# the Fall Risk and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel co-headline at Great American Music Hall, August 16, 2014

[Slim's](http://www.slimspresents.com/events/2014-08-16/stu-allen-and-mars-hotel-the-fall-risk/) presents [Stu Allen & Mars Hotel](http://www.stuallen.net/),  
co-headlining with [the Fall Risk](http://thefallrisk.com/)  
2014-08-16  
[Great American Music Hall](http://www.gamh.com/)  
[859 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=859+O'Farrell+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA&hl=en)  
9:00 PM, Saturday, August 16, 2014

[[2014-08-14|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Up to the 2014 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2014#August_events|Up to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-08-20|On to the next event!]]


## Set One - the Fall Risk

[9:01 PM lights down, announcements]

01. [9:02 PM] Ode
02. [9:08 PM] Cross My Heart
03. [9:13 PM] LeClaire
04. [9:17 PM] Dead Flowers
05. [9:24 PM] Cry Baby Cry  
(Jeff breaks a string? didn't try to note the about the first carefully until the 2nd happened)
06. [9:28 PM] Angeline
07. [9:35 PM] Wanderlust  
(Jeff breaks a second string, switches to the electro-acoustic for one tune)
08. [9:41 PM] Hollow ě
09. [9:49 PM] Highway to Hell
10. [9:54 PM] Lemonade
11. [10:10 PM] Space Truckin'
12. [10:18 PM] I Want You  
[set ends 10:25 PM]

## Set Two - Stu Allen & Mars Hotel

[10:52 PM lights down, announcements]

01. [10:55 PM] Let the Good Times Roll
02. [11:00 PM] Playin' in the Band (MC) >>
03. [11:10 PM] Eyes of the  World >>
04. [11:25 PM] Stronger Than Dirt
05. [11:35 PM] St. Stephen >>
06. [11:45 PM] the Eleven >>
07. [11:54 PM] the Wheel >>
08. [12:01 AM] Playin' reprise (MC)
09. [12:04 AM] Wharf Rat >>
10. [12:16 AM] Sugar Magnolia (MC)  
[set ends 12:24 AM]  
   
**Encore**
10. [12:26 AM] Brokedown Palace  
[show ends 12:32 AM]


## Performers

### Stu Allen & Mars Hotel

[Stu Allen & Mars Hotel](http://www.stuallen.net/)

* [Stu Allen](http://www.stuallen.net/): guitar, vox;
* Matt Cohen: guitar, lead and harmony vox;
* Jordan Feinstein: keyboards, harmony vox;
* Pete Lavezzoli: drums;
* Robin Sylvester: bass.


### the Fall Risk

[the Fall Risk](http://thefallrisk.com/)

* Mark Abbott: drums;
* James DePrato: guitar, harmony vox;
* [Mike Emerson](http://mikeemersonmusic.com/): keyboards;
* Rich Goldstein: guitars, slide guitar;
* [Jeff Pehrson](https://www.facebook.com/jeff.pehrson.77): ě electro-acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vox;
* [Mike Sugar](http://mikesugarmusic.com/): bass, harmony vox.


## Notes

Strong showing from both bands tonight! The Fall Risk ripped briskly through their co-headlining set, leaning mostly on established favorites, but with a few tweaks to adjust for the absence of Matt Twain (on vacation in England, the lucky dog). _Highway to Hell_ was an interesting addition to the set. They rearranged it into a somewhat less head-banging version than the AC/DC original, a change that worked for me, since I could rock hard on the memory in my head while grooving on the differences ofthis rendition. The following tune, _Lemonade_, was stretched out, like usual, via a sequence of solo showcase segments, particularly emphasizing Mike Emerson's prowess this time around. As an aside, I should add that Mike's contributions throughout the set were tasty and effective -- at no time did I feel like he was lost or otherwise unprepared for the task of filling in for Matt. I guess that makes him a pro, no? Closing the set with _Space Truckin'_ and _I Want You/She's So Heavy_ was great, if not particularly novel anymore. Got me thinking that it would be cool to see if they might add _Hey Bulldog_ or another semi-obscure Beatles tune to the cover repertoire.

Break was altogether too short for socializing -- even with a less-than-full house, and I offer apologies to those folks I didn't get to visit properly with -- maybe next time!

Stu opened his set with the exhortation to _Let the Good Times Roll_ -- always a good thought! -- and then dove off the deep end, seeking cosmic mystery in classics of the Grateful Dead repertoire. _Playin_ got *way* out there, eventually falling apart into a chaotic, clanging mess before coalescing into a fine romp through a mid-70's based version of _Eyes_, followed by an intense reinterpretation of _Stronger Than Dirt_ Yippee!! *Great stuff*

So was I happy to recognize the opening lick of _St. Stephen_? Oh yeah, but then, in some ways, I'm very easily pleased! _Stephen_ segued properly down the jingle bell rainbow into a thoroughly psychedelic _Eleven_, and the crowd danced along ecstatically. More peaking! Whatever reservations I had about paying to see Stu were blown apart by this point in tonight's set. I love this music, and hearing Stu and his band of merry men play it is a joy that I would not easily forsake.

Encoring with _Brokedown_ was a nice way to wind things down and send us spiralling gently back into the more mundane places of the universe. In our case, this meant skipping past friends assembled on the sidewalk for hugs and goodbyes towards a predetermined appointment at the deli counter of ?Majid's? Market across the street for the siren song of the deviled egg is a temptation too tasty to resist!

{{tag>music Stu_Allen_&_Mars_Hotel the_Fall_Risk Great_American_Music_Hall Stu_Allen Matt_Cohen Jordan_Feinstein Pete_Lavezzoli Robin_Sylvester Mark_Abbott James_DePrato Rich_Goldstein Jeff_Pehrson Mike_Sugar Mike_Emerson}}

[[2014-08-14|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Up to the 2014 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2014#August_events|Up to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-08-20|On to the next event!]]