I Do Stuff…

Not to long ago I saw that Trey Anastasio was putting together a fall tour.  He got back together with the original TAB members and put together a small tour, the tour closer was scheduled for The National in Richmond, VA.  After missing out on Trey’s first tour in the Fall of ‘99, I definitely wanted to see this show.  It would be the four piece band, in a small local club, and tour closer, I just couldn’t pass up on tickets.

Trey Anastasio

I headed south to Richmond from my house in the early afternoon.  I wanted to get down long before the show and just chill and relax for a while.  Take a walk around the city and get some food at a great Cuban restaurant, Havana 59.  Since the following day I was headed to False Cape State Park for a few days of camping, I got a hotel room at the Crowne Plaza in downtown, right on the water.

The weather driving down was rainy and just plan miserable the whole way.  Even with the heavy traffic and rain I made it to downtown Richmond in good time.  I checked into the hotel land took a stroll around the downtown area.  What always amazes me is how few people there are downtown Richmond.  It was late Saturday afternoon and the place was a ghost town.  Everyone works in the city but lives in the burbs.

After a depressing walked I headed over to Havana 59 for some good food, a few drinks, and a cigar.  I have eaten here several times and the place is great.  The food is a little expensive, but drinks are reasonable and I just love the atmosphere.  Things are so laid back in this place, this is why I keep coming back.  Well the food too.  I had the pork chop with pineapple salsa, peanut mashed potatoes and grilled portobello mushrooms.

The National

After one last drink and a short smoke it was time to walk over to the venue, The National.  When I got there I was a little worried.  There was no crowd outside or line waiting to get Will Call tickets.  I knew the show time was 8pm, but rarely does any band start on time, especially Trey/Phish.  So when the time was 8:45 I thought I had time before the show started, so I quickly got my ticket and walked into the venue.  There were of course police and security but I was like a ghost in the night to them.  When I got inside I could hear Trey and the boys already ripping it up on stage.

In my 14 years of seeing concerts I think I have arrived late three times, this being the third time.  I was disappointed but could only blame myself for my tardiness.  The place was packed and I was late, so the only open spots were in the back.  Trey was ripping a sweet version of Sand, so at least I had not missed much.

I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to see Trey in such a small venue.  He played a lot of great songs from his career as a solo artists.  I was a little disappointed that more Phish songs were not played, with the upcoming reunion and all, I was hoping for more.  I got shut out of tickets so this was my best chance to hear some Phish.  I guess in some ways it makes sense not to play any.  But I did hear some new songs from Trey and his new album.  I must say they are…..different.  They don’t suck or anything.  These new songs are much more thought out, the lyrics and music.  More….mature.

I wish that every band I see could be how I remember them.  But as artists I can’t ask them to do that, and I would not like it if they did.  Artists are continuously changing and reinventing themselves.  Sometimes it’s a good change, sometimes it’s not.  <cough>Soulive adding various vocal members of the band.<cough>

By the second set I was able to move much closer to the band.  Between sets there is always a mass exodus of people.  Mostly they want to go smoke, so they piled out front into a small quarantined section.  The other half gets in line for beer.  I was able to do all this early.  By the start of the second set got some fresh air outside and had a beer in hand, 20′ from the stage.

The second set was very different from the first.  More new songs with a much slower tempo than the first set.  Trey also played several acoustic songs solo.  This is reminiscent of the first Trey tour where he would play the first set acoustic and the second set electric with the full band.

It was a great show that night and a wonderful tour closers.  I found some simple stats of the tour and it would appear this show was a little better than average.  Actually it looks like the entire tour was the same.  Pretty much the same set list every night, nothing to special any night, etc…  As for any word on Phish there was only one mention of the upcoming reunion.  Trey mentioned that Hampton was a short drive away and that we should all start camping out now.  You could feel the energy in the room build when Trey talked “Phish”.

What a perfect way to spend a Saturday, some sight seeing, good food, and a kick ass concert to end the evening.

Set 1
Push On ’til the Day
Sand
Ooh Child
Tube Top Flop >
Cayman Review
Drifting
Backwards Down the Number Line
Money Love and Change

Set 2
Sweet Dreams Melinda
Mr. Completely
Gotta Jibboo
Sitting in Limbo
Alaska
Shine
Water in the Sky*
Strange Design*
Sample in a Jar*

Encore
Burlap Sack and Pumps
First Tube

Note:
*Trey solo acoustic

Summer is a great time of year for concerts.  All the large amphitheaters are open for the season and you can catch some really killer bands during summer tour.  And what would summer be without Jimmy Buffett, the best summer fun band!  Nancy and I have tried to get tickets in the past, but without any luck.  This year Buffett was doing two shows at Nissan Pavilion over the Labor Day weekend.  So we were even more excited then usually to get tickets.  We knew he would rock the house!  Fortunately we scored two lawn seats for the Saturday show.  We thought about pavilion seats, but at $150 all said and done we turned that idea down.  Besides, half the fun of a Buffett show is the lot.

A crazy group of people

A few of Nancy’s friends got tickets for the show so we meet up with them before hand to caravan into the lots.  We finally arrived at about 4pm and setup camp.  First thing was the tent, table, chairs and BEER!  The usual food was served and we all started drinking.  I had to drive home so I got my drink on early.  We bought 24 beers so I had a lot of work ahead of me.  Wasting little time I started getting to work.  Gil had a power converter for Toyota FJ so we hooked up a blender and had Margarita’s along with beer.  I have never been to a Buffett concert, but I have heard the stories.  Everyone gets drunk in the lots and then heads in for the show.

Buffett lot

Many hours were spent in the lots just hanging out and chilling.  I couldn’t get over all the people that were here.  We arrived pretty early, but in actuality it was rather late.  Lots opened at 3pm I believe and I am sure people formed a line right at 3 o’clock to get in.  I had not seen anything like it since my days of touring with Phish so many years ago.  All these people getting together in the lots long before the show to have a pre-show party.  It was great and brought back a lot of memories.

The show started at 8pm and from what I could gather the band starts promptly.  So at about 7:15 we started to pack up our camp site, hit the head one last time, down that last free beer, and started walking into the pavilion.  Nancy and I had lawn so it was important for us to get in before the show to get a good spot.  It was a perfect night, cool temperatures and no sign of rain, a good night to be on the lawn with all the people.  At one point during the show Buffett himself mentions it: “This is the first time in recent memory that it has not been over 100 degrees or poured down rain.”  I was very happy for that!  All the good spots in the middle front of the lawn were of course taken, but we found a good location in the right side down low to sit.  Even from this angle we could see the stage without any problems.

Actual tail gating

Those crazy fans

Just after 8pm the show started.  There was a small circus act to announce the start of the show and then the band came walking out on stage.  Come to find out there was two sets, the first one being about 1:30 hours, 15 minutes for a break, and then an hour for the second set.  Hell we got two encores out of him that night.  I must say I was completely blown away by the show.  The crowd absolutely loved him and was really getting into the show.  Conversely Buffett was feeding off the crowd and whole band was enjoying the show too.  About half the songs that were played I recognized, the rest were all new to me.  He even played Scarlet Begonias for the second set opener, a song I know from the Grateful Dead.

Almost after every song Buffett would speak or tell a story.  For some songs there would be a montage on the jumbo screens from various tours or locations Buffett had been on.  And for one song there was a montage of pictures from the lot the day of the show.  He spoke about meeting the troops and doing a show for them.  His time in Hawaii and Fiji Island.  His personal vacations around the world.  It was a great concert.  I walked away from there with stars in my eyes.  The lot kicked ass, the show kicked ass, and the people kicked ass.  I only wish I had tickets for Mondays show on Labor Day, I guess I will just have to wait till next year when he comes around again to Nissan Pavilion for his annual summer tour.

After leaving the show we all meet up at the cars for a little after show party while the lots cleared out.  Nissan Pavilion is not known for getting out of shows quickly.   So we pulled out our lawn chairs, cracked open a few more beers and told stores from the concert.  It was a great time and I look forward to next year with the same group.  Hopefully we can get more people next time.  Because a Buffett show gets only better with the more friends you can bring along.

Set 1
01. Homemade Music
02. The Tiki Bar is Open
03. Fruitcakes
04. Pencil Thin Mustache
05. Manana *
06. It’s Five O’clock Somewhere (w/ Mac)
07. Change sin Latitudes, Changes In…
08. Gypsies in the Palace $
09. Jolly Mon Sing (The Beach Band) #
10. Come Monday (The Beach Band)
11. Cheeseburger in Paradise
12. Brown Eyed Girl
13. One Particular Harbor

Set 2
01. Scarlet Begonias
02. Why Don’t We Get Drunk
03. The Ass and the Hole
04. Son of a Son of a Sailor
05. Volcano
06. Last Mango in Paris
07. Makin’ Music for Money (Nadirah)
08. School Boy Heart
09. A Pirate Looks at Forty
10. Far Side of the World
11. Southern Cross
12. Margaritaville

Encore 1
13. Fins
14. Rainy Day Women #12 &35

Encore 2
15. Reggabilly Hill &

Notes:
Special guest Sonny Landreth for entire show.
* Manana was last played July 3rd 2003 in Columbia, MD
$ Gypsies in the Palace was last played December 22nd 2006 in Aspen, CO
# Jolly Mon Sing was last played November 3rd 2007 in Tampa, FL
& Reggabilly Hill was last played November 1st 2007 in Tampa, FL, first ever acoustic version

PS: On the drive home from the venue to Nancy’s house there was a police check point not 200 yards from her house.  The cop asked what I was doing, he could smell the alcohol in the car.  He must have signaled the other cops because all of a sudden my truck was surrounded with cops.  Having a bunch of empty beer bottles in the bed of my truck didn’t help things.  Because I knew I had to drive home I stopped drinking long before the show ended.  I blew a 0.03 and they let me on my way.  Just a quick reminder to please drink responsible.  It could not only save your life, but the lives of your friends and those you don’t even know.

Nancy and Julie

I know these last few post have been about old stuff I did.  But I didn’t get the web site running till recently and I wanted to get at least a few cool things I have done in the recent past posted.

Chris Isaak @ Wolf Trap

So before summer started Nancy found that Chris Isaak was doing a summer tour and stopping by Wolf Trap in late August.  Now I am not a fan of Chris Isaak, but I also don’t not like him.  To me he is that guy with that one song from you know, back in the day (last Wednesday).  So when she said she wanted to go I was a little hesitant.  But since it was at Wolf Trap and I absolutely love that venue it couldn’t be a bad.  Since you can bring your own food and drink into the venue we got a couple of lawn tickets.  My only concern was going to be the weather.  Late August in Virginia is usually very hot and very humid.  Plus you can get the random thunder storm that decides to roll through the area, like moe. when I saw them at Wolf Trap earlier in the summer.   But I digress.

Fortunately on the day of the show the weather was perfect.  It was in the upper 70’s that day and the evening was going to fall into the low 60’s with no chance of rain!  I couldn’t believe our luck on that.  We both got off work early and headed over to Wegmans for some supplies.  Think of it as a picnic under the stars.  So all the food we got didn’t need to be cooked.  We stocked up on cheese, crackers, hummus, vegetables, and fruits.  And what goes better with this stuff than wine, so we got a couple bottles of wine for the evening.  We kinda got lost just walking around Wegmans and got out of there a little late.  Fortunately traffic was in our favor and getting to Wolf Trap took no time at all.

Little did we know the show was going to be so popular.  We arrived over an hour before the show and the lawn was packed with people, I am sure such beautiful weather didn’t hurt.  With limited seating we took a spot near the top of the lawn and setup camp.  In no time we were munching on food and sipping some wine.

The opening act, who I can’t remember at the moment, was a band from England.  They played the same style of music as Chris.  That rock-n-roll, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, mixed with the twangy electric guitar, you know what I mean.  Not a bad opening act.

Finally about 9pm Chris hits the stage.  I was very impressed with the show.  Not only the music but the entertainment factor.  Chris played several of his hits, stuff even I knew like Wicked Game, and some stuff from his as yet unreleased album.  When he was introducing one of his new songs he even talked about bootlegging.  Said he knows people do it and how much it upsets his tour manager.  He even walked through the entire crowd for one song, didn’t make it all the way to the top of the lawn.  By the time of the encore break it was getting pretty late and people started to leave in droves.  I know it was a school night, but you never leave early!  Nancy was ready to leave at this point but I told her no, not till the house lights come on.  For the encore he played several more songs, almost like he didn’t want to leave the stage.

Shortly after 11pm the show was finished.  The house lights illuminated the venue.  I stood there for a minute in amazement, it was a good show and I was thoroughly entertained.  Being so late on a school night we packed quickly and drove back to my house.  By midnight we were home, exhausted…..but not quite ready for bed.