Kid Mud Played Hotel Utah Last Night

Last night, I got to see Kid Mud live for the first time as he opened for Tom McRae and Steve Reynolds at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco. With just an acoustic guitar and his sister Shannon adding harmonies, the songs may not have sounded quite the same as their recorded counterparts - which tend to mix live instruments and computer beats. Still, the songs sounded great. Such personal lyrics were well complimented by Kid's guitar strums and the intimate atmosphere of the venue. Kid Mud mastermind Sean Duncan commented on Tim Lincecum winning the National League Cy Young award and unfortunately the crowd did not seem aware of the significance. I realize that I left my boy hanging and should have yelled "Hell yeah" at this moment. Sorry, Sean.

Also significant about this show was getting to see London-based singer/songwriter Tom McRae. I first discovered Tom McRae in 2003 - when his album Just Like Blood was priced rather low at Rhino Records with an "As Heard on KCRW" sticker." I took a chance and picked it up and the rather melancholy album has been a favorite ever since. McRae distinguishes himself from your average coffee shop troubadour with his lush arrangements, intelligent lyrics, and confident-yet-self-deprecating humor.

McRae joked that while he's happy Obama won the presidency, he has been benefiting from the misery of the past 8 years. He then added that he will be retiring until 2016 when he returns after the election of Sarah Palin. N&UR does not profit from any Tom McRae sales, but his music is well worth checking out.

Kid Mud has two more shows scheduled for this year, where he will be playing with a full band. Kid Mud plays the Deva Cafe in Modesto on December 5, and the Echo Curio in LA on December 12. You can download Kid Mud's new EP Birds Will Move In at iTunes, Emusic, and Amazon.