Wow!!

Just got home from seeing Mutual Admiration Society at the Birchmere in Alexandria. John Paul Jones is playing base for them. Wow!! One of my favorite musicians - he's still kickin' major ass on bass and mandolin. Have a look!

Mutual Admiration Society is a collaboration between singer Glen Phillips (from '90s band Toad The Wet Sprocket) and the modern bluegrass trio Nickel Creek. They invited John Paul Jones to join their 2004 summer tour. The show was a mixture of songs from their new CD and Nickel Creek's older stuff, with a few surprises thrown in. Jones spent most of the night playing bass behind the 4 leads. He did play mandolin on a version of "Going To California" it was an instrumental, featuring only Jones and guitarist Sean Watkins. Jones also sang harmony vocals behind Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins on a funny song called "Anthony". Now, for my small gripe - I hate fake encores. If you're not done playing, stay on stage. Don't leave, milk the crowd for applause, and come back out like it was spontaneous. We knew you were coming back - the lights didn't come back on. Anyway, they came out and played "Gallows Pole" and kicked major butt. The mandolin player, Chris Thile, is awesome, but looked a bit goofy trying to act like a "rock-star". Tonight is the last show of the tour - you missed something really cool.