The hot band on tour right now is Hot Tuna! Yep, Jorma and Jack are back on the road and to kick off their road trip Fur Peace Ranch has release live footage extracted from 2 nights of concerts at the Beacon Theater in NYC on December 3&4, 2010. I don't know how many of you have seen Jorma and Hot Tuna live but I have had the pleasure many times over a number of years. The recording begins with I See The Light featuring Jorma on his J190 and Jack joined by Barry Mitterhoff on an 8 string Danelectro guitar with lipstick pickups and Skoota Warner on drums. The band is joined on stage by John Hammond for a cool version of I Can Tell with Hammond on 335 and Jorma pushing his trademark solos through a goldtop. Then the tension starts to build with Warren Haynes on 335, Bill Kirchen on Tele, Larry Campbell on fiddle and Mitterhoff changes over to an electric mandolin. Kirchen has been separated from his old tele (probably retired) but the new one can talk just fine. If you've never seen Tuna with Mitterhoff, man can play the mandolin and doesn't restrict his playing to traditional mandolin formatting but uses it often as a mini guitar creating an interesting sound. In this case he's playing a 4 string which could be a tenor electric guitar. Very cool. Haynes rips off a pretty nice solo on the 335 and these guys seem to have been playing together forever. Jorma steps in with the Goldtop and his distinctive sound and with Campbell playing great violin riffs you could close your eyes and swear you were hearing Tuna in the 70's.
For Water Song the crew is joined by Byron House on upright electric bass played both plucked and bowed. Mitterhoff switched over to an acoustic f -style and Jorma pulls out a beautiful maple capped hollow body electric with a particularly light acoustical sound. On Bowlegged Woman/Knock Kneed Man Casady opens the song with a a nice solid bass riff. This track has a particularly nice funky swamp funk enforced by Oteil Burbridge on Fodera 6 string bass. Mittenhoff again playing an unconventional electro mando like instrument with 5 strings rippin some pretty cool solos. Burbridge gets the spotlight playing some interesting jazz chord and lead jazz bass lines. You can see Jorma just groovin to what's being layed down. Bob Wier joins mid song and dons a 335. The band continues the groove for quite some time building the tension but without anyone stepping on top of anyone else. Jorma pulls the reins back in with a crisp solo and a refrain of the chorus. Wier takes lead vocals on a cool version of Walking Blues. Both Wier and Jorma take turns on lead guitar and Mittenhoff as well on the 4 stringer. Steve Earle joins the band for Hometown Blues which the band plays in a rag style. Earle plays a black electrified acoustic Martin. Jorma keeps the band in the rag style groove with 99 Year Blues. I particularly like Jorma's vocals on this track. He's always strong but this track is right on. Mittenhoff is back on the F style and rips a few solos. Casady gets a chance to step up for some melodic bass lines which is always a pleasure. The band takes it to the funk a little and Burbridge and Casady trade lead lines.
The show is concluded with Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do. The entire force is onstage for a giant jam. This is a great conclusion for a great bunch of musicians. The attendee's certainly got their money's worth over this two night concert.Again Hot Tuna is on the road. Check the concert schedule below to see if they are coming to your town:
| 06/21/12 | State Theatre Ithaca, NY | Electric Hot Tuna | also Steve Kimock | |
| 06/22/12 | Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ | Electric Hot Tuna | also Steve Kimock | |
| 06/23/12 | The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ | Electric Hot Tuna | With a brief appearance by Bob Steeler. Also Steve Kimock Tickets | |
| 06/25/12 | The National Richmond, VA | Electric Hot Tuna | also Steve Kimock | |
| 06/26/12 | Grand Opera House Wilmington, DE | Electric Hot Tuna | With Bob Steeler on drums. Also Steve Kimock | |
| 06/28/12 | Sherman Theater Stroudsburg, PA | Electric Hot Tuna | also Steve Kimock Tickets | |
| 06/29/12 | Theatre at Westbury Westbury, NY | Electric Hot Tuna | also Steve Kimock | |
| 06/30/12 | Venetian Theater, Caramoor Festival Katonah, NY | Acoustic Hot Tuna | also David Bromberg | |
| 07/01/12 | The Bull Run Concert Series Shirley, MA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | two shows: 3pm & 7pm | |
| 07/05/12 | Westbrook Performing Arts Center Westbrook, ME | Acoustic Hot Tuna | also Darol Anger Tickets | |
| 07/06/12 | The Flying Monkey Plymouth, NH | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/07/12 | The Theater at Newburyport High School Newburyport, MA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/09/12 | The Arts Center Carrboro, NC | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/10/12 | Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/11/12 | Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Asheville, NC | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/13/12 | Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/14/12 | Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Tampa, FL | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/17/12 | One World Theatre Austin, TX | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/18/12 | Kessler Theater Dallas, TX | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/20/12 | Oriental Theatre Denver, CO | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/21/12 | Third Street Performing Arts Center Carbondale, CO | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/22/12 | Sheridan Opera House Telluride, CO | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/25/12 | Mesa Arts Center Mesa, AZ | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 07/26/12 | Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff, AZ | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/27/12 | Anthology San Diego, CA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/28/12 | Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, CA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | Tickets | |
| 07/30/12 | Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | SOLD OUT | |
| 07/31/12 | Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA | Acoustic Hot Tuna | SOLD OUT | |
| 08/02/12 | Tower Theatre Bend, OR | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 08/03/12 | Aladdin Theater Portland, OR | Acoustic Hot Tuna | ||
| 08/04/12 | Mount Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival Deming Log Show Fairgrounds, Bellingham, WA | Electric Hot Tuna | ||
| 08/11/12 | Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH | Acoustic Hot Tuna | SOLD OUT. Jack & Jorma. Also The Persuasions. | |
| 09/01/12 | Dark Star Jubilee Legend Valley, Thornville, OH | Jorma Kaukonen | 3pm | |
| 09/13/12 | Stage One Fairfield, CT | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 09/14/12 | The Colonial Theatre Phoenixville, PA | Jorma Kaukonen | also Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 09/15/12 | The Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/04/12 | The Birchmere Alexandria, VA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/05/12 | Rams Head On Stage Annapolis, MD | Jorma Kaukonen | also Peter Mulvey | |
| 10/06/12 | Kirk Avenue Music Hall Roanoke, VA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/07/12 | Natasha's Bistro & Bar Lexington, KY | Jorma Kaukonen | CORRECT DATE | |
| 10/11/12 | Infinity Hall Norfolk, CT | Jorma Kaukonen | CORRECT DATE | |
| 10/12/12 | Earlville Opera House Earlville, NY | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/13/12 | Narrows Center for the Arts Fall River, MA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/14/12 | YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts Bay Shore, NY | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/18/12 | Brewery Arts Center Carson City, NV | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/19/12 | Napa Valley Opera House Napa, CA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 10/20/12 | Swedish American Hall at Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA | Jorma Kaukonen | Two shows: 7pm & 10pm | |
| 10/21/12 | The Big Room at The Sierra Nevada Chico, CA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 11/01/12* | Dakota Jazz Club Restaurant Minneapolis, MN | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 11/02/12* | The Redstone Room Davenport, IA | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 11/03/12 | Stoughton Opera House Stoughton, WI | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 11/10/12 | Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH | Electric Hot Tuna | with Bill Kirchen. SOLD OUT! | |
| 11/15/12* | Bell's Eccentric Cafe Back Room Kalamazoo, MI | Jorma Kaukonen | also Steve Kimock | |
| 11/16/12* | City Winery Chicago, IL | Jorma Kaukonen | also Steve Kimock | |
| 11/17/12* | City Winery Chicago, IL | Jorma Kaukonen | also Steve Kimock | |
| 11/18/12* | 20th Century Theatre Cincinnati, OH | Jorma Kaukonen | also Steve Kimock | |
| 12/13/12 | Zappa Jerusalem, Israel | Jorma Kaukonen | ||
| 12/15/12 | Zappa Tel Aviv, Israel | Jorma Kaukonen |
The special features on the DVD include a photo gallery, the presentation of a Les Paul shaped birthday cake to Jorma and a brief discussion with Jorma and jack about Tuna's most recent release.
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This appears to be a bootlegged video of the concert...not actual footage from the DVD but of the actual performance:
Please check the link to get a licensed copy of this concert with much better video and audio quality.
