The Scene: Free Live Music in San Francisco

The Lowdown

Who: The Mission Three
When: November 19, 2009
Where: Revolution Cafe
Hidden Costs: Artists “pass the hat” to accept tips/donations

The Take-Away

Venue: See this review I did about a month ago. Additionally, you’ll be glad to know that, as the weather gets colder, the cafe has these awesome heaters that are suspended from the patio’s overhang. These heaters not only keep the patio nice and toasty, but generate some residual warmth for the interior, as well — yay, heaters! — which means that you don’t have to sit all bundled up in your full regalia in order to keep warm while enjoying both your libations and the show.

Artist: The Mission Three are truly a local treasure, full of catchy tunes, groan-inducing jokes, and kick-ass musicianship. Check out their MySpace site for updates and touring dates. As for upcoming shows in San Francisco, you can find them at the Mojo Bicycle Cafe on December 7th and 21st and January 18th; back at the Revolution Cafe on December 17th and January 16th; and at Ireland’s 32 on December 27th. For the better part of January, the band will be on a Southwest Tour of Nevada and Arizona. (Again, see their site for more info).

The Review

On November 19th, I had the pleasure of seeing The Mission Three perform at the Revolution Cafe, which is a venue that I have previously reviewed.

The following is a little blurb that I excerpted from the group’s MySpace site:

The Mission Three consist of three San Francisco Musicians that reside in the Mission District. They tour and play with tons of local musicians but when they get together the stars align!!

Misisipi Mike Wolf — guitar and vocals. He hails from Mississippi and has been here in the bay area for 10 years

Cree Rider — guitar and vocals. He hails from St. Louis and has been here in the bay area for 4 years

Jimmy Sweetwater — washboard, harmonica and vocals. He hails from the swamps of Florida and has been in the bay area for 20 years

As for my experience with The Mission Three…well, put simply, it was everything I was hoping it would be! I came to this show looking for good roots music with a solid blues foundation, colored with a playful sense of humor, and this is precisely what the group brings to the table. Add to that musicianship that is neither self-conscious nor pretentious (as can all-too-easily be the case), and you’ve got yourself an evening of foot-stompin’, grin-inducin’, whisky-swiggin’ glee.

The guys kicked things off with “Ramblin’ On My Mind,” a blues-flavored rockin’ tune featuring a wailing harmonica (Jimmy Sweetwater) and vocals (Cree Rider) that make you feel like you’ve climbed into the singer’s restless soul.

One note on Jimmy’s harmonica playing: unlike so many harp players, Jimmy is able to phrase a musical line with the harmonica without overindulging in frilly arpeggios and needless riffs. He really understands the instrument, using its unique timbre to paint a picture, so that it becomes a true vessel of storytelling, rather than just some cool trick that the Percussion Guy can do. And at one point during the show, Jimmy broke out his self-proclaimed “Fun Machine,” a seemingly homemade contraption comprised of a Fender washboard fitted with various acoustic happy-making accoutrement, including a bicycle bell and a tambourine.

Similarly, when Cree sings, you’re getting more than a lyrical yet layered tenor voice. Cree believes the words he’s singing, and nowhere was this more evident than when he sang lead on a gorgeous cover of The Band’s ”King Harvest (Has Surely Come).” As I listened to Cree tell the story of this poor farmer on the verge of losing everything, I could almost see that man standing right before me. I could hear the wind through the grain, feel the heat of the southern August sun. It was some powerful storytelling.

And talk about a sweet lead guitar! Misisipi Mike seamlessly transitions from supporting rhythm player to chorused lead guitarist, deftly picking out runs up and down the scale as his left hand does a ballet over the fretboard. No buzzing notes here, kids! And, much like Jimmy on the harmonica, Misisipi Mike’s phrasing is eloquent without being self-important. He’s a joy to watch, making impeccable picking seem effortless.

The thing that’s so great about The Mission Three is that there is a consistency to the music, regardless of the theme or the genre of origin. Whether it be “Whisky Warm and Mellow,” a playful jaunty sing-along type of tune that Jimmy claims is a favorite of George Clooney’s, or a kick-ass cover of The Kink’s “Sunny Afternoon,” The Mission Three deliver a performance that is cohesive and has a good flow. You never get burnt out on a particular hook or tempo; these guys craft a set with care and thoughtfulness, giving the listener a superlative live music experience.

Perhaps just as importantly, the members of the band don’t try to complicate their respective roles, which I believe allows them to really refine their particular skill sets so as to best contribute to the band’s signature playful and heartfelt style. All three take turns on lead vocals, in an almost round-robin kind of way. Misisipi Mike Wolf plays a steel string electric acoustic lead guitar; Cree Rider plays a nylon string electric acoustic guitar; and Jimmy Sweetwater plays the harmonica and the Fun Machine.

In the end, though, these guys love the music they’re playing, and get their whole bodies into their performance, literally shaking the floorboards with their foot stomping, swaying to the tempo, leaning into the lyrics. You get the feeling that you’re hanging out with your friends you grew up with on the front porch of your auntie’s country home, and these friends just happen to be exceptional musicians with a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of roots music. Throw in a little Southern Rock with almost a funk flavor, maybe some Folk Pop, and the odd Django Reinhardt jazz-influenced guitar hook, and you’ve got yourself an evening of music worth coming out in the cold for.

The Mission Three will be performing four more dates before the end of this year, and have a few dates in January already scheduled. At that point, they will begin a mini Southwest tour, and will also be hitting Louisiana and Washington State, but will return to the city shortly thereafter. They also will be recording their second album in January; the first one is available for $10 at any live show.