Hear We Are…

by Maddalena

I confess I come to the Jesse Malin fan party late. I tripped over him in December of 2019 by accident via his Broken Radio duet with Bruce. It is still my favorite Jesse song. I went looking for more and was just blown away by his music. Jesse was playing the Hotel Café in Los Angeles in February 2020, but I just couldn’t fit it in.

Fast Forward to August 2021

Jesse is back Hotel Café, but my gal pal cancels at the last minute and I’m too lazy to go to the show now. I see a post on Instagram by Rolling Live Studios for a contest where ten winners will get to see Jesse the next night in a tiny record store in Studio City called Here We Are Vinyl. The contest entry required two tasks, but I only managed one of them because I’m social media challenged. At 5AM, I got a message that I somehow won!

A schlep up the 101 freeway in rush hour and I am in this tiny record store with nine other people, the entire Rolling Live Studios live stream crew—which is enormous—and just Jesse on guitar with Derek Cruz on keyboards. I’m kind of loud and boisterous, so I began yelling requests and thoroughly doing my job of bothering the band. Some fun Bronx/Queens banter ensued and then Jesse has me come up on stage to talk to the audience while he tunes his guitar. I’m sure he regretted that, since I love to talk!

What a terrific little setlist, complete with a dedication of Meet Me At the End of the World to yours truly below. Click here to check out the entire Rolling Studios Live show.

A True Troubadour Friend

In March of 2022, Jesse was back at the Troubadour in LA, this time for a special fundraiser show for his since departed best friend and former band mate, Howie Pyro. I grab a girlfriend who’s never even heard of Jesse and park us right up against the stage. This was a time travel moment for me as I had not been to the Troubadour in over 20 years (it still looks the same, thank goodness)! There were a few other bands on the bill that I didn’t pay that much attention to, and then lo and behold Jakob Dylan, of Wallflowers and son-of-Bob-Dylan fame, comes out for a few songs including his Three Marlenas. Another ridiculously fantastic Jesse show and for such a great cause. Another new Jesse fan was born in my partner that night.

Atop the Hotel Café Bar

September 22, 2022, Jesse is back at Hotel Café. He is in the smaller room for a stripped down show with only Derek on guitar and Rob on keyboards, for a set of songs from his upcoming re-release of the 2007 Glitter in the Gutter album. The song Broken Radio is on that record. My Rolodex goes dark as everyone I know is either busy or out of town, but when the gut says go to the show I NEVER say no.

I get there late as opening acts always annoy me, but Jesse had already started. Five minutes later, he begins the story of how Bruce Springsteen came to do the duet with him on Broken Radio. Now I’m just musically floating. I loved this show so much. When he stood on the bar and did The Replacements’ Bastards of Young, I pretty much swooned. Jesse’s slowed down rendition is so much better.

He invited the audience to go over to the main Hotel Café room for drinks afterwards. And yes, he remembered me from the record store. This was a night of hardcore Jesse fans, and I got to meet a few really cool ones. I’m pretty sure I’ll run into many of them again, because whenever Jesse Malin comes to LA, you can be sure I’ll be there, front and center, bothering him again. He’s one of the most genuine, heartfelt singer/songwriters I’ve ever heard and his shows never disappoint!