Chapter 23 - GREETINGS FROM THE WEST
Our two-day
cross-country adventure was fun but there was no doubt that
it had taken its toll. The three of us were exhausted so naturally
we slept in very, very late. Let me put it this way, lunch
was my first meal of the day. Now, a cheeseburger may sound
pretty weird for breakfast but if it's a good cheeseburger,
what the hell. Besides, I love a good cholesterol burger occasionally
even if it may be at an odd hour of the day.
I was
having my cheeseburger brunch outside on the hotel patio with
a view of a beautiful man-made lake in the middle of Silicon
Valley. That's something we hadn't been able to do for quite
awhile. The sky was clear and the sun felt wonderful as it
warmed the day. It was great to be on the west coast again,
in sunny California, but I would have to enjoy it all tomorrow
on our day off. Today was a concert day and we would all be
back in the groove at around 4:30 for the sound check.
I had
missed the camaraderie over the last, or should I say lost,
two days in the desert, and it was good to be back on stage
blasting away. Although, it took awhile for the band to get
back into the tightness we had achieved before the Endless
Desert episode but after about a half hour or so it all started
coming back. By the time we broke for dinner we sounded pretty
solid. It's funny how even a couple of days off can sometimes
affect you. You don't really forget anything; you just develop
a kind of fuzzy memory. Everything's still there, it's just
slightly out of focus for a bit.
The gig
was at another restored Fox theatre. There are several of
these magnificent old Fox theatres around the country that
have been meticulously restored; this wasn't one of them.
It had been restored just enough for usage and apparently
that's all that was needed. And forget about the dressing
rooms, they looked more like interrogation rooms at a police
department -- a very old police department. Even the power
was provided by a huge electrical cable from the building
next door which was the size of a small fire hose. It looked
pretty weird to see this black plastic anaconda stretched
across the alley between the two buildings like an electrical
umbilical cord. I'm not sure, but I think it may have been
the world's largest extension cord.
Geez!
Even the catering was late. It seems the caterer had to use
a kitchen in a neighboring building as well and then deliver
it all to the theatre. Needless to say, the food did not arrive
on time. It's times like these when it's nice to have the
land yacht at the gig. It became our dining hall, dressing
room and general hang out. And of course, for me there was
always The Chair.
Well,
the show finally got underway and despite a little rust in
the gears, the whole machine worked pretty well. The audience
was enthusiastic from the first song to the last and obviously
had a great time. It was just what we needed to kick our performance
up a notch. It's amazing how a truly supportive audience of
fans can affect a concert, even on those nights when things
aren't running as smoothly as you'd like them to. It's that
extra enthusiasm that revitalizes and energizes the performance,
if only for those two hours on stage. Of course, that's what
it's all about isn't it? Those two special hours on stage!