California Guitar Trio Concert - March 10, 2024

I don't get out as often as I used to.  Part of it is that I spent a large part of my young life tearing it up every night except Saturday.  Saturday is amateur hour.  Weekend drunks are getting their load on and claiming they are okay to drive.

Right.

Last night I went out to Natalie's Grandview - Music Hall and Kitchen to hear the California Guitar Trio (CGT) play, and I'm here to tell you there was no better place to be in the State of Ohio.

The show sold out about three minutes after the ticket site went live, but Big Mike managed to get us a table for four.  There was Big Mike, Lash, California Dave, and yours truly - Mad Jack.  I'm something of a Luddite, and so do not own a smart phone.  This excludes me from many activities (like sending naked pictures - never mind.  I see Glen Filthie turning a very odd shade of chartreuse), ah, activities, such as getting the menu on my phone instead of looking at a dead tree version.  I got there early enough to obtain one of only two dead tree menus available.

The food at Natalie's is good.  In the bar food category, I'd give it five stars. In the well off, over fifty, left wing foo-foo food category, I'd give it three and a half stars, mainly because there isn't enough weird food available. It isn't cheap, either. So we had drinks, pizza, and two orders of fries.  Nat makes their own fries, and they're excellent.

The service was five star. Our waitress was right on the ball all the time, and she did it right. If you wanted her, all you had to do was look in her direction and she'd come over.  She never pestered us - which some will do, coming over every five minutes and asking, "Is everything delicious?" I hate that phrase, and I hate being pestered or interrupted.  But, like I say, five stars, and California Dave matched the gratuity to the service.

Here's the evening in ten photos.

The Menu

The Stage Before the Show

Our table was right next to the stage, which under normal rock band circumstances would mean six months of tinnitus at best, partial deafness for thirty years at worst.  The CGT started as an acoustic band, and has kept the volume turned down. Decibels detract from quality, and the CGT is nothing but the highest quality.  Thanks to Big Mike, we had great seats.

Pizza!

The California Guitar Trio

Tom Griesgraber - Chapman Stick

The Chapman Stick, invented by Emmet Chapman around 1970.  Chapman wanted to play chords simultaneously with melody, and so started building an instrument to do so.  He eventually came up with the Stick, which has ten or twelve strings, and which was too complex for the inventor to play.  Other people could eventually play it - Tom Griesgraber being one such.

I note that anyone can play a Chapman Stick.  Being able to play it well enough so the neighbors don't accuse you of mistreating small furry animals is a real accomplishment.  Playing it professionally means you're a virtuoso. 

Bert Lams - Guitar

Paul Richards - Guitar

The Stage at Natalie's - A Full House!

This is a full house at Natalie's.  The place isn't that large, and there are no bad seats in the entire house.  The acoustics are something to write home about, being perfect.  This crowd is the over fifty with a few bucks in the bank set. They're successful, and in the past they may have been hippies that finished college a little twisted, but realized that peace, love, dove ain't gonna feed the bulldog.  So - weekend warriors.

Show's Over

Time to Go Home

Then they switched the lights off and on a few times, and we took the hint.  Out!!!