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August 26, 2006

Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez @ McCabe's: August 20, 2006

Some shows you just know are going to be good, and then they surpass your expectations. Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez's show at McCabe's in Santa Monica Sunday night was one of those shows. Their debut performance at the quaint guitar shop, Carrie opened the show which started shortly after 7pm. The fiddle virtuoso played a series of songs from her debut solo CD Seven Angels on a Bicycle, some, but not all, of which featured her considerable skills with a fiddle. Carrie's sultry yet sassy voice worked well with uptempo numbers like "Never Gonna Be Your Bride," and "'50s French Movie" (which, written by Chip Taylor, I personally believe rivals Jedd Hughes' "Damn, You Feel Good" as the sexiest song ever), but also seemed to melt in ballads like the title track from her CD.

After a short break, Carrie returned to the stage...this time with Chip Taylor in tow. She provided backing vocals for most of his songs, as well as singing a few tunes from each of their three duets albums. In addition to performing several songs from his new album Unglorious Hallelulujah (highlights included "Thursday Night Las Vegas Airport," "This Old Town," "I Don't Believe in That", and a ton more that I'm forgetting), Chip also did an awesome version of "Big River" (noting that one of his prized possessions was a hand-written note from Johnny Cash to Chip, saying how much he liked Chip's version of it). To wrap up the show, Chip performed the songs that he's arguably most famous for writing: "Angel of the Morning," and "Wild Thing."

(Chip relayed a story that he'd recorded "Wild Thing" in-studio shortly after writing it, out of fear that he'd forget. Following the recording session, he came home and asked his brother Jon (Voight, yes, that Jon Voight) if he'd like to hear his new song. Reluctantly, Jon said "Okay," then fell on the floor after hearing it. "That's the best thing you've ever written," Jon told Chip. It's one of those moments that I like to think about...the very first time a legendary song like that was heard by any sort of audience.)

Chip just by himself would have been a delight, but imagine him, plus Carrie, plus the guitar work of John Platania...Magic's the only word to describe that kind of evening.

Posted by darlin at August 26, 2006 12:19 AM