Paul Kantner (Jefferson Starship) - 1/26/12

[clementc3]

I had the pleasure of seeing Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship play last night (1/26/12) at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco - a small (186 seats officially) room that usually features traditional jazz, not rock & roll.

Paul Kantner recently had back surgery so he played sitting down. He is quite a trouper as they are playing 6 shows over five nights in a row!

The rest of the band sounded great - David Freiberg's voice is still terrific, and Cathy Richardson is amazing. She portrayed Janis Joplin in the original Off Broadway cast of the hit show “Love, Janis” and I could see why. Chris Smith did a great Ray Manzarek-like job, simultaneously providing both the bass lines and the keyboard parts on two keyboards.

Paul Kantner brought five Rickenbackers, and played three of them (JG/BT, FG/BT and MG), all 360/12s with high-gain pickups and FWI. He had two red "racing stripes" on the bass side of his JG/BT (sorry for the poor cell phone photos):

Paul Kantner, Cathy Richardson, David Freiberg and Mark "Slick" Aguilar (Donny Baldwin hidden behind the cymbals)

Paul Kantner's 360/12 JG/BT on the floor during Slick Aguilar's solo

The show was definitely a trip back in time - "Somebody to Love", "White Rabbit", and "Volunteers" from the Jefferson Airplane, as well "Miracles", "Fast Buck Freddie". "Jane", and "Count on Me" by Jefferson Starship - and there was a good amount of white hair in the audience, but it was going back in time in a good way, back to core San Francisco rock & roll music.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

i liked that mapleglo with the electrical tape pin striping wrapped on it in the mid '70's way before van halen ever did !

[jps]

And Eddie would never admit to it, either, would he?

[Phil 1275]

Awesome! Paul is my fave electric 12 string player.

[jingle_jangle]

We're going tonight to the 9:30 show. It will be the Starship's 2000th show!

[Folkie]

I never thought of Paul Kantner as an electric 12-string player, but I learn new things evey day on this forum!

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

i remember seeing them in circus magazine back in the mid '70's when he was playing the mapleglo with the black tape stripes.

[tinman 1967]

I saw Paul join Jorma and Jack during a Hot Tuna show in Syr. NY back in the mid 80s, also saw him with the Airplane a few years later on thier "reunion" tour.. Love that stuff man! Good to see that he is still playing........ What ever became of Marty Balin?

[8mileshigher]

What ever became of Marty Balin?

Here's the offical site of Jefferson Airplane write-up on Marty: http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-band/marty-balin/

Here is Marty's own official site: http://martybalin.net/
Mentions he released an album in 2011 ....

[Happyface]

I moved to the "rural backwater" of Portland, Maine in 1995. In the next five years I got to see a wonderful selection of musicians in very small clubs up here.

Paul Kantner came twice. The first time, god knows why... poor publicity maybe, I stood about ten feet from Jack Casady who came up with Paul and played to an audience of about 12 people in a small room. My two JA heros in a small room.

Sometimes being in a backwater pays off.

Paul Kantner came back a few years later, sadly for me, without Jack, and played to a larger crowd in a slightly larger room. Another wonderful show.

I guess he got discouraged... he hasn't been back since. Who can blame him? But i am really grateful for having the chance to see such a wonderful musician and writer in a small room.

The last time i had seen them was in a park out in SF...

[idealassets]

Thanks for the post!

Craig