On February 7. 2025 we set forth to the Hopmonk Novato in Novato California in the heart of the Target parking lot. The evening event was John Doe with special guest Jill Sobule. This was night one of a two-night stretch here and wow, the crowd was set up for a fabulous show.
Jill Sobule kicked off the night, and the crowd was into her from the very beginning. Accompanied by two guys who were making a documentary about her, she matched the audience’s energy and passion. She opened with “Resistance Song,” playing her guitar and singing her heart out. Following that, she performed “America Back,” which got people excited and set the stage for what was to come. She then jumped into an a-cappella version of “Bring Back Richard Nixon,” and the crowd went wild. She certainly provided a wow factor with that performance. Afterward, she sang a brief a-cappella song titled “J.D. Vance is a Cunt,” offering a bold commentary on the current administration.
She then introduced a song from the 7th-grade musical she participates in, “Raleigh Blue Chopper,” which included a spoken word segment and reached a musically thrilling peak. As “Strawberry Gloss” began, she engaged the crowd by having them sing a Burt Bacharach-style background, which worked wonderfully. The song was lyrically fantastic—catchy and flamboyant in its presentation.
“I Put My Headphones On,” followed by her only cover of the night, “O-o-o Child” by Five Stairsteps. The audience joined in, singing along with her, creating a memorable moment. Before the next song, she shared a hilarious story about mistaking a U2 video for a U2 poster while talking to a friend, which got the crowd laughing.
She performed “Cinnamon Park,” followed by the audience favorite “San Francisco,” which was well-received. The set included what is probably her biggest hit, “I Kissed a Girl,” and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed it.
To conclude her performance, she played “A Good Life” and finished with “Underdog Victorious.” She requested the lights to be turned up a bit, but instead, the disco ball was turned on, adding a special atmosphere to the finale. Although the crowd wasn’t as brightly lit, it certainly created a unique ambiance.
Setlist:
1). Resistance Song
2). America Back
3). Bring Back Richard Nixon (a cappella)
4). J.D. Vance Is a Cunt (very short song, a cappella)
5). Raleigh Blue Chopper
6). Strawberry Gloss
7). I Put My Headphones On
8). O-o-h Child (Five Stairsteps cover)
9). Cinnamon Park
10). San Francisco
11). I Kissed a Girl
12). A Good Life
13). Underdog Victorious
When John Doe hit the stage, it was like he was home. He announced that he wanted to play some odd time signatures and started with “Giant Step Backward,” setting the tone for the night. The second song was a Joni Mitchell cover of “A Case of You,” which resonated with several people in the crowd. His Wide Sky guitar accompanied him beautifully as he played.
“Lucky Penny” was next and he mentioned that he learned something from Particle Kid while playing it, although what that was remains a mystery. Regardless, it was an outstanding performance. Following that was “There’s a Hole,” a song that drives home the message of lost love. Ironically, he found love that night in the club.
Then came “Burning House of Love,” a song that X contributed to the set. John shared that he initially wrote it with either Ramblin’ Jack or Woody Guthrie in mind, and although he felt it didn’t work at first, he has since come to terms with the fact that it became one of their biggest songs. Then was a Merle Haggard classic, “I Always Get Lucky With You,” showcasing John’s songwriting talent and the timelessness of Haggard’s work. He introduced “A Little More Time” with a story about living near the top of the Grapevine—an experience that started out good but eventually soured. That song emerged from that time in his life. “Grain of Salt” is a challenging song to perform. If you’re not in tune, the process of rewriting and revising can become complicated very quickly. “The Wheels” was a song by Particle Kid that resonated deeply with many in the crowd, marking a high point of the evening.
The next two songs were “Little Tiger” and “Poor Girl,” with the latter being the last X song of the night—but certainly not the final song. He then performed “El Romance-O,” a song about a guy who nicknamed himself, an unfortunate choice. The song even featured a third verse in Spanish, contributed by Louie Perez from Los Lobos. John delivered a stellar version.
Following that were “Never Coming Back” and “Ready,” which felt tailored for the audience. He then performed “I Only Have Eyes for You,” a Harry Warren cover. Although the audience was seated, he imagined them slow dancing to the song, prompting the disco ball to light up. After finishing, he told everyone that those who sang along to the ending would sleep better that night and wake up in a fabulous mood. When asked the next day what they did the previous night, they could reply: they sang “sho-bop sho-bop.”
This was followed by “Golden State,” a song about California and the challenges of living there—a truly fitting piece. After a brief break, he returned to the stage for the encore, starting with Jill Sobule’s “Sweetheart.” He wrapped up the night with “Everyone’s Talking,” written by Fred Neil. Before this song, he shared a story about sneaking into the movie *Midnight Cowboy* and how VW used it for a commercial a few years ago. While it was a good story, the audience collectively agreed that the song should not have been used in that context.
With that, he bid the crowd goodnight. However, it was clear that everyone would have gladly enjoyed much more music.
Setlist:
1). Giant Step Backward
2). A Case of You (Joni Mitchell cover)
3). Lucky Penny
4). There’s a Hole
5). Burning House of Love (X song)
6). I Always Get Lucky With You (Merle Haggard cover)
7). A Little More Time
8). Grain of Salt
9). The Wheels (Particle Kid cover)
10). Little Tiger
11). Poor Girl (X song)
12). El Romance-O
13). Never Coming Back
14). Ready
15). I Only Have Eyes for You (Harry Warren cover)
16). The Golden State
Encore:
17). Sweetheart
18). Everybody’s Talkin’ (Fred Neil cover)
Follow Jill Sobule Online:
Follow John Doe Online:
Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
