Cowboy Junkies Report

The Cowboy Junkies performed last weekend at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, a terrific venue in North Beach.

There was no "Sweet Jane." No "Cause Cheap Is How I Feel." And, no "Murder, Tonight, In The Trailer Park." No problem. Even without those classic Junkies song, the band played a fabulous, full show.

The evening featured several selections from the band's latest release, Renmin Park, the first of four albums the Junkies plan to unveil during an 18-month period. This first volume in the Nomad Series was inspired by Michael Timmins' recent journey to China. While the song cycle has some Asian influences, it is still very much a Cowboy Junkies album led by Margo Timmins' unmistakable vocals.

The band has always supplemented its rich catalog of outstanding original material with well-chosen covers. The San Francisco show featured the band's "Bea's Song" and "Hunted." The Junkies also performed a beautiful version of the Rolling Stones' "Moonlight Mile" and a terrific performance of Vic Chesnutt's "Supernatural." The next album in the four-part Nomad Series will be a collection of Chesnutt numbers.

Vinyl fans can expect Renmin Park to get the vinyl treatment. Diverse Records reports that it will be out at the end of October and that it sounds amazing.