Kirk Fletcher : Out Of The Dark

Monday night, blues new-jack Kirk Fletcher brings his thing to the stage at Harvelle's and lets loose with some of the nicest and coolest soloing in town. Augmented by a kick ass band including Bobby Tsukamoto on bass, Luke Miller on keys and Mark Shark on guitar they throw down, making classics into their own and having too much fun in the process.

The (left sleeve) tattooed Kirk can go arm-to-arm with any of the great blues legends, (and has) but does so on his own terms in a t-shirt, jeans and his signature black Vans™. Last week, Miss Willie Brown's Kasey and Amanda took the stage, along with guitarist Sam Meek - one of the hottest players around. Sam seriously set the place on fire as he led the group through some classic Southern rock. The place went wild!

Mark Shark

Kirk with Miss Willie Brown's Kasey and Amanda

TUESDAY :: Vintage Trouble, a bunch of hungry guys with rock 'n' roll swagger and one of the best frontmen currently working, Ty Taylor. These guys come to rock the crowd, and seemingly do it with little effort... the audience is young, happy, knows all the words and engage in non-stop dancing.

Come join in the movement!!

all photos taken with the Hipstamatic™ app for the iPhone™

Kirk Fletcher : Down To The Bone

It's a blue Monday today.

I'm a little disoriented from last night's Toledo show.

A blaze of funk fire gave way to nightmarish sleeplessness. Crying toddler tears from down the alley woke me repeatedly and tonight I sit perched on my fave bar stool with my fave bartender and my fave cocktail waitress on my least fave night of the week. Seems like everyone I know outside of this bar is out of town, out of love, out of luck or in the morgue.
So it looks like I'm in the right place.

Oh yeah!!!
I see the Miss Willie Brown crew is here, so big double long neck clinks to them.

Amanda and Kasey!!

Luv ya ladies!!!

- Posted live from Harvelle's using BlogPress & the Hipstamatic app for the iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Kirk Fletcher : Blue Monday

How does it feel?
To treat me like you do?

Those are the first 2 lines of the
classic 80s New Order track "Blue Monday". Decades later Kirk and the Gang give new meaning to the term.

Listen to Kirk play the blues. Commiserate with others who hate Mondays or who just enjoy hangin' at Harvelle's.

Travis Carlton on bass, Luke Miller on keys and Vincent Foster on the drums back Kirk. Sam Meek also sat in on guitar.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Kirk Fletcher on a Monday : Easy like a Sunday

Kirk is the Vans™-wearing new school blues cat who shreds, throws down and brings some of the best players around to jam. He has a new CD, and his Monday night residency at Harvelle's has become a must-see stop for fans of r&b, soul and blues. Kirk Fletcher's band includes James Gadson on drums, Paulie Cera on vocals and sax, Luke Miller on keys, and tonight, "Ready" Freddie Washington on bass.

"Ready" Freddie Washington - 

the man who put the funk in Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" 

(Freddie Washington on iTunes™)

Kirk Fletcher has a new album. 

it's on iTunes

Adrian Hibbs rockin' the keys

Josh Smith tears it up

James Gadson - funkiest man alive

Rob Bacon

Alvino Bennett sitting in on drums

Luke Miller jams on the keys 

Freddie Washington on bass

Rob Bacon

Paulie Cera vocals and sax

Kirk Fletcher

Alvino Bennett

Bill Steinway

Sam Meek on lead guitar

Kirk's classic black Vans™

Kirk Fletcher : The Return Of The Mack

Monday night is alright. 'specially if you're Cali cool and Santa Monica mellow.


Paulie Cera on sax and lead vocals.



Kirk Fletcher runs his new skool So Cal blues through a time machine and brings it back to the present.



Luke Miller on the keys


Somewhere between the Memphis "Stax" sound, the blustery blues of Chicago and the swampy Southern grime, Kirk leads his group through it all, making detours along the way to infuse more modern operators like Eddie VanHalen and Jack White.


Mr James Gadson -one of the funkiest drummers of all time commands the drum throne.


Kirk Fletcher - guitar


Jerry Brown sat in on the drums.


Kasey from the band Miss Willie Brown brought the house down with her version of Bonnie Raitt's "I Feel The Same". Sam Meek - (behind Kasey) on lead guitar sat in and showed off his legendary chops.


James Gadson




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Where's Captain Kirk?

Indeed, even as the marquee says Kirk Fletcher, the band was without their leader. The rest of the dudes are here; Luke Miller on keys, Bobby Tsukomoto on bass, Paulie Cerra on sax and vocals and of course, legendary drummer James Gadson (google him).




The house is packed tonight with Harvelle's royalty. Sir Harry Bowen is owning the dancefloor, while Miss Willie Brown's Amanda and Kasey, along
with guitar hero Sam Meek and bassist Brian Allen are here to support their bandmate Luke.Toledo Diamond is at the bar chillin, and on his way out, as I was coming in, was Toledo Show bassist Spoonie.


Josh Smith is standing in for Kirk tonight and he's rocking it.



Also sitting in is the incredible bassist Travis Carlton (again, google).

Toledo (above)

Amanda (above)

Closing the first set with the theme from Sanford and Son, they helped this poor scribe to have a less unpleasant "first Monday" of the new decade.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Kirk Fletcher : New School Bluesmania

Every Monday at Harvelle's, Kirk Fletcher plays the blues, and James Gadson joins him on drums, bringing his OG funk beats. Kirk's core group also consists of Paulie Cerra on sax/vox, Bobby Tsukamoto on bass and Luke Miller on keys.

They throw down, they wail, they let it lay and they bring it all back home.

Halloween @ Harvelle's : Haunted, Drunken & Sassy

Halloween was a three day long event. It was a month ago, but I've finally edited the photos. Presented here - Halloween at Harvelle's, including the Sassy Minx, Miss Willie Brown, the Toledo Show and the Back To The Future Time Machine.

Kirk Fletcher's Blues Gang

Kirk Fletcher's gang of blues musicians including drummer James Gadson came full force and kicked the week off for me. Drinking Blue Moon and O.J. the funk was all around. Here's a few pix of the night.