Review by Junkman
Photos by Alan Kozlowski & David Jacks
I have been fortunate, over the years, to witness many of my favorite musicians perform in a live setting. Be it in a stadium or an intimate club, I enjoy most venues when it comes to concerts. Recently, I made my first trip to the Mint in Los Angeles, a very small but cozy club. I witnessed an outstanding performance from a group of players I had only seen in stadiums, and it was so refreshing to see them up close and personal.
The musicians that I speak of comprise three-quarters of the band formerly known as The Section, who have written, recorded and performed with the likes of Don Henley, Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, and many other artists that have recorded in Los Angeles over the last 40 years or so.
Led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, the band also features bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel, also members of The Section. They even released three LPs. Now teamed up with ace guitarist Waddy Wachtel, who has played with everyone from Warren Zevon to Keith Richards, and singer, songwriter, and guitarist Steve Postell, whose resume includes touring and recording with the likes of David Crosby, Jennifer Warnes, John Oates and, many others, the band has christened themselves as The Immediate Family. And from what I saw that evening, it truly was a brotherhood onstage.
Taking the stage to a warm applause, the band launched into Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” with Wachtel channeling his “Inner Warren” on vocals as well as playing his guitar identical to his recorded version of the song. Kortchmar then delivered a rousing take on “Honey Don’t Leave LA,” which he wrote and recorded with James Taylor. This was the formula for the evening: Playing songs that they wrote that became famous for many of the biggest voices in the business. “We’re a cover band, but we only cover ourselves,” explained a truly excited Kortchmar to the adoring crowd.
There were so many highlights throughout the evening. Kortchmar leading a rousing “Dirty Laundry,” a 1982 hit for Don Henley. Afterwards, he mentioned how nice it was to be able to now use the original chord changes. Zevon’s “High Maintenance Girlfriend” had all three guitarists trading licks, and Wachtel’s vocals almost making you think you were listening to the late Zevon. They were that spot-on. Steve Postell did an outstanding turn on vocals for the Don Henley hit “New York Minute” that had most of the crowd singing the chorus.
Singer Jackson Browne was in the audience and I watched him smile as the band played his hit song “Somebody’s Baby,” which he wrote with Kortchmar and recorded for the soundtrack of the film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in the early 1980s. Postell sang the song with conviction, and although it wasn’t as sweet as JB’s original, it was an outstanding take.
There were also a few new songs written by the band for an as-yet-to-be-recorded album that were performed. “Not Made That Way,” co-written by Kortchmar and former Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch, was very enjoyable, as was “Time To Come Clean,” which featured Postell on vocals and guitar h melding into a terrific dual lead guitar solo with Wachtel.
All the while, the incredible rhythm section of Sklar and Kunkel laid the foundation. As we musicians say, they were “right in the pocket” the entire evening. Not one broken string or drumstick was seen during the show. It was like being in a recording studio. Imagine that? True professionals who have played together for what seems like forever were a joy to see and hear. The fact that they really like each other and enjoy playing music together was evident from the get-go.
“When the record company picked THIS song to the single, we were aghast” explained Waddy Wachtel before the familiar groove of Zevon’s mega-hit “Werewolves Of London” was performed and closed the set. Wachtel’s searing slide guitar solo was perfectly executed. I laughed when he replaced the line in the song, “I’d like to meet his tailor” with “we’ve all been FIRED by James Taylor.” It was very clever and true to form.
The band briefly left the stage and returned to play “Divorced,” a new song that Kortchmar said is “something all five of us have done.” The song is hilarious and has a chorus that mentions, “Livin’ in the valley, dyin’ on the 405.” That subject matter is something VERY LA. I look forward to hearing the final product when it is recorded hopefully sometime this year. Ending the show with yet another Kortchmar and Don Henley collaboration, the hit “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” the crowd roared their approval, and the band members beamed as they thanked everyone for coming.
It was truly a wonderful evening seeing masters of their craft performing with such joy. Each member of this band has something to say, and have been successful in doing so for years. In a town known for people resting on their laurels after hitting it big years before, it is so refreshing to know that there are people like the members of The Immediate Family who are still pushing the limits of their talents and re-inventing themselves with new material for us to enjoy in an age when many have just simply given up. After a tour of Japan, the band will regroup, record, and hit the road this summer in various incarnations. My thanks to those who made this evening possible.
