents itself. This is the story of the greatest Spafford Show that 2 NERDS from Phoenix have ever witnessed…. Up until this point obviously!

San Diego (city)-Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego which of course in German means whales vagina. (Ron Burgundy, 2004)

We set out from Phoenix for two nights in California to see Spafford, leaving early in the morning, on a Sunny Phoenix November. We had just come off of the first Arizona shows of the year with one in Flagstaff and two in Tucson (first timers for Spafford in Tucson, that might be a review for another time, I digress). Doing our due diligence we decided to stay close to the venue in del Mar on the north side of San Diego. If you get a chance to go there stay at this place! Walk out right to the beach, abundant parking. We arrived late afternoon and treated ourselves to libations and inhalations on the beach. Early November in So Cal does not disappoint. We knew that there would be a fair amount of Nerds there so after a failed late afternoon nap we headed to Pizza Port for further pre-show libations, pizza, and a hang with some other Nerds. Beers consumed, pizza eaten, stories and slaps traded, we left for the venue.

Normally I am not one to get to a venue early when Spafford has an opener as I prefer to catch the tail end of the opener's set and get my head right for the eminent face melting. Holy shit was I glad we did! As we are waiting a car pulls up and a certain touring member of The Rolling Stones jumps out and asks to squeeze beside me to get to the will call window to grab his credentials. Everyone in my group was looking at me as I did my best impression of Will Ferrell in Elf when he hears that Santa is coming. Karl Denson, touring member of the Rolling Stones and leader of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, just cut me in line and disappeared into the venue with a saxophone in hand. I don’t think I stopped blabbering for the next 10 minutes it took the Belly Up to open its doors.

I do need to say that it is becoming even more important to show up to a Spafford show early, not only to catch the opener if there is one, but also to get in the merch line. I was able to snag a print for me and my fellow road warrior, complete with the numbers that we collect. It wasn’t until the next day that I read the @blockprints post on Instagram and on the Spafford Prints group about the imagery that he was able to deliver. Huge shout out to Jon Rose and all his amazing artwork that adorns my walls reminding me of the shows I have been to.

Midnight North kicked off the evening. If you’re not familiar with them, I highly suggest checking them out. I spent the opening first set mingling and chatting with some Nerds that I knew had traveled to see this and the following night's show. I will apologize and admit that I chomped during their set. Reality set in for me when I saw the legend #diesel get up with the opener. I was shaking in my Spafflanta shirt with anticipation for Spafford's set (the shirt is important for later, tease).

Simon and Lilly started us off for the evening, the jams between lyrics let us know that it would be a night not soon forgotten. The crowd settled in and started to jam out in anticipation of what the night would bring. My second time hearing that particular song live, last being the previous year in Phoenix. Like any Spafford song, I wanted it to go on longer but this was soon over and Brian welcomed the crowd and introduced the evening's surprise…I was sure that we were going to hear Ain’t that Wrong with some Sax and proclaimed to everyone around me that was what was next. I was wrong-- it takes a strong man to admit-- but I was even more blown away by what came next!

Mind's Unchained came next and Karl took his spot next to Brian and accented the opening licks. He even took some of the lead during the opening few bars before the band jumped into the lyrics. It seemed like he had been playing with the gents for years as he segued in and out of the song with ease. It was a slow build while Brian sang the opening lyrics, but everyone took a few bars to step up and let the crowd know that this was going to be a collaboration. Karl led us into a funky soul jam while the boys kept up with him allowing him to explore the stage of the Belly Up. I couldn’t believe that this was the first time that Spafford had him on stage. They sounded well-rehearsed and Karl had a back and forth with everyone, but I think Cam challenged him most during the middle of the song. I wish I was not standing at the soundboard but rather up on the rail to see the face of Cam during that exchange. I really want to fan boy this song, but go listen to it or watch it. I was so excited to see the gents I have had the pleasure of watching over the last four years just get into a jam with this sax player. I’m not a music critic, nor do I understand much about music theory, but it seemed that everyone on stage fed off each other. Playing quietly or louder when needed. Go to the 12 min mark of the Nugs recording and you will be doing pirouettes like I was during this song. Bonus points for those that know what that word is. There are another 8 minutes of me dancing a fool, but I won’t recount that for you. You can thank me that I don’t have a dancing tutorial up on this page.

Eternity allowed me to stop my rotations and just get down. “Let it play straight from the Heavens” is one of my favorite lyrics that has ever been penned, especially during a show. You know that the band is going to bring this hard and the lyric “we are here to say, we all belong now” gets me every time. I took the Yeahs to just dance and embrace the music and the fact that I was among friends and enjoying spectacular music in Sunny Southern California. After the second-to-last chorus, just turn everything off, and dance like a fool and get to higher ground.

Memphis in the Meantime found Brian asking if Karl was still there. I thought he had sneaked out after the last few minutes of Mind's Unchained. He had, but apparently came back to rage with force. This John Hiatt tune definitely benefited from the addition of a Saxophone. According to my Spafnerds.com stats page it was only my second time experiencing this live. I kind of grew up on Hiatt so I was excited to hear this for the second time. Karl took over the solos between choruses and while everyone seemed to want to take those parts over, Karl played a little bit louder and harder and everyone-- from keys to bass to drums-- gave him space. I do want to give Cam props that he seemed to take it up to 11, when Karl took it to 10 and then dropped right back to a 3 when Karl took it to 4. Overall this song was full of jams and it seemed like the boys had found their go-to sit-in artist. Those of you on Jam Cruise this year, I am both jealous and envious of what you will see. (Time elapses while I am writing this review to walk the dog) Sit tight for the last 8 minutes of the Nugs recording as it is some of the finest improvisational material I have ever been privileged to hear. So many teases, so many individual explorations before it comes back together. Pick an instrument and listen to that, then listen to how everyone feeds off each other. This is why we listen to this band. This could be some of the finest improv performance that this lay person has ever heard.

And just when I think it cannot get any better, this show is better than any I have ever heard, they drop into Todd’s Tots. Now those of you that know me, know that this is my favorite Spafford song. Fast, slow, improv, keys, guitar, bass, stellar drums, vocals-- this song has it all. They are closing out their first set with my favorite song! At this point I was bouncing on the ceiling and nothing could contain me. Those of you at the show that I offended with my killer dance moves and interpretive dance, complaints are being received on the threads below. I was ready to charter a plane home and never see a show again as the first set left me changed: nothing could beat this, EVER. I would have been good with this being the last live music that I ever seen. (Spoiler: it gets better). I just jammed the last 5 minutes of this 12 minute Opus, silently wiping tears of joy from my eyes. It’s also how they chose to close their last studio album.

Plans opened up the second set. Jordan on vocals brought us back to the reality of the show. I really like this song. Everyone gets the opportunity to shine. One thing that I really like about this band is that they don’t have a front man. Brian get’s the ‘C’ if they were playing hockey, but everyone gets to shine. There is a selflessness to this band which is why I think people gravitate to them. I remember trying to explain this band to friends and pointing out that since it is a four-piece, the other musicians have to bring up the rear or cover for one another when they go off on a tangent. There is no second guitar to cover for rhythm if Brian goes off on a solo, rather Red, Jordan or Cameron fill in. And if one of the guys gets a theme in their head the others will cover and allow that person to explore their idea and join in. That all being said, Plans gets me swaying in a “I want to dance” kind of way. I just remembered that I was just feeling the love in a ‘you had to be there’ kind of way at the show. Keep listening, this show only gets better.

Virtual Bean Dip was up next. According to Spafford.net I have been present for 7 of these epic Jams. This again highlights the band's ability to play off each other. Clocking in at almost 20 minutes, everyone gets their moment to shine while remaining a cohesive song. It just begs you to get lost in the moment and dance. Just when you think that an individual member is going to run off with a solo, you are immediately brought back to the ensemble.

Galiesto Way brought us right up to the second set closer. This is my second favorite song and my favorite song to introduce people to Spafford. The energy that the gents bring doesn’t allow anyone to have a bad time. By the second chorus you are singing along, even if it is your first show! Rock, reggae, jam-- all is represented. Remember when I said I was dancing on the ceiling earlier, this was an out-of-body experience for me. It was brought down right in the middle to something to sway to, you get to get your head right, be in the moment and appreciate the fact you are in So Cal for this jam. No one is trying to dominate the performance you feel calm collected and at peace. Red swoons you on the keys before everyone picks you up off the floor of your own puddle of appreciation. You find the head space to clear your mind and then, and then, you feel that you are one with the band, you are on your way: the Galiesto Way!

Slip and Squander to round out the second set the boys dropped this. Not to say we had any say in the set list, but look at this pic. Are we not the bookends of the two sets? Red always impresses me when he takes over a song. Again, this is why I love these guys, no ego. Everyone gets to shine. Red has the audience captivated before the band jumps into a jam. Jordan gets us pumped for the chorus, Cam chimes in then in a huge crescendo, and Brian lets us know that it is happening, leading us all to dance our collective behinds off.

I almost missed the encore due to a much needed smoke break, but to finish the night off…Mad World. Played 30 times, I’ve been present for 5 (thanks Spaffnerds!) This song brought me down to a place where I could leave a venue with a full heart. Often when I go to a show I feel that a show left me wanting more or cheated me by not giving me a set or song that I wanted. I was already over the moon with this show but I needed to calm down and get ready for the next night. Nope, Spafford absolutely blew the roof off this Tears for Fears cover. I think I was still dancing in the parking lot to this song as I waited in my rideshare. I could not think of a better way to end the evening than this version of Mad World.

See you at the next show!

NYE NYE wow that was one for the record books. Stayed sober because I didn’t want to miss anything. Loved the return of aliens and getting to hang and hear stories with the P town crew!

Thanks for the words! Getting excited about some west coast shows! You will be there in spirit and meat sticks!

Thanks for posting! Put this on my bucket list for next year!

@mdjabber of course Jabber has a local friend! Have fun kids!

@damian I've won in the past, so I'm going to not hinder the others. Also, if you find a pin in the couch I was sold out of that.