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Singer-songwriter J.J. Cale made a rare club appearance at the Sweetwater Saloon in Mill Valley. The Oklahoma-born musician, best known for penning such songs as "After Midnight," "Cocaine" and "Call Me the Breeze," boasts a signature guitar style and distinctive singing voice that almost defines "cool." His reserved, understated stage presence belies a keen lyrical sense that has turned many a stunning phrase.
The club quickly filled up with fortunate fans (tickets had sold out in 10 minutes) after the late-opening doors were finally thrown open. All the tables and seats at the bar were taken immediately, leaving the rest of the crowd to jockey for standing room. Although it was crowded, it didn't appear to be oversold, and fans were in high spirits as show time approached.
J.J. took the stage at 9:30 with his acoustic guitar, sitting down in a folding chair. From the first distinctive notes there was no doubt who was performing. He ran through about 12-15 songs, including the favorites mentioned above, mixing slow blues with up-tempo tales of adventure and heartache. Particularly well-received was his version of "Travelin' Light," covered by Eric Clapton (who else) on his latest release Reptile:
"Travelin' light is the only way to fly.
Travelin' light, just you and I.
We can go to paradise,
Maybe once, maybe twice.
Travelin' light is the only way to fly."
After an hour-long set, J.J. took a bow and then returned for a 20-minute encore. An added treat was an appearance by Christine Lakeland to sing vocals on several songs. (Lakeland appears on the J.J. Cale Live CD, 2001.) By the end of the show they were both standing and belting out the numbers, with J.J. leading the crowd in a hand-clappin', foot-stompin' finale. It was over all too quickly, and as the crowd filed out into the cool night air, a passerby would have been forgiven for mistaking it for a church letting out. After all, for many fans, it was.
John Waldman
JamBase | San Francisco
Go see live music!
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