Jackson Browne Joins the Mastersons at Gold Diggers: Husband and wife duo the Mastersons have been hosting these The Mastersons & Friends events every two months for a while now, and they’re always a blast.

Back in November they were joined by Dead Rock West, and Jonny 2 Bags from Social Distortion. That was great, but the ante was upped this time.

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Chris Masterson in November (Brett Callwood)

Before we get into the “& friends” aspect, it must be pointed out that the Mastersons themselves are wonderful. Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore bounce off of each other so beautifully that every song feels personal, and gloriously authentic. Whitmore has a voice that melts, and the multi-instrumentalist is a gifted musician. Chris Masterson’s voice is expressive, his guitar playing heartfelt, and the blend is exquisite.

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Eleanor Whitmore of the Mastersons, in November. (Brett Callwood)

After a few songs on Wednesday evening at Gold Diggers, at intimate East Hollywood bar, venue and hotel, the Mastersons were joined by Garrison Starr. According to her online bio, Starr’s “lifetime of trauma, from her upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian household to more than two decades navigating the music industry, left her spirit broken.”

Based on what we heard, all of that pain has been channeled into her music, which is devastating and therapeutic.

After Starr’s turn, Mr. Jackson Browne took to the stage. There will always be something very special about seeing an artist of Browne’s stature and talents in a venue the size of Gold Diggers, and so it proved on Wednesday.

Browne came up with no ego, no airs, no graces, but rather with the vibe of “one of the guys.” A musician taking his turn with the Mastersons. A friend. Sure, the cheers were louder than they might usually be. A few more cellphones than normal began filming. But what made this part of the set so special was that it felt so natural, so at ease.

Backed by the Mastersons, Browne appeared to be having a blast as he ran through about eight songs (give or take). Tunes like “These Days” and a semi-improvised “Cocaine” came and went, Browne’s voice sounding immaculate throughout. By the time he reached hits “Running on Empty” and “Take it Easy,” he was purring.

It was sad to see him leave the stage, but we were left marveling at the fact that we had just been stood with about 100 people in a small bar watching one of the very best.

The night wasn’t over; after a short break, the Mastersons were joined by Shooter Jennings and the Gold Diggers crowd were wowed yet again.

Get yourself to the next one of these shows. You never know who might show up.

Jackson Browne Joins the Mastersons at Gold Diggers: Visit gold-diggers.com for more info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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