Pacific Sun

By Mike Thomas

January 29, 2003

Butane James Brown may still be the hardest workin’ man in show business, but Marin bluegrass dude and folkster Larry Carlin ain’t laggin’ far behind. For openers, the ubiquitous player, singer, songsmith, producer and overall roots music man-about-town performs with four different bands, among them Keystone Station and Wild Blue. He has also hosted and masterminded the monthly Bluegrass Gold series at Mill Valley’s Sweetwater for the past four years, and logged nine years as MC of the club's periodic Northern California Songwriters Association open mics. Factor in a day job, showers and meals and it’s a wonder the guy finds time to get any quality shuteye.

Tuesday, February 18, birthday boy Carlin takes a rare solo step into the spotlight when the Sweetwater continues its Sweetsongs Singer/Songwriter Showcase series (cohosted by, you guessed it, Carlin) with a double bill that also features Asheville, North Carolina-based road hog Chuck Brodsky. A popular fixture on the national folkie circuit, Brodsky is a highly engaging live performer who can moisten your eyes and bust your gut in the span of one artfully spun song. Like Carlin and yours truly, Brodsky hails from Philadelphia. And, I should add, with spring training under way, the guy’s priorities are impeccably aligned. When I interviewed him a few years back for a Sun article, we spent half the time swapping childhood tales of following the Phillies. Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Richie Allen, Tony Taylor, Von Hayes, Johnny Callison, Bob Boone, Greg Luzinski, Harry Kalas, Rich Ashburn, Clay Dalrymple, Garry Maddox...well, I guess you had to be there. Anyway, as they say back in Philly, “Yo!”