One of the incredible
things about living in the Old North End in Burlington is its close proximity
to Nectar’s, the venuemade famous from Phish’s early days. They are all about
Live Music Served Daily. And on Thursdays in February, master chef Pappy Biondo
is serving up some scrumptious vittles. On this week’s menu it’s all about Mr.
JJ Cale and cosmic country, seasoned with funk and a Bakersfield twang.
Kempepedia is proud to present Cale ‘n Country. Pappy and the Pards, the
February Residency at Nectar’s, Burlington, VT. Feb. 8th, 2018.
One of the great
things about Nectar’s is how intimate it is. The stage is maybe 3 feet high and
the soundboard is within 20 feet of the stage.
A long bar takes up a quarter of the room. There is another room the
same size but that’s for playing pool, watching giant screen TV’s and
eating. I’m just here for the tunes.
Pappy and the Pards, Feb. 8th, 2018
Set 1
Since You Said Goodbye, Call Me the Breeze, Waymore’s Blues,
Hey Baby, Lies, My Gal, Cajun Moon, After Midnight>Cocaine
Set 2
Albatross, Freddy’s Time, Old Farmers Mill, Summerville,
Cool River, Angel
You can stream it
here
Video Set 2
This time Pappy and the Pards are
Pappy Biondo - Banjo-Steel Pedal-Vocals
Justin Mazer - Guitar
Ray Packowski – Keyboards
Dylan Skursky – Bass
Russ Lawton – Drums
First up, the JJ
Cale set. Right off the bat, Ray kills
it. Tasty licks throughout but brings it onCall Me the Breeze. I love the
Hammond B3. But with one hand on that and the other on the clavinet, Ray takes
it to a new level. I love the shuffle of Waymoore’s Blues. Be sure to check out
Hey Baby and My Gal. The interplay
between Pappy and Justin is outstanding. Sounds like to old friends catching
up. Seriously. And Justin’s mastery of guitar tones continues. He plays a
telecaster with 2 pickups (I think. Not a gear nerd.) The things he does with a
very honky tonk modulation are crazy. Lies has a nice sense of menace to it. I
think it was the solo on My Gal around the 7 min mark, he de tunes a string
during the solo, just to get extra energy. Don’t think I ever saw anyone do
that before. Cajun Moon I knew from the Gatos show back in January. It is among
my favorite Cale tunes.
And how else are
you going to end a JJ Cale set than with After Midnight>Cocaine. I read
Clapton once said if he could have anyone’s career it would be Cales. The transition
between these two is perfect. After all the musicians get a word or two in the conversation,
they kick up the tempo a notch right before the lyrics start. Justin rips it up
during the solos. So freakin’ good. You would think these guys have been
playing together for years. If this was a full time lineup they might destroy
Vermont. I take a seat at the bar and prepare for set 2!
Albatross is a
mellow tune that lets Pappy show off his steel pedal skills. Freddy’s Tune is a
Mazer original and it is quite spectacular. Great interaction between Ray and
Justin. Old Farmers Mill was a pleasant
surprise and played at a slower pace than the Cabinet arrangement. I am pleased
to report that this song is even better with a B3 organ.
Summerville features
some great telepathy between Russ and Ray. They have a duo act called Soule
Monde that I might get to see on March 3rd. They come highly recommended
from everyone. I mean it. Everyone I mention them to raved about the duo. Cool
River starts out as a tender ballad that soon becomes rockin’. I love when bands use lyrics from their other
songs. Pappy quotes the Old Moonshine line about lion laying down with the lamb
in Cool River. Here is a vid from my favorite attended Cabinet show, 2012-09-29
at the Snail Pie Lounge, in Glen Rock, PA performing Old Moonshine. Woo Doggie!
Justin got a chance to step up to the mic and close out the
night with Angel.
And there it is.
Night 2 is in the books and I want to thank Pappy and the band for another
stellar evening of music. I would also like to give some love to Phil and Keith
for all the work they do in preserving the music. Up next is another bluegrass
night, this time with a dobro!
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
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