Photo by Jesse Lauter

Last night, Little Feat turned in a two-set show at Los Angeles’ United Theater on Broadway as part of their The Last Farewell Tour. As the veteran LA-bred group prepares to retire from full-time touring—though they will continue to make select live appearances—the group has started to look back a little and, last night, the ensemble welcomed some old friends to the stage.

A few songs into the acoustic segment that kicked off their second set, which commenced with “Fool Yourself,” “Running Out of Time with the Blues” and “Got My Mojo Working,” the members of Little Feat brought Jackson Browne and Leslie Mendelson to the stage. The singer-songwriters, who have worked closely together over the years, sat in on acoustic takes on the classics “Sailin’ Shoes” and “Willin.” Then, closer to the end of Little Feat’s set, Mendelson returned for “All That You Dream,” before Browne joined her and the evening’s hosts for “Dixie Chicken.” In addition, during “Spanish Moon,” Little Feat guitarist Fred Tackett’s son Miles, who founded Breakestra, also made a guest appearance on stage.

Both Browne and Little Feat came through the ranks in Los Angeles during the 1970s and have collaborated in numerous settings, both on stage and in the studio, during the past half century. However, they had not shared the stage since the 15th annual Feat Camp, which took place in Runaway Bay, Jamacia, from January 9-13. Mendelson performed with Little Feat more recently, joining them at New York’s Town Hall on October 6, 2023.

Little Feat’s tour will resume in Oakland, CA tomorrow. Grahame Lesh is also on the bill.

Of the upcoming show, Little Feat keyboadist Bill Payne says, “In some instances, the more things change the less they change. Music is the thread that gives context to the gyrations of life. Phil Lesh knew how to guide a performance when Paul Barrere and I toured with him in 1999. I was reintroduced to the art of jamming on that tour. Phil’s knack for signaling changes in tempos, mood, and feels—he later had a foot-switch so he could talk to us on the microphone—was done in an innate and seamless fashion through a series of hand gestures. The trick of playing music with him was to know the songs but not so well that you couldn’t break free of them. In 2026 the songs are intact, the musicianship is off the charts, but it is now Grahame Lesh at the helm on guitar. He also knows how to guide the ship. I have had the pleasure of playing two shows with him this year so far, both challenging and fun. The challenge rests with the interpretation of how to play the songs. Like most music, there are certain traditions built in: the piano lick in Dixie Chicken, for example, which can also be played on the guitar or I suppose sung, although no one has done that yet. Grahame Lesh will join Little Feat this Monday in Oakland, CA at the Fox Theater. I can’t wait to hear what Grahame will bring to our music. He is a consummate musician who knows his way around a stage, which should lend itself beautifully to Feat’s world. I have certainly enjoyed the world he occupies.”