Hot Tuna formed in 1969 as a kind of side project for Jefferson Airplane, when the band was on hiatus due to Grace Slick’s illness. The founders were bassist Jack Casady and vocalist/guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, and although other members have come and gone, Casady and Kaukonen have remained the heart of the band. Soon after Hot Tuna formed, they played shows at venues in San Francisco including The Matrix, which was Jefferson Airplane’s original club.
Although Casady was born in 1944, and Kaukonen in 1940, they show no Signs of slowing down. The two have guided the band through several phases, moving from acoustic to electric and back again. When they began, they played two acoustic shows in 1970, billing themselves as Hot Tuna, and appearing without Jefferson Airplane. Reviews were good, proving the spinoff band could hold its own without the support of the other group.
In 1974, they switched, dropping their acoustic, bluesy style and turning into a straight-ahead heavy rock outfit. Since then, they have continued to perform in both genres. A concert review says:
“…Hot Tuna shared their warming light with all of us. And when we left the concert hall, still buzzing from that show, we were all different people than we were when we went inside.”
Hot Tuna will be at the Ludlow Garage on Saturday, February 8. Organizers of concerts like this often promote them using poster printing.
Get a Free Quote for Signs