NASHVILLE CATS
"Play clean as country water, play wild as mountain dew,
Been playin' since they's babies, get work before they're two
Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants on a Tennessee ant hill,
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two guitar cases in Nashville
And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play twice as better than I will."
John Sebastian wrote that song for his very popular band The Lovin’ Spoonful in 1966, an oddity because it had a country feel to the arrangement, but the Spoonful were a folk-rock band, and Sebastisn played the zither, or autoharp. It nonetheless became a hit. I don’t know if Sebastian ever actually visited Nashville, but that song from those long-haired folkies set the rock crowd up to recognize that there was something musically important going on in "Music City."
Never having been to Nashville, I figured it was about time, and went last week. It is impressive, and heart warming to me, for its focus on music, especially live music, and songwriting. The songwriter is king in Nashville. And the pickers? – Sebastian was spot on.
We got to hang out with one of them, one Jason Pitts, formerly of SM. and Samohi, where he was known as JP, and known for his surprise third period asking of his date to the prom, with musical and choral accompaniment. Today that would have gone viral and he might have instantly become one of those millionaire influencers, but he did get flown to New York to be on the Today Show, and it made the news all over the world.
So, many of you here may know or remember him, and be curious what he’s up to. He has a home in Nashville and plans to stay another year or two. He moved because he got a year-long contract to assist one of those young millionaire influencers with the music and editing of his Tik Tok pieces, but when the year was up he decided to "retire" for a bit. So Jason got out there and hustled a lot of freelance work, and has been very busy. He is now engaged to a charming and beautiful young woman named Sydney, who works full time for an LA dance studio. They were generous and gracious hosts and we had a great time hanging out with them. The last night we were there three other LA music friends came over and we had BBQ and a songfest. Yup, Nashville Cats, native or not.
I’ll tell you more about Nashville in the next NOTEWORTHY column, but I have to mention this. We saw the famous Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Opry, we went to a Grand Ole Opry show, but on the advice of our musician friends we added in a visit to the Musicians Hall of Fame, and it is something you should not miss on any visit to Music City.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
THEATRICUM BOTANICUM – Founded more than half a century ago by blacklisted writer/actor Will Geer, his family has carried on superbly, and his daughter Ellen is directing "The Winter’s Tale," one of Willie the Shake’s last, with a final scene promising to blow medieval and modern minds alike. TB is known for their Shakespeare and performed "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" their first season, and every year since, and this year it is directed by Willow Geer, Will’s granddaughter. There is not a more perfect stage for this classic than the woods of Topanga. "Wendy’s Peter Pan" by title alone sounds like great fun. Ellen Geer directed this different look at a tale we are all so familiar with. "The Winter’s Tale" was one of The Bard’s last, in five acts, it is a tragi-comedy with an unrealistic yet interesting plot line."Peter Pan," Sat 7:30 p.m., "Midsummer" Sun 3:30 p.m., "Winter" Sun 7:30 p.m., $15-60.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES — You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, for more than a decade now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure, just over the border from SM. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.
ROLLING STONES – No, they’re not as magnificent as when I saw them on their best tour ever, with Mick Taylor in the band and Stevie Wonder opening up, in… 1972, but who is, half a century later? But they are not that far off and that is remarkable. They have so many great songs they can’t play them all in a couple of hours. The Glimmer Twins, Mick and Keith, are 80, and I promise that won’t detract from their show. Yet, we know they won’t be around forever. So… go. Wed, next Sat, Sofi Stadium, Inglewood, $81-1832.
RECOMMENDED:
"WILD THINGS ARE HAPPENING: THE ART OF MAURICE SENDAK" – Now you can see them much bigger than a page in a book. This is the first complete retrospective of his art since his death in 2012, and includes his work in many areas of the arts. Twyla Tharp, Spike Jonze, Tony Kushner. Opera sets! "I love opera beyond anything," he once proclaimed, "and Mozart beyond anything." 6/20-9/1, Skirball Museum, admission price? Parking fee - call for info and hours.
TOLEDO DIAMOND — Unique, riveting, first class act. There’s nothing like it, it is high performance art and great decadent fun. Degeneracy is rarely so well disciplined. And the band is smokin’! Don’t. Miss. Toledo Diamond. Sun 9:30pm, Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): "Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak," Skirball, 7/4-9/1; Theatricum Botanicum- "Wendy’s Peter Pan," 7/6, 14, 21, 26 -"The Winter’s Tale," 7/7, 14, 19, 28 - "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," 7/7 - "Tartuffe-Born Again," 7/13, 20, 27; Toledo Diamond, Harvelle’s, 7/7, 21, 28; Hot Club of Los Angeles, Cinema Bar, ⅞, 15, 22, 29; Rolling Stones, Sofi Stadium, 7/10, 13; All Gershwin, Hollywood Bowl, 7/11; Peter Erskine Tio + Bob Mintzer, Sam First, 7/12. 13; Slash, Samantha Fish, Warren Haynes Band, Eric Gales, Greek, 7/13 ; Liquid Kitty’s Punk Rock BBQ, Harvelle’s, 7/14; Big Band Night, Hollywood Bowl, 7/17; Ziggy Marley, Bellwether, 7/20; Drive-By Truckers, Marina del Rey summer concert series, 7/20; Mozart Under the Stars, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zuckerman, Hollywood Bowl, 7/23; All-Beethoven, LA Phil, 7/25; X, Regent Theater, 7/25, 26; Michael Franti & Spearhead, Greek, 7/26; Dwight Yoakam, Mavericks, Greek, 7/27; Lake Street Dive, Greek, 7/27; Outlaw Fest: Willie, Bob, Mellancamp. Hollywood Bowl, 7/31; UB40, English Beat, Inner Circle, Greek, 7/31; Schumann & Bruch, LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl, 8/1; Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Greek, 8/4; Reggae Night XXII: Damian and Stephen Marley, Hollywood Bowl, 8/4; Hives, Foo Fighters, BMO Stadium, 8/9; Jon Batiste, Greek, 8/10; Wailing Souls, Levitt Pavilion, 8/10; Alanis Morisette, Joan Jett & Blackhearts, Kia Forum, 8/10; Pretenders, Foo Fighters, BMO Stadium, 8/11; Herbie Hancock "Head Hunters" 50th, Hollywood Bowl, 8/14; 10CC, Theatre at Ace Hotel, 8/15; Lila Downs, Marina del Rey summer concert series, 8/17; All-Dvořák with Midori, LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl, 8/20; Gary Clark Jr., Hollywood Bowl, 8/21; Ghostland Observatory, Teragram Ballroom, 8/24; Ash Grove Alumni, McCabe’s, 8/25; Dudamel & Yunchan Lim, Hollywood Bowl, 8/29.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 38 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to:
