El Jefe's 60th Birthday Extravaganza!
Geoff “El Jefe” Mack: Miracle Mule bandleader, guitarist, singer, songwriter, senior citizen
No one saw this coming, but Mules bandleader, Geoff “El Jefe” Mack, turned 60 this month. He had considered just spending another year being 59, but ultimately decided to embrace his 60-ness, book the Mules into HopMonk/Novato, line up 3 other bands to share the stage and enjoy the best 60th birthday party ever.
L to R: Kenny Mack, Kal Mack, Geoff Mack
The festivities kicked off with a rousing version of “Rocky Mountain High” by the next generation of Macks, namely Geoff’s sons Kenny & Kal. As he would all evening, Geoff played lead guitar. Between songs he told his sons, “In 40 years this’ll be you up here.” It wasn’t clear whether he was referring to a future celebration for their 60th birthdays or for his own 100th.
Next up were The Bandersons, which included Kenny & Kal’s old elementary school principal, Will Anderson, on bass. This time, at least, he didn’t give them detention or make them clean the blackboards. The Bandersons are very much a family affair -- Will was joined by his brother, drummer Brian Anderson, and his sister and brother-in-law, Shawna and Cory Hervé, who perform as the duo Twin Soles and in the Santa Rosa country band Pitchforks. Rounding out the group was vocalist Paul Dyrwal, and of course Geoff, who had played lead guitar on 4 albums by Will’s band, Propeller. The group performed a tight four-song set with strong vocals and sweet harmonies. You would never have suspected that the Bandersons were assembled just for this occasion, that Shawna had never before played music with her brothers, that Brian hadn’t touched a drum kit in 30 years, that Will hadn’t played live in 25 years and that Paul had never before performed live. It’s a shame Geoff didn’t turn 60 years ago so this excellent group could have come together much sooner.
The Bandersons L to R: Shawna Hervé, Cory Hervé, Will Anderson, Brian Anderson, Paul Dyrwal
Then Geoff brought up his “other” band, The Road Runners. They got the crowd revved up with an energetic set of garage classics like “The Summertime Blues” and “The Last Train to Clarksville,” mixing in a few country classics such as Johnny Cash’s “Big River” and Ernest Tubb’s “Drivin’ Nails in My Coffin.” Making the set even more special, Geoff brought up his brother, Gorden Mack (founding member of The Red House Painters), to sit in on guitar for a few tunes. Hard to believe, but it was the first time the two brothers had ever performed together. Hopefully they’ll find a few more opportunities to team up before another 60 years go by.
The Road Runners L to R: John Tinloy , Gorden Mack, Phil Sollar, Geoff Mack, Leslie Freed
Finally, the Mules took the stage to close out the evening. They began their set by debuting a new song of Geoff’s, “Lucy,” which they had just released as a single (on Amazon, Spotify, etc). It was well received and appears destined to take its place in the Mules’ regular repertoire. When Dick was supposed to be introducing “Romp in the Swamp,” he went off on a tangent, reminding the audience that Geoff got his start in the music business as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Cars for Kids Band, and lamenting that he refused to wear the iconic pink bow tie and suspenders that evening (though we all know he still wears them around the house). Sandy advised Geoff to expect his AARP card in the mail any day now and promised that he would enjoy being a senior once he started taking advantage of senior discounts. The Mules proceeded to rock the house with a set full of fan favorites, including Geoff’s songs, “Swampy Tonkin’,” “Delta Queen,” “Little White Lies” and “Bourbon Street.” They closed their set with a smokin’ version of “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down.” But this was one night that didn’t let anyone down. It was truly a night to remember. Good thing, as Geoff announced he has no plans to turn 60 again. At least not any time soon.
Miracle Mule L to R: Dick Bay, Mark Petrella, Sandy Geller, Geoff Mack, Jim Lehmann, Brian Dettor. Out of frame: Charlie Fager
Happy Birthday, El Jefe!
