TONI BROWN HISTORY THROUGH JOURNALISM HOT TUNA CONCERT REVIEW - November, 1996 Hot Tuna Is No Turkey

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HOT TUNA CONCERT REVIEW - November, 1996
Hot Tuna Is No Turkey
By Toni A. Brown

It was the night before Thanksgiving, and Hot Tuna served up a delectable musical feast that would be remembered long after the next night's turkey dinner was over.

Opening act Head Soup warmed up the nearly sold-out crowd at the Keswick Theater in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.

Hot Tuna kicked in with an instantly strong set that was filled with intricate interplay and intense jamming. "Good Shepherd" got the crowd out of its seats and crammed up against the stage. The familiar song, originally done by Jefferson Airplane, was punctuated by some outstanding musical interaction-most notable was Pete Sears on keyboards. Nearly every song throughout the night was given new dimension by the mesmerizing jams. Jack Casady played the hell out of his bass, constantly delivering remarkable moments. Jorma Kaukonen was, in one word, superlative. Highlights of the first set included "Hesitation Blues," "Light Of This World," "Radical Sleep," "San Francisco Bay Blues" and Michael Falzarano's "AK-47."

Set two really took off by the third song-"Candyman," an all-time favorite. Second set highlights were "I See The Light," with Jorma providing dynamic vocals, "Know You Rider," "How Long Blues," an excellent "Parchman Farm" that broke into an intense jam with everyone gathered around drummer Harvey Sorgen, and an exquisite "Third Week At The Chelsea."

Jorma, Jack, Michael, Pete and Harvey form an engaging unit. If you haven't caught Hot Tuna recently, make every attempt to do so. They play with such conviction that they're sure to win you over. Their electric formula works! This acoustic Hot Tuna fan has seen the light-and it's running on electricity!

This article originally appeared in Relix Magazine, Volume 24 #1 (February, 1997).