1989, a couple months shy of my 21st birthday, I found myself at Mondo Cane, a blues bar on Thompson Street in Greenwhich Village. I don’t recall the circumstances of my being there, only that it was a night that still echoes in the halls of my heart.
Headlining was Joan Osborne, an up-and-coming musician/vocalist who was making big splashes and later played at Wetlands, an environmentally active rock and roll night club where I got to work (1990-1992). I was at Wetlands on its opening night when New Potato Caboose played, but that’s another story for another time.
The night at Mondo Cane stands out for two reasons:
1. I became a lifetime fan of Joan Osborne’s music.
2. I first heard Catherine Russell (who, if I remember correctly, had just come off tour singing backup for Cyndi Lauper) - she was singing similarly with Joan and I fell in love with her voice too. She and I would cross paths many times after that, and I like to think we had something of a friendship.
Fast-forward to last night (June 4, 2025), now just a month shy of my 57th birthday, Brian and I went to see Joan at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa. We had amazing seats and met some new friends (who interestingly enough were, Sherri and Brian).
Unlike the show at Mondo Cane where Joan was spotlighted the whole time, last night she offered the microphone to every singer on the stage (keyboardist, Will Bryant - bass player, Gail Ann Dorsey - and drummer, Lee Falco) and often held space for the other musicians to shine (including badass steel guitar player, Cindy Cashdollar and guest rock star Anders Osborne). They were all equally impressive, and together they alchemized a mundane weekday night into a golden time capsule.
These mini jams paid beautiful homage to the jam band scene that was swelling as Joan was rising in the 1990s. I did wonder, however, if some of her choices may have related to her voice sounding a bit fragile at times. If that was the case, it was a stellar choice to take care of her voice while sharing the spotlight with these remarkable musicians, making a memorable collaboration.
It was a Wednesday night in suburban Philadelphia and the venue, while not packed, was full of love, support, and shared good times!
Joan wears her confidence and talent as casually as she wore her Rolling Stones t-shirt, bohemian jacket, sparkling beads, black stockings and boots. It all shows up in the way she walks and commands her space.
Thirty-six years have passed since that night at Mondo Cane. We have both aged; our curly brunette tresses now wavier and more silver than brown, energy still up but maybe a bit less bouncy, our youthful follies now compost for new possibilities.
Still, when I hear Joan sing, I feel eternally youthful – not young, having lived so much life, but youthful in the way a mirror can never reveal, and the mind cannot hold. It is a feeling. Music is a feeling.
Last night, as Joan Osborne sang 2 ½ hours of Bob Dylan tunes, I was immersed in the feeling.
Thank you, Joan!!
And thank you, Brian, for keeping the music alive in our home!!
Brian recorded this gem. Please check out his YouTube Channel for more great music!
This is one of my faves!!