Apr
06
2005

Yucca - Where The Drinks Are Strong And Cheap

Marc Norman @ Yucca Tap

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - 09:53:24 am
(Posted Under: Travel, Arizona Trip, Music Music, Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene)
Last night was my introduction to Yucca Tap Room - "where the drinks are strong and cheap". A quote from Scotty Johnson, which certainly rings true. That was really a burbon and coke! Not like you'd get in a bar back home. Katie and I headed out to see Mark Norman, on intense suggestion from Denise on Sunday night seeing Larson. Yucca was certainly 'a ghost town on a Tuesday night'. We got their before Mark had shown up, and there was hardly anyone there. We took up a booth, and had a drink, which as above, was nice and strong.

Before long, Mark showed up, and we took up center stage - we really had to fight for those seats! [wink] One of the first few songs that Mark did, he said "I ripped off that Gin Blossoms song, Pieces Of The Night", and started singing Pieces, then his song to illistrate. That was obviously really cool.

It was quite a while into the show, that Katie leaned into me, and said 'Think The Eventuals'. Duh!. When Denise had gone on about seeing Marc Norman, I decided I wanted to go, to see the most I can in the way of Tempe musicians. I didn't even think, hello, Marc Norman sang for The Eventuals (Doug Hopkins first band after being booted from the Gin Blossoms). So that made seeing Mark even cooler.

Mark's voice was great. His guitar playing, well, but he has a great voice. The first set was really good, although I didn't know any of the songs. Once the set was over, it was straight out to the back of Yucca for a smoke. That's the one crap thing about Tempe, the smoking ban. On the way out, Denise ran into people she knew, one guy who particularly to me looked like Brent Babb (Dead Hot Workshop). We continued out the back, and Denise came out after a few, and gave the good news - Larson was there, and was going to join Mark on stage. Rock on, more Larson! When we headed insides, I did a scan of Yucca, to find Steve. Automatically I was looking out for the black cowboy hat - which is exactly how I noticed Steve, sitting up at the bar. Although it was actually a black cap, but was totally how I picked out Steve. It was quite entertaining Mark ragging Steve from the stage about being incognito, wearing a baseball cap rather than the cowboy hat. For anyone reading who doesn't know Steve, he's always wearing a black cowboy hat.

After Mark's first set, Steve came up to play the second set. Steve is just amazing, the sound of Yucca was so much fuller once Steve started belting out his songs. He did the usual country covers he does when he plays acoustic, as well as Colder and Joe's Goin' Fishin' off of his album Road Trip Songs. It was especially cool seeing Joe's Goin' Fishin'. It also seemed like Steve was going to break into Back In Black, playing the intro riff, however he only used it as an intro to another song.

During Steve's set, Katie told Denise about what I'd said Brannon (the guy who looked like Brent Babb - he owns Last Exit, another club in town), and Denise was so impressed, because she'd thought the same thing. She said to me that he looks even more Brent without his hat on, and went over to ask him to take his hat off for a demonstration. Good times.

After Steve, Mark did the last set. In there was "Don't Care" from Ten Tons which I picked up at Zia the other day. He also did his thing where he makes up a song from a word someone gives him. Last night it was 'Coleslaw'. Hilarious and a lot of fun.

All in all it was a fun night, and especially cool with the appearance of Steve for the second set. That happens at Yucca, you can never tell who's going to show up and just play.

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