Classic rock act Hot Tuna to play at Mill Event Center on Sunday

LANCASTER — The COVID-19 pandemic basically shut down the concert industry for much of the past year or more. But bands are now touring again, including classic act Hot Tuna.

Ex-Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady have played as Hot Tuna for decades. They will be performing an acoustic show at The Mill Event Center at 4 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 3 p.m. and Barrel & Boar BBQ Factory will provide food for sale.

The show is sold out.

Kaukonen has played at The Mill before, but Sunday will be the first Hot Tuna show there.

"Bottom line is that we had been trying to make this happen for a few years but it's hard for many reasons to get a national act to a small venue like The Mill," The Mill co-owner Billy Smith said. "Simply put, the stars finally aligned and we were able to put it together."

Kaukonen and Casady were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1996 as part of Jefferson Airplane.

Kaukonen is a Washington D.C. native who owns the Fur Peace Ranch in Meigs County, where he now lives. The ranch serves as a guitar camp and concert venue and where such music luminaries as Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band and Arlo Guthrie have taught.

Kaukonen and Cassidy were at the heart of the counter-culture movement in San Francisco during the birth of Jefferson Airplane in the turbulent '60s. The band featured Grace Slick on vocals and had hits like "White Rabbit," "Volunteers" and "Somebody to Love."

Jefferson Airplane also played the iconic 1969 Woodstock music festival. There is a YouTube clip of the band performing "Uncle Sam Blues" with Kaukonen on vocals.

Sunday's show will be for an audience of about 150.

"The Mill is focusing on less of ticket volume and much more on the comfort and safety of the guests," Smith said of shows during the pandemic era. "It's really an intimate show. Jorma's wife, Vanessa, said, 'Jorma had so much fun, how about we bring Tuna here?' That had been a thought and dream of mine for a long time."

Hot Tuna will not be the only show at The Mill this month as NY Dueling Pianos will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 19.

"We've got some great winter events coming up," Smith said. "The way we're doing these shows now is very intimate and it's just comfortable. We have to charge a little more because of that, but I think people are willing to pay that these days after everything we've been through."

The Mill Event Center is located at 431 S. Columbus St.

Visit www.themilleventcenter.com for more information about the venue and coming events.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-304-9296

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Classic rock act Hot Tuna to play at Mill Event Center on Sunday