A night of acoustic bliss With Ty Segall

Sprinkled with pockets of scenic lookout points throughout the coast, where passer-byers, tourists and excited concert-goers such as myself can step out and experience the magical vastness through its stunning views, Big Sur felt like just the right place to fill me with anticipation and wonder before a night of acoustic bliss. 

The man that compelled a crowd to travel deep into the remote region of Big Sur was none other than Ty Segall. California native and multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, Segall is attributed to aiding in the psych-garage wave that erupted in California in the mid-2000s. With 12 studio albums under his belt, Segall has been prolific, to say the least, dabbling with and pushing the boundaries of what the garage sound can be. This is his first tour since his latest release, First Taste (2019), an album that maintains Segall’s signature grittiness all the whilst lacking a single guitar note. This release set a peculiar tone for the tour that would follow: a guitar forward acoustic trio.

Located in the heart of Big Sur with a maximum occupancy of 100, the Fernwood Tavern is just about as small and quaint as it sounds, acting mainly as a restaurant for road-trippers and campsite dwellers. Located in a remote and technologically disconnected area, the location alone surely weeded out many who would have usually attended, providing an unusually intimate and uniquely ironic setting for the typically dirty, thundering and powerful presence Segall brings on stage. Packed together like a can of sardines, the crowd unanimously radiated an energy of anticipation and excitement.

The opener for the night was Charles Moothart, who has a history of collaborating and working with Segall as a member of his bands, notably the Ty Segall Band, Fuzz, and the Freedom Band. His history with Segall was apparent in his set, as he focused on the looping and layering of psyche garage sounds. Though he was performing by himself, he commanded the stage and clearly held the attention of the audience. As his set wound down and Moothart left the stage, he received ample applause, and the audience awaited Segall’s arrival. 

Segall, accompanied by Freedom Band guitarist Emmett Kelly and keyboardist Ben Boye, took the stage in a manner so welcoming and nonchalant it was as if he were performing for a room full of good friends. He opened the night with “Talkin’” off of his self-titled album Ty Segall (2017). While this was an acoustic set, the trio was able to strip down Segalls signature garage songs “Alta” and “Emotional Mugger” while still maintaining their signature power. Segall took advantage of the intimate setting, and played some of his more heart-wrenching numbers such as “Orange Color Queen” and “You’re The Doctor.” With a litany of tracks to choose from, it only seemed right that Segall included “Ghost,” whose dirty licks found their home in the creaky old tavern, and whose lyrics perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere at the Fernwood that night: “I don’t wanna be a Ghost / In California / near the coast / The sun, it shines here.” 

I came into the performance apprehensive about whether or not the nature of a trio would limit the bounds of Segall’s resonant and layered instrumentation, yet left in utter amazement at the flexibility and complex rhythms of just three musicians. Throughout the set, Emmet Kelly seamlessly switched from guitar to acoustic bass and Ben Boye from keys to autoharp. Each switch of instrument added a new layer for Segall to play with vocally, and the toned-down instrumentals both complemented and highlighted his vocal range and ability. 

The magical trek through Big Sur’s rugged coast paired with Ty Segall’s trio complemented one another perfectly. Surrounded by massive stretches of dramatic landscape, the vastness of Big Sur somehow created an atmosphere of intimacy and comfort, isolated from the rest of society, yet bound together by the stirring energy of Segall’s rich acoustic, Kelly’s rumbling bass, and Boye’s tantalizing keys. Together, we all swayed under the charming roof of the Fernwood Tavern and shared a night that I guarantee not I, nor any of the 100 attendees will ever forget.

Article by Ella Connor and Natalie Kemper