It was probably a bit earlier than what the band is accustomed to for a start time but they answered the bell without any problems. Aside from Hicks performing vocals/acoustic guitar, there was a stand up bassist, a mandolin player/fiddler and two ladies on vocals and a host of different percussion instruments. Their music is described in Wikipedia as at the "intersection of cowboy folk, jazz, country, swing, bluegrass, pop, and gypsy music". Really. It's all over the place and a lot of fun to listen to, even when helicopters are flying overhead.
Dan Hicks and a couple of the Hot Licks
Dan Hicks is 70 now. He's obviously not as quick and nimble as he once was, but still not bad for someone who survived the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s and 70s as a member of The Charlatans. To be alive and touring after all of the "medication" that he likely partook in at that time is really saying something.
It was a fine day. And anytime it costs more to park the truck than to attend a concert, I view it as a perfectly good deal.
2 comments:
Glad you had a chace to see Dan. When I saw he was going to be playing the Vancouver Folk Festival, I wondered if he'd play somewhere else close by. A guy who worked at our local newspaper is/was a big fan, and he tried to do a phone interview with Dan a number of years ago that wasn't very successful. I hear Dan's in a much better mood these days. I consider him a national treasure.
Thanks for the comment, David. I've also heard that Hicks can be quite surly at times, especially when an audience member acts up and there's alcohol involved. Fortunately that wasn't the case when I saw him. He is indeed a treasure with a unique sound that I'll always be glad I was able to listen to live for an hour or so.
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