Concert review: Tab Benoit and JD Simo showcase guitar histrionics at The Coach House

Who: Tab Benoit, JD Simo

Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA

When: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022

Next: Benoit and Simo perform at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Sept. 4; they perform together at Felton Music Hall in Felton, CA on Sept. 5; and at The Sofia in Sacramento, CA on Sept. 6

Information: tabbenoit.com and https://simo.fm

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photography by Bob Steshetz

Tab Benoit performing at The Coach House.

Based on how early the capacity crowd filled The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday night (Sept. 1, 2022), the world still loves a great guitar hero. The good news for concertgoers who came to the legendary venue last night was they got to see two guitar masters on the same bill.

Tab Benoit, on left, performing at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Grammy-nominated headliner Tab Benoit and opener JD Simo each brought a wealth of talent to the stage, with the Houma, Louisiana-born Benoit and Nashville-based Simo both having the benefit of being armed with winning lead voices along with their respective roles as guitar greats (they also each happened to be backed by a tight two-man rhythm section).

Tab Benoit at The Coach House.

Benoit's 100-minute set flew by thanks to his arresting personality and a slew of great swamp and Southern-flavored electric blues played with unbridled power. Opening with the infectious and driving "Why Are People Like That?" from his 2006 album Brother To The Blues. Benoit's fiery and sharp guitar work elevated the uptempo blues rocker.

Among this writer's favorite offerings were his cover of Buddy Miller's "Shelter Me," a fully reworked Delta take on the Buffalo Springfield classic "For What It's Worth," Cajun rocker "We Make A Good Gumbo" and the playful "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It," the latter showcasing Benoit's soulful lead vocals.

Tab Benoit, far left, brought guitarist JD Simo to the stage for his encore.

Benoit and his band played the roaring "Night Train" as an encore, with Simo joining the trio on stage and unleashing some stylish slide guitar work early in the 10-minute cut. Benoit unleashed his lead guitar work as well, helping propel the Southern rocker to a dramatic close.

JD Simo, on the far left, performing with his band at The Coach House.

Simo brought a more experimental approach to the night, with his far-flung work bridging several styles of blues and rock to a 30-minute set.

JD Simo at The Coach House on Sept. 1, 2022.

His selections ranged from the beautiful "One Of These Days" — with Simo's falsetto vocals recalling the late Curtis Mayfield — to the decidedly experimental "That's When You Know When You're Down" influenced by Captain Beefheart, and the set-ending heavy rocker "Know It All" (the latter from his latest album Mind Control) serving as a platform for Simo's incredible lead guitar dynamics.

JD Simo, GA-20 bring authentic blues-rock to the Coach House

From left: JD Simo, Adam Abrashoff and
Michael Zimmerman at The
Coach House on Nov. 11, 2021.

Who: JD Simo, GA-20

Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA

When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021

Next: JD Simo and GA-20 are in the midst of an extended tour together extending through January 2022. The artists' next show is at the Soda Bar in San Diego on Nov. 14. Learn more HERE or HERE.

Two terrific trios were showcased at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday night. Headliner JD Simo and opener GA-20 are part of a growing field of acclaimed young artists mastering classic blues-rock sounds while bringing their own creative instincts into the mix. That fusion of past and present forces was certified in spades throughout the night.

GA-20, from left: guitarist Matthew Stubbs, drummer
Tim Carman and singer-guitarist Pat Faherty.

Boston-spawned GA-20 kicked off the concert with a rousing 65-minute set of hard-hitting selections that recalled the power and fury of some of the blues genre's greats to emerge in the late 1950s and early '60s — Buddy Guy, Earl Hooker and Junior Wells immediately come to mind. Singer-guitarist Pat Faherty, guitarist Matthew Stubbs and drummer Tim Carman were on fire from the moment they took the stage, conjuring up an intoxicating sound that is rooted in the past but firmly connects in the here and now courtesy of a signature edge.

From left, GA-20's Matthew Stubbs and Pat Faherty.

Faherty and Stubbs are both stylish guitar players able to deliver enticing lead solos,  while Carman is a solid drummer able to keep the one man rhythm section moving with grace and power. In addition to his top-tier vocals, Faherty often using a slide to enhance the sonic fireworks (he did that in the speedy opener "No No"). 

GA-50 drummer Tim Carman.

There were plenty of other wonderful moments early in the trio's set, including the 1950s rock and roll mining "Just Because," pretty Texas-flavored "Dry Run" and fiery "Give Me Back My Wig" (the latter off the threesome's latest album Try It...You Might Like It: GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor).

GA-20's Matthew Stubbs, left,
 and Pat Faherty in San Juan Capistrano.

Late set standouts included the slow blues nugget "Happy Today," raucous "Hold It One Time," aptly-titled "Let's Get Funky" and catchy "Double Gotten' My Love." 

From left, drummer Adam Abrashoff, singer-guitarist JD Simo and bassist Michael Zimmerman locked in at The Coach House on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021.

Backed by Adam Abrashoff (drums) and Michael Zimmerman (bass), JD Simo impressed throughout his 80-minute outing. Simo arrived in Orange County on the heels of the release of his new album Mind Control (released Nov. 5 via Crows Feet Records), an ambitious project developed during the COVID-19 pandemic when the three musicians would gather one day a week to record new tracks.

JD Sumo at The Coach House.

Compelling material from Mind Control was showcased along with earlier material from his winning discography during a 75-minute performance. "Go Away Satan" was an early highlight blending trance blues and heavy blues rock where Simo's yearning vocals were delivered against a particularly hypnotic marching drum beat. Simo's guitar work ranged from quiet and nuanced to Hendrix-mining dramatics.

JD Sumo at The Coach House.

Following was "One Of Those Days" off his 2020 album JD Simo (which the artist noted was a tribute to the late Curtis Mayfield); the wistful cut found Simo using his high-reaching falsetto to deliver some beautiful soul-filled vocals while his gentle guitar work matched the song's artistic tone.

JD Sumo at The Coach House.

Later in the set the trio tackled "That's When You Know You're Down," where Simo's vocals reached low and the two members of the rhythm section stretched their reach on a Captain Beefheart-inspired sortie. 

Bassist Michael Zimmerman.

Simo's set allowed him to explore the far-flung reaches of his style, including Chicago blues, soul, blues rock and more. "Let Go" - another cut from Mind Control - found Simo tearing it up with his slide guitar work and potent lead vocals.

Drummer Adam Abrashoff.

Simo ended the night with a true one-two punch, the '60s blue rock "Know It All" featuring the guitar great impressing with some of his most breathtaking guitar work of the night. "Higher Plane" fused all sorts of musical styles across its 20-minute run including a heavy Jimi Hendrix-like opening section, astonishing slide guitar work, a drum solo, jazzy section and plethora of dynamics to please the crowd.

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photography by Bob Steshetz

Sights and Sounds: TJR, The Mavericks, JD Simo, Flume, The Dirty Clergy, Michael Ubaldini

While we all wait for concert venues to get back up and running, you can still use this time to catch some pretty cool content online. Here is a quick roundup...


Watch MUSIC WORTH BUYING co-host TJR discuss the forthcoming Morrison Hotel Graphic Novel in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of The Doors' fifth studio album Morrison Hotel!

The Mavericks have announced the release of their first Spanish album, En Español, coming Aug. 21, 2020. View the wonderful performance video for "Poder Vivir" here. En Español features a compelling mix of standards and Spanish-language originals in signature Mavericks style. Get more information about the upcoming release via the band's official website.


Nashville-based blues guitarist/singer JD Simo today releases the music video for his recently released  single, “One of Those Days” from his forthcoming full-length album, JD Simo due out on August 21, 2020 on Crow’s Feet Records. The animated lyric is cool and it's a great song too! I caught JD Simo when he opened for Big Head Todd and the Monsters in December 2017 and he was fantastic (read a review of that show here). Watch the video for "One of Those Days" here.

Grammy-winning producer Flume shares a super cool Claymation video for the remix of “The Difference” featuring Toro y Moi from British electronic artist, producer and composer Jon Hopkins today—listen and watch the video here. The electronica-styled rework will be featured on a remix package out tomorrow, June 26, alongside edits from High Contrast, Picard Brothers and Willaris. K.




The Dirty Clergy have  premiered the new "Whiplash" music video from their recent album In Waves. Check out the dreamy track and inviting video here.


Finally, the official debut of the music video of Michael Ubaldini's "Peace Sign" will premiere at 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) on July 3rd! You can read the lyrics to that great track and get a reminder when the video is live here.