December 7, 2024
Been So Long
Hot Tuna returns after nine years to Cumberland County, New Jersey with a show at the Levoy Theater
Hot Tuna may have retired its electric shows last year, but its current run of acoustic concerts, one of which landed in Millville, New Jersey on December 6, is a satisfying blend of guitar, bass and drums and a healthy selection of songs from its catalog.
There have been many incarnations of the band over the decades that have included keyboards, drummers, additional guitarists, and a mandolinist that have augmented the classic duo of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. This one seems perfect for 2024, with drummer Justin Guip allowing the duo to do what they do best while coloring and providing a backbeat rather than driving the performances.
And those performances, such as the second set in Millville, are sublime, with a jazz-tinged “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” an adventurous “Good Shepard, and a majestic “Water Song” as highlights. The standard mix of blues and originals which has defined the group for over five decades drew a faithful crowd looking to hear favorites and experience a few surprises along the way. Casady, dressed in a coat and scarf, complained at one point about freezing onstage, but the audience seemed to pay no mind to the wintry drafts that may have infiltrated the theater while the musicians worked their magic.
Epistrophe 
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