Waiting for Columbus (Live)

The Los Angeles-based Little Feat started out as Captain Beefheart’s backing band, briefly became purveyors of country rock, then were widely (and mistakenly) adopted as part of Southern rock music. With the 1978 double concert album Waiting for Columbus, Little Feat added another aspect to their legacy, as one of the premier live bands of the ‘70s. Recorded over a series of 1977 dates in London and Washington, D.C., these performances translate Feat’s distinctive command of the stage. Part stoner rock band, part soul revue, and part jam band, they were unlike any other touring act. The well-chosen setlist is bolstered by the presence of the Tower of Power horn section, which gives “Spanish Moon,” “Rocket In My Pocket” and “Old Folks’ Boogie” a lot of extra oomph. Despite their instrumental prowess, the members of Feat carried themselves with a casual, downhome air. Not unlike the Band’s Last Waltz, which came out the same year, Waiting for Columbus feels like a celebration rather than an exhibition.