Photo via Carnegie Hall’s website

Hot Tuna took to New York City’s Carnegie Hall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their third studio album Burgers and celebrate the belated 80th birthday of guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. The performance marked the first time in decades Hot Tuna performed at the historic venue.

“Urban legend has it that Hot Tuna was banned from the venue for a number of nefarious reasons. I have repeated this story a number of times myself but if pressed for provenance I wouldn’t bet the farm on it,” wrote Kaukonen on his website. “In any case, for us to play this legendary venue was an honor difficult to describe.”

The band, which consisted of Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Justin Guip, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, kicked the evening off by playing Burgers in its entirety for the first set. The performance saw beloved songs including “99 Year Blues,” “Ode for Billy Dean,” “Sunny Day Strut” and more.

They opened the second set with a few songs Jorma and Jack used to play in high school together: Felice & Boudleaux Bryant’s “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters’ “Money Honey.” The set also included covers of Blind Willie Johnson’s “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning” Bobby Rush’s “Knock Kneed Man,” along with a nod to their days with Jefferson Airplane with “John’s Other” – a rarity in Hot Tuna Setlists. They closed the set with “Hit Single #1,” and “Bar Room Crystal Ball.”

They returned to the stage to deliver “Funky #7” as the encore and final song of the historic celebration highlighting Campell and Kaukonen’s harmonious sonic flow.

Read a personal recap of the event from Kaukonen here.

Hot Tuna
Carnegie Hall – New York, N.Y.
April 22, 2022

Set I (Burgers): True Religion, Highway Song, 99 Year Blues, Sea Child, Keep On Truckin’, Water Song, Ode for Billy Dean, Let Us Get Together Right Down Here, Sunny Day Strut

Set II: All I Have to Do Is Dream, Money Honey, Great Divide: Revisited, John’s Other, Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man, Letter to the North Star, Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning, Song From the Stainless Cymbal, Hit Single #1, Bar Room Crystal Ball

Enc.: Funky #7