Chapter 29 - ROCKIN' AT HUMPHREY'S
There
was an early morning fog over the marina, which eventually
lifted to reveal the beginnings of another perfect day in
San Diego, a great day for a concert. And after seeing last
night's show with Taj Mahal and Sam Moore, we were especially
anxious to get back in the groove and take our turn on stage.
We'd been on the road for a while now and the band was as
tight as a Swiss wristwatch and ready to rock.
By 11:00
a.m., I saw the first signs of the crew who had begun to roll
in and unload the anvil cases in preparation for the show.
Oddly enough I was struck by the thought that I very rarely
get to witness the crew at work and the whole set up process.
I would just show up for sound check and everything would
be magically there, just like it was the day before. In fact,
except for the venue, almost exactly the way it was the day
before. Now I had a chance to see what went on to make it
all happen.
I have
to admit, after all these years of being on the road, I was
still fascinated to watch how efficient and thorough the crew
was. As I watched the load in from my hotel balcony, I couldn't
help but think that in a way it was pretty similar to a band,
everybody had a specific but very important part to play if
it was all going to happen and these guys were as good as
they get. And they do this almost every day! Amazing!
I guess
I wasn't the only one who was fascinated with the whole production
process because it wasn't too long before I spotted Photoglo
and McEntee down below watching from about the center of the
third row. And it was not too long after that when Zoot finally
appeared to greet the day and then he too, eventually came
down to hang out around the stage.
By late
afternoon, everything was ready for sound check and we were
more than ready to play. I guess we made that obvious when
we were all sitting at the front of the stage for hours like
a pack of drooling dogs patiently waiting for some treats.
Our sound checks had become more than just a preparation for
the show. They were also a chance for us to jam and experiment
a little bit after the run through so, like true "musos,"
we couldn't wait to get up there and crank out some beautiful
noise.
After
we had finished our sound check by the sea, we all broke for
dinner. As the sun was setting and the audience started to
filter in to their assigned seats, we could hear Dan's new
CD playing through the sound system and the low din of pre-show
audience conversation. They all sounded like the usual Humphrey's
audience, pumped up and ready to have some fun. In fact, the
"Loud Crowd" were already mooring their boats in
the marina and breaking out the snacks and refreshments, as
you can imagine. Humphrey's has always provided a wild audience
and this crowd was a perfect example.
It was
finally time to hit the stage and I could feel the energy
of the audience as soon as I sat down behind the drums. When
you get an audience like that, it really raises the bar a
couple of notches for the whole band. It's that kind of enthusiasm
that usually translates into a higher energy level for the
performers as well.
Like an
old married couple that is able to complete each other's sentences,
Dan and all of us in the band had established a unique and
special musical bond. We had played the show enough times
on this tour to really trust ourselves as players and we were
now getting into the nuances of the music. Our musical interaction
had become so intuitive, we were no longer mimicking a series
of individual parts, we were interpreting the songs and lending
our own musical signature to each one of them like a band
with one brain.
I mentioned
earlier that this band would play good or great. Well, by
the time we'd finished our opener, "Part of the Plan,"
I knew this was going to be one of the great nights. And when
it gets that good it gets to be almost too much fun! There
was no place else I would rather have been than on that stage
with Dan Fogelberg, Jim Photoglo, Robert McEntee and the inimitable
Michael "Zoot" Hanna. I guess that's why we keep
on doing it, there's just no other feeling like it.
Next up
was "Heart Hotel" and after that the show just kept
getting better. The vocals were strong and tight and the band
was absolutely burnin'. We could do no wrong! The crowd picked
up on it and fanned the flames even more. And before I realized
it, we were offstage getting ready to come out for our first
encore, "The Gambler." You know what they say about
time and having fun, well we must have had an absolute ball
on stage because it all felt like it flew by in a matter of
minutes. We played every song on the set list and even a few
extras and it still felt like we'd only played for about half
an hour.
If there
wasn't a hotel curfew time on the concert, I'm convinced we
would have all stayed on stage and probably jammed for another
hour. Like I said, "too much fun!"
.