Little Feat at the Folk Fest

After a number of years of thinking about it, I finally got to the Philadelphia Folk Fest last weekend. It's a Thursday-Sunday event, and I was able to get there for the day Saturday. I'll write more about the whole folk fest experience, but for now I'll just write about Little Feat's set.

I've been a big Feat fan since I discovered them in the post-college years. Their live CD "Waiting for Columbus" is a classic, and widely considered one of the best live albums ever. I remember one weekend road trip when I put it on and turned it up, and the usual banter in the car stopped and we just listened - they put down an understated funky groove that's unique.

For many people, Little Feat died with founder Lowell George in the late 70's - and I have to say that I'd only thought of them and put them on very occasionally until just recently. But they came back on my radar when I saw a blog post of someone who saw them live recently and raved about it. Then when I saw they were headlining the folk fest, I decided I needed to see them.

I had a great time at the fest and saw a ton of good music, and Little Feat blew me away from the first note. They opened with "Spanish Moon", my favorite song from "Waiting for Columbus." They're a six-piece band: two front-men who play guitar (Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett (in the Lowell George spot)), keyboards, bass, drums, and percussion.

They mixed in new songs with the old songs - and the new songs didn't make the show lose momentum. The classics were certainly recognizable, but they were updated - they weren't note-for-note reproductions of the mid-70's arrangements.

Three of the classics provided departure points for some extended jamming - Dixie Chicken, Willin', and Fat Man in the Bathtub. Extended jamming often strikes me as boring and self-indulgent - but their jams were *treats*. They wove lead lines in and out, and the result was mesmerizing. I didn't want it to end.

Fred Tackett especially impressed me. Depending on the song, he might be playing lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, or mandolin - and he stood out on them all. Oh, he also played a slow trumpet introduction to "Dixie Chicken" that brought down the house.

"Fat Man in the Bathtub" ended their 70-minute set, and the crowd *screamed* for more. But the night was tightly scheduled, and there was one more performer, and more wasn't possible.

What makes some jamming mesmerizing while other jamming is tedious? I can't explain it - but I know it when I hear it, and Little Feat has the goods. They're not flashy, but they're tight as hell and they have a sound and a groove all their own. It was a pleasure and a treat to see them, and I will see them again at the next possible opportunity.