The great San Diego outdoor venue has announced its full summer 2017 lineup, with some returning favorites and a couple vintage surprises.
The highlights include the following shows.
Sunday, April 23 An Evening with David Crosby & Friends – The rumors of a CSNY reunion swirl and dissipate almost daily. With Nash now stating his relationship with Crosby is ruptured, arguably the strongest relationship among the quartet, it seems impossible we will hear the four way harmonies live onstage again. Crosby has somewhat improbably released a great new album, so this evening with his friends should be a winner. Undoubtedly, he will look fondly across the bay at the many sailboats, wistfully recalling his more carefree days at sea.
Tuesday, June 6 Sheryl Crow – Be Myself Tour – With strong new album under belt, Crow is enjoying a return to form. Her mid 90s albums remain almost ageless, and after a fairly unsuccessful foray in pursuing a country-inflected album, Crow has eschewed genres with solid results. Special Guests Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real are an added bonus, Willie’s boys are the real deal.
Sunday, June 11 Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band – this is a clever move, pairing a legacy artist with a younger road warrior. Mahal got his start gigging with the likes of the otherwise unknown Ry Cooder in Santa Monica. Keb’ Mo’ never disappoints onstage.
Monday, July 17 Chris Isaak – And speaking of never disappointing in concert, the former boxer from Stockton will again grace the stage at Humphrey’s. His between song patter is generally unmatched, and the agility of his band is remarkable. Good timing too, as the new version of Twin Peaks will soon be back; Isaak’s work with David Lynch is memorable.
Wednesday, August 23 Bryan Ferry – the former lead singer of Roxy Music is notable for his suave and elegant persona, rather at odds with his rustic farm boy upbringing in the north if England. He will undoubtedly dip into his former band’s masterwork Avalon and a deep catalog of solo material. The latter includes a balance of original songs and well-chosen covers. Opening will be another Brit, the ever-intriguing Judith Owen. A transplant from Wales, she once filled in for an ailing Ferry. She will be supported by a handful of musicians, including the estimable Leland Sklar on bass.
Louis Armstrong watching Stephen Stills, May 2014 (photo by Brad Auerbach)
Wednesday, September 6 Stephen Stills & Judy Collins – Since it is unlikely that CSNY will be part of Oldchella Part 2 in October (but hope springs eternal), here is the second chance to catch another quarter of the supergroup at Humphrey’s. The clever pairing of Stills and former girlfriend Collins revolves around the fact that the former’s second most popular song was written about her, so expect an interesting rendition of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” Stills might do a reworked version of his most popular song “For What It’s Worth.” Without a doubt, however, Collins’ voice of honey will soften the rasp of his sadly shredded vocal cords. Nonetheless, as of the last time I saw Stills, his guitar playing remains sterling.
Steve Winwood (photo by Brad Auerbach)
Steve Winwood (photo by Brad Auerbach)
Thursday, September 14 Steve Winwood – The British multi-instrumentalist is a a brilliant musician. Before I had seen him onstage, I merely thought his prowess was limited to the B-3 organ. But when he strapped on a guitar I knew I was mistaken. Having seen him several times since, whenever I can, he remains a solid performer. He has a deep catalog of songs from which to draw, often revolving around his early groundbreaking work with Traffic and his chart-busting success from the 80s.
See here for the full Humphrey’s lineup and tickets.
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