Chuck Prophet's Not Afraid of Volume

Power pop rocker/songwriter Chuck Prophet showed his prowess on guitar, and he and his band weren't afraid to turn it up, even if it was a quiet Sunday night.

The Narrows has proudly hosted Chuck a number of times over the years, and each time this Left Coast icon continues to surprise and delight.

If you aren't familiar with his music, mvyradio.com should have the show in its archives soon.

Robert Cray March 22

Silky smooth blues dude Robert Cray makes his Narrows debut March 22nd.

Details here.

Crooked Still Sell Out

It was a first for Crooked Still at the Narrows--a sold out show!

Crooked Still proved Friday night why their fan base continues to grow. Quality musicianship and an upbeat approach.

MVYRadio.com streamed it live. Should be in their archives soon.

Congrats to the nice folks of Crooked Still!

Crooked Still Tonight

One of the most creative roots groups on the scene is Crooked Still--and they're at the Narrows tonight!

"Memphis Man" Marc Cohn Walks Tall at Narrows

Saturday night "Walking in Memphis" piano man Marc Cohn proved, for the 2nd time this year, that he has the chops beyond his one mass appeal hit.

A packed house at the Narrows listened intensely to his tunes, sung with a passionate, soulful delivery that apparently made some female admirers nearly swoon. "You made my...life," one woman told your humble blogger after the concert, thanking me for something Marc Cohn did. The benefits of being a Narrows volunteer!

Yes, he did "Walking in Memphis," which sounded fresh and energized. He explained that he wrote the tune after reading an article in which James Taylor explained that he overcomes writer's block by catching a plane and going somewhere he'd never been. A young Marc Cohn took his advice and went to Memphis.

A former backup singer for Marc and local talent, Amy Correia, opened the show, winning new fans.

Dan Tappan's Photos from Gandalf Murphy

Slambovians! More photos from the recent concert. Courtesy of a true photo artiste Dan Tappan.

See them here.

Welcome to Slambovia

Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams made their 2nd appearance at the Narrows Friday night, playing their quirky mixture of space folk (They have a CD called "Flapjacks from the Sky"), rock, metal and what have you.

They delighted their dedicated fans with their creativity and off-the-beaten path approach.

Someday Someway Happy Birthday

Happy 56th birthday to Narrows alum Marshall Crenshaw!

Happy Birthday Mose!

Happy 82nd birthday to Narrows alum Mose Allison!

8th Anniversary Features Guitarist/Vocalist Susan Tedeschi

Saturday night was the Narrows 8th anniversary celebration, and we did it up big with Susan Tedeschi and her band, their first visit.

Of course, the show was sold out!

In honor of the event patrons were given an official Narrows commemorative mug. And the official commemorative t-shirts and sweatshirt were available for purchase, listing every artist, including openers, who have performed at the Narrows over the past 8 years.

Of course, Ms. Tedeschi--whose dad and brother were in the audience--charmed the crowd with her bluesy chops, impressive singing, and kickin' group of musicians performing with her.

Kansans Moreland & Arbuckle opened the show with a set of blues rock that won them fans bigtime (You should have seen the line to buy their CDs after the performance!).

Mvyradio.com streamed the show live on its website and two radio frequencies. Chances are the show will be archived on the site in a few days.

Eagles Collaborator Coming in January

This just in--one of the best California cool songwriters, J.D. Souther, is coming to the Narrows for the first time Saturday, January 30.

He wrote a number of hits for the Eagles, including "Heartache Tonight" and "Best of My Love."

You may remember his duet with James Taylor "Her Town Too" or his solo hit "You're Only Lonely."

Hipper readers may remember his work with Narrows' alums Chris Hillman and Richie Furay, the Souther Hillman Furay Band.

This is a special treat. More info at www.ncfta.org.

8th Anniversary Commemorative T-Shirts, Sweatshirts

Just in time for our 8th anniversary show Saturday night, the Narrows has begun selling t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts that feature the names of every act, including openers, that have played the Narrows.

Your humble blogger (above) modeled the shirt (only $15 for the short sleeve version) in the Narrows office.

This is a great way to celebrate 8 fab years only made possible through your support, the hard work of our many volunteers, our corporate, government and foundation sponsors, and the multitude of artists who have graced our stage and gallery over the years, including: Adam Carroll, Adam Hood, Adam Sweeney, Adrian Legg, Adrienne Young, Al & the Transamericans, Al Basile, Alejandro Escovedo, Alice Peacock, Alison Brown, Allysen Callery, Alvin Youngblood, Amun Ra, Amy Correia, Amy LaVere, Amy Rigby, Ana Egge, Anais Mitchell, Asylum Street Spankers, Atwater Donnelly, Averi, Avett Brothers, Aztec Two Step...

Susan Cowsill

Susan Cowsill, formerly of Newport, RI and now of the Big Easy, brought her hook-filled, pop-injected songs and voice to the Narrows Thursday night.

Susan is a terribly underappreciated talent who has no doubt benefited and been cursed by being one of the singing Cowsills, chart toppers in the 1960s with "Hair," "The Rain, The Park and Other Things," (performed at the concert) and "Indian Lake"--pretty darn good pop records, in your humble blogger's opinion. Later she was a member of an underappreciated group, "The Continental Drifters," which was one of the first groups to perform at the Narrows.

Now 50 years old, she seems dedicated to her art, despite the tough times she's endured (most lately, Hurricane Katrina and the death of siblings). Her voice remains strong--with more than a dash of world-weariness--and her songs, memorable.

Local heroes Louie Leeman and his band (below) did the opening honors.

Rediscovering Nick Lowe

To many people I'm sure, Nick Lowe's career began and ended with "Cruel To Be Kind," a hit single that provided some rock 'n' roll on the radio in the late disco era.

Your humble blogger discovered Nick Lowe with "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" earlier in his recording career. But like many, I lost touch after about 1980.

Still, he continued to write and record, and many of the fans attending Thursday night's show at the Narrows probably have most of those recordings.

It was him, his acoustic guitar, and his songs. One after the other as he did a retrospective of his career, which includes "What So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding" (Elvis Costello did a well known cover of the song), and "The Beast in Me," covered by Johnny Cash.

Former Commander Cody guitarist Bill Kirchen, now a longstanding collaborator with Nick Lowe, opened with a clever set, and sat in with Nick for a song.

If you missed the show, keep an eye on this space. We're sure to have Nick and Bill back next time they're available.

How Can We Wish You'd Go Away If You're Never Here?

It's been too many years since Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks have played the Narrows. Your humble blogger is a big fan, not only of "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away" and "I Scare Myself," but newer classics such as "First I Lost My Marbles, Then I Lost You," "Barstool Boogie," and "C'mon to My House."

As you might expect, your blogger is somewhat jaded when meeting famous musicians: Roger McGuinn, done that; Richie Havens, many times; Chris Hillman, interesting guy; Richie Furay, salt of the earth, etc. All very much an honor for yours truly, but, heck, they're just regular folks when you come right down to it.

A this point there are a few that leave me nearly speechless, and Dan Hicks is one of them (Jonathan Richman is another; and Ray Davies would be another, if he ever plays the Narrows).

Details on Dan's return here.

Hometown Hero

Cheryl Wheeler got to play a gig close to home Saturday night, performing before a hometown crowd that lined up around the corner from the Narrows' entrance waiting to get in.

Marc Cohn Returns in November

We had such a great time with Marc Cohn earlier this year, we've got him returning on November 21.

Visit ncfta.org for more.

Way Out

Prog jazz quartet Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey kicked of the weekend with an approach that had room for Lennon as well as Monk.

Narrows Alum Tom Russell on Letterman

One of the first artists ever to play the Narrows was Tom Russell. Not many folks showed up then, but we hope more will when he returns in June. One of the more interesting singer/songwriters you'll hear. Your humble blogger particularly enjoys his song "Everything's Gone Straight to Hell Since Sinatra Played Juarez."

Friday night he played David Letterman. See the performance here.

Grassy

A packed house on a rainy Saturday night welcomed new grass pioneers Peter Rowan (l) and Tony Rice to the Narrows.

Kicking off with Peter Rowan's "Panama Red" (made famous by The New Riders of the Purple Sage), the guys picked and grinned, told stories about the old days, and just generally delighted the crowd with playfulness mixed with musicianship.