SWIFT KICK TO THE SOLAR PLEXUS / DAVE SCHOOLS

White (Led) Boots

It would be an understatement to say that the wife and I don't get out much.

We're pretty fond of our two dogs, one cat, and responsibilities to our vegetable garden. After nearly 25 years on the road, a vacation to me is waking up somewhere familiar with coffee but a few steps away. A night out on the town is usually going to the local market to buy something swell to cook up for dinner.

The decision to go to Oakland to see the last performance of Jeff Beck's 2009 U.S. tour was a no-brainer, however. After all, Beck was flying high from his recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for his storied solo career. Add in the twin engines of his band being so damn tight and the venue being the newly renovated Fox Theater in Oakland, and we quickly decided the trip down from the country would be in our best interests for fast fun.

***

This past April, Jeff Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...for the second time in his career. Beck's first trip to the Hall was in 1988 for his stint in The Yardbirds.

Why should anyone care? I'll tell you why. It's because Jeff Beck is a master of the electric guitar and one of the few great innovators in rock and roll. Ask any guitarist or serious music appreciator who the best is, and Beck's name will likely be the answer. Don't believe me? Ask Clapton, King, or Vaughan. Or ask Christopher Guest, who modeled the gum-chewing Nigel "This goes to 11" Tufnell of Spinal Tap after Beck. That's enough to warrant entry into the Hall's hallowed space in my book.

No other guitarist has Beck's sonic palette and incredible range of expression. 10,000 hours logged mastering his craft aside, Beck has reinvented himself time and time again, framing his patented twang-bar Stratocaster sound with an assortment of musicians and musical styles that would make the likes of Frank Zappa or Miles Davis proud. "It's a form of illness really, isn't it," he said in a recent Gibson.com interview. "If you choose music there's no real limits to how far you can dig to better yourself and improve...it's a bottomless pit of inspiration."

Today's mainstream music industry lacks any real credibility, which is why it was so refreshing to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame get something right for change. Far too often innovative artists are overlooked for inclusion in award shows and the Hall of Fame to make room for the popularity contest winners and multi-platinum acts. With Madonna's induction last year, the Hall became a sad joke among my friends and peers, much like when the first Grammy award for "Best Heavy Metal Album" was given to Jethro Tull over the obviously deserving Metallica in 1989. It was one of those classic "what-the-fuck-were-they-thinking" moments and showed how far out of touch the industry had become. But Beck's induction was a case where all the egos were set aside to honor an innovator who has been around since the beginnings of modern rock. The look of pure joy on the face of Jimmy Page, Beck's childhood friend and former Yardbirds band mate, was contagious. There was one of rock's silver-haired elder statesmen inducting one of his close friends while practically jumping up and down and clapping his hands like an excited schoolgirl. Ever the gentleman, Beck graciously thanked Page and many of his peers in his brief acceptance speech, a humble genius who most likely would have preferred being at home working on one of his vintage hot rods.

Hit up YouTube and check out the version of "Beck's Bolero" from Beck's performance at the induction ceremony. In the middle of the tune, he stops, introduces Jimmy Page, and proceeds to rip into an instrumental jam of "The Immigrant Song" for a few moments before careening back into the end of "Bolero." Notice how Page, one of Beck's oldest schoolyard chums, never strays from the supportive rhythm guitar role, thereby allowing Beck to do what he does best: wring lead vocal sounds out of his signature white Stratocaster. Believe me, Beck was hitting high notes that Robert Plant hasn't been able to achieve since 1971.

Last summer while on tour, a friend of mine passed along a bootleg DVD of various Beck live performances that featured the entire set from Clapton's Crossroads Blues Festival in Chicago 2007. Beck's band - drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and keyboardist Jason Rebello along with the amazing young bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld - blew me away. Members of Panic who ventured up to the front lounge of the bus would stop in their tracks to share in the amazement Jimmy Herring and I enjoyed while repeatedly watching the DVD over and over again. The band was tight and it was very clear that Beck was happy and being pushed to new creative heights. He even let Wilkenfeld take a bass solo on his beautiful rendition of "Because We've Ended As Lovers." But the capstone of the show was the set ending performance of John Lennon's "A Day In The Life." I had seen him play this tune before, but this particular performance featured joy, sadness, and exuberance coupled with an utter mastery of the guitar and melody incarnate. Never allowing the melodic intent of the original version to give way to chops this performance was something for the ages.

Soon after I'd received the DVD, music industry blogger supreme Bob Lefsetz devoted one of his daily rants to the mastery of Jeff Beck. I wrote Bob an email about how we'd been enjoying Beck's Crossroads performance on the tour bus, which he published. Jimmy Herring began to integrate Beckisms into his arsenal onstage. Throughout last summer's tour, I'd hear a primal squonk from stage right and look over to see Herring laughing his ass off at my surprise as he'd slip a quote from one of Beck's tunes into one of his own improvised guitar solos. I made up my mind I'd catch Beck at the next opportunity.

***

The bell on my iPhone Inbox buzzed as we were preparing to leave for our first trip to the Fox Theater in Oakland. Lefsetz Letter of the Day has arrived, boasting a glowing tweet from Beck's show in L.A. the night before. Rod Stewart had apparently surprised Beck onstage (their first appearance together in over 25 years) for a sweet rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." The news only heightened our expectations for the show we were about to see.

We arrived at the Fox and were promptly met by Veronice, the ticket gal for Another Planet Entertainment who showed us inside the beautifully restored former movie palace. Allen from Another Planet gave us a walking tour, and we were duly impressed to say the least. More than $90 million went into the renovation of the theater, and I must say it looked to have been money well spent. The Oakland Fox is similar to its namesake Fox theaters in St. Louis and Atlanta but with one serious difference: the Oakland Fox is laid out in the great tradition of the most fan friendly music venues. Rather than fixed seating all the way to the stage, there is a general admission pit that holds 1,900 music lovers. Behind the pit area are tiers for standing room with some small cocktail tables and a massive bar. The balcony features seating for another 900. There's a smoking section, more bars, and a small café that serves food, which is open whether there's a show or not.

Upon arriving at the VIP area, it was clear the musos were coming out tonight in full force to see the master at work. A tequila-wielding Sammy Hagar greeted us with a wide smile. The drummer from the Chili Peppers arrived soon thereafter, followed by someone who I'm pretty sure was an incognito Joe Satriani. Not knowing that these guys were ¾ of the new band, Chickenfoot I amusedly thought to myself that we could make one helluva band. Sorry Michael Anthony...I just didn't know yet!

The Fox boasts a state-of-the-art line array sound system, which means that the sound in the back of the balcony is just as clean and loud as it is on the floor or in front of the stage. I have yet to see a more fan friendly venue as classy as Oakland's Fox Theater. And despite all of its glorious beauty, what shone brightest that night was the music that happened onstage.

Clad head to toe in white (including white felt boots with fringe), Jeff Beck took the stage and the band revved into "Beck's Bolero." All hands were raised when Vinnie Colaiuta began the infamous drum intro to "Led Boots," and by the time the song was in high gear, those same hands were unanimously performing the Wayne's World "we're not worthy" genuflection.

Jeff Beck's performance in Oakland was a staggering display of electric virtuosity without musical snobbery and overt academics. The band was tight, but loose enough to have a little fun. The humorous highlight of the evening was Wilkenfeld's bass solo which morphed into Beck's famous "Freeway Jam" (which has been noticeably absent from the setlist for nearly a decade) featuring her playing the melody in the upper register while Beck played the bass line in the lower register of her guitar at the same time. To me this is a sign of a master at work and having fun. Something also tells me that Wilkenfeld is having a good effect on Beck and loosening him up. This kind of behavior bodes well for a future studio recording (which I hear is in the works) with this band.

After finishing the show with a powerful rendition of "A Day In The Life," Beck took a victory lap performing "Where Were You" with Rebello providing an eerily stark keyboard accompaniment. The rest of the band returned and put the pedal to the metal with "A Scottish One" and a final twist of humor with "Peter Gunn." We exited the beautiful Fox Theater exhilarated by what we had just witnessed. Beck is truly a master and he seemed to be riding high, buoyed by the strength of his supporting cast. He roared through all of his gears with grace and humor while keeping melody in the pole position where it belongs: firmly in the hands of the master.

Dave Schools blames his strange obsession with Jeff Beck on finding a copy of the Yardbirds bootleg Golden Eggs in a mom ‘n' pop record store as a teenager. When not blogging for BLURT or playing bass for Widespread Panic in front of thousands of screaming fans, Dave likes to dance... tap dance.

[Photo Credit: SonomaMan]