What I heard on my summer vacation

Once again, my summer vacation was centered around an out-of-state music festival. Last year it was the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. This year it was the 15th annual Hootenanny in California. But I also caught a couple of shows here in Santa Fe. So here's my report on what I heard during my break.

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, June 27, Santa Fe Brewing Company: Hicks played a smooth, flawless show full of laughs and wonder. His latest Hot Licks lineup knows the basic sound inside out — Gypsy jazz mixed with Western swing and vaudeville spirit. And his new Lickettes, Roberta Donnay and Daria (no last name), are delightful. They are almost as impressive on percussion as they are on vocals.

Besides songs from the new album, Tangled Tales, such as "Blues My Naughty Baby Gives to Me," "The Rounder," and the bossa-nova-like "Song for My Father," Hicks played a nice selection of his old favorites from the '60s and '70s. These included "She Made Her Getaway," "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away," "The Buzzard Was Their Friend," and, of course, "I Scare Myself," which Hicks performed far more light-heartedly than other times I've seen him do this signature tune.

About the only thing that would have made this show better was if they had performed "It's Not My Time to Go" from Last Train to Hicksville. Elvis Costello has cited this as his favorite Hicks song, besides "I Scare Myself." But it has never appeared on any of his live albums, and I've never heard it at a concert.

If you're feeling depressed that you missed this show, here's some good news: NPR has a Hicks show from April available on its Web site. Several songs are the same as the ones he performed in Santa Fe, and he even tells some of the same jokes. Visit npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102934873.

Hootenanny, July 4, Oak Canyon Ranch, Irvine, California. It was a true patriotic moment: hearing The Blasters sing "American Music" on the Fourth of July!

I don't know why they call this festival "Hootenanny." When I first heard of it, my image was a bunch of folkies in a coffee shop singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." But that's not what this rodeo is all about. This is a hoot for rockabilly, its punk cousin psychobilly, roots-rock, a little neo-swing, some surfin' sounds, and a touch of hillbilly music. Plus there's a car show.

Here are my favorites of the fest:

Reverend Horton Heat: The Rev. is a Hootenanny veteran and a crowd favorite. And it was easy to see why. He ripped it to shreds during his set. From the very beginning, the crowd was screaming for the song "Psychobilly Freakout." He delivered it with zeal.

One thing that strikes me about Heat's performance is that even though his music is frantic and crazy, his demeanor is calm. No jumping around, very few rock-star poses. It's as if he just allows a wild energy to pass through him and just lets it flow.

Los Lobos: Immediately following Reverend Horton Heat (Los Lobos started seconds after Heat finished) — and with all the otherne bands on the bill — it only made sense that the band would emphasize its raw R & B side, rather than its artsier tendencies. Which is great, because that's the side that first made me love Los Lobos back in the early '80s. So sure enough, the group led off with an explosive "Don't Worry Baby" and never once let the energy wane.

Toward the end of the set, they called Phil Alvin of The Blasters and Reverend Heat to the stage to top off the festival with some R & B and blues standards (my favorite was "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz," originally a hit for The Hollywood Flames).

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: With its five-man horn section, Big Bad Voodoo added some good variety to the bill. The group followed the cacophony of Nekromantix, a loud blaring psychobilly trio that sounds much better on record than it did at the festival.

For the record, I'm one of the few critics in criticdom who wasn't completely down on the neo-swing fad of the late '90s. I didn't care about the zoot-suit costume-party aspect of the movement; t enjoyed the sounds of several bands including the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. "Neo-swing" is a misnomer anyway. These bands basically revived the jump blues sound.

BBVD did several tunes from its most recent album, How Big Can You Get?, a tribute to Cab Calloway. Cab's originals are still the best, but the band does them justice.

The Blasters: Dave Alvin, an original Blaster, has gone on to more critical acclaim as a solo artist (and he's coming to Santa Fe Brewing Company next month), but brother Phil remains the voice of The Blasters.

And what a voice! The guy just exudes soul. As the music pours out, he grins as he must have done the first time he heard rock 'n' roll as a kid.

Besides the obligatory early Blasters faves, the group also did some dynamite covers by the likes of Johnny Paycheck and James Brown.

My only complaint was that the set was only 30 minutes (which was the case with everyone except Los Lobos and Reverend Horton Heat). I could have lis to The Blasters for another hour.

Coda: Reverend Beat-Man, July 13, Corazón: I ended my vacation with the rage and glory, the mutilated gospel, and the Voodoo Rhythm of Reverend Beat-Man and the Blues Trash Trio.