Date: March 12 2011 From: Skip Moore Subject: Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, "Kollege of Musical Knowledge" Program, San Rafael, CA To: hixlist Finding the Palm Ballroom, a new venue for me, was easy enough to find, as it's attached to the Seafood Peddler, a funky old restaurant whose bright blue neon sign radiates below a floodlit sailboat perched atop poles 40 feet high in the night sky of San Rafael. Once in the unusually crowded parking lot, all I had to do was follow the commotion and buzz. These assemblies have made me increasingly aware that, like most other Dan fans, I'm getting old. A lot of grey hair and glasses, with a kind of wide eyed anticipation of the show to come; just like me. Great folk; warm and enthusiastic about life. A large banner was strung across the red velvet curtain behind the low stage proclaiming "Kollege of Musical Knowledge" flanked by little dancing musical notes and some Hickesque characters drawn at each end. A mannequin stood on the corner of the stage with a graduation cap on and a mandolin slung around her neck. When we found seats, there were Diplomas on each chair certifying that we had "satisfactorily completed the prescribed course in Musical Knowledge..." and signed by Dan Hicks, Music Master. The show started right on time when Ray Bonneville took a chair. While Ray was new to me, his music wasn't, as I found it to be steeped in New Orleans' raw visceral sound. Ray played drums with his feet, played undulating melodies on his guitar and harmonica and sang with a voice that was part Spanish Moss and part gravel road, with some peach pie to sweeten it up. Yeah, I liked it. After a short set and a longer break, Dan Hicks, the School's Out Orchestra and the Whiz Kids Singers took the stage to enthusiastic applause. From the start Professor Hicks guided us through the evolution of American music, starting with the Blues, moving into Jazz, Country Swing, Rock and ending up in the Hicksville musical realm that we're all so familiar with. The six piece School's Out Orchestra was made up of Paul Smith on bass, Paul Robinson on guitar, Brian Cook on piano, Louis Aissen on flute/tenor, Brian Simpson on drums and of course The Tall One front and center. Along the left side were the Whiz Kids Singers, Daria, Roberta, Jimmy Dillon and Tim Eschliman. Throughout the performance, the collective sounds and individual solos of these talented musicians kept everyone enthralled as Dan guided them through varying styles and tempos. What more could a guy ask for on a Saturday night? I've posted what I could get of the setlist below. Thanks, Dan & band for another tremendous foray into the vast depths of your musical knowledge. The diploma's mounted on my board where it will continue to remind me of the gifts you've so generously shared with us. Skip Gotta Right to Sing the Blues Beedle-Um Bum Shiny Stockings Ol' Cowhand Smoke That Cigarette Sub Terrainian Homesick Blues I scare Myself Long Come a Viper Piano Has Been Drinkin' Love Me Like a Rock Encore: Four or Five Times