Doheny 5/18 (Page 2 of 4)

Can we have it in installments please Libbers?

58? No!  Wait a minute...lessee when I was 20 she was 24, yeah, if memory serves...that means I'm 54?  Dammit, man! 

Good thing she's still a knockout.  I need the company.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
gotmymojowoiking
andmybullshittoo

OOOOOOOOOPS!!!
My apologies to anyone and everyone who subscribes to this topic.    I was in the middle of writing my Doheny saga and accidentally hit the submit button instead of the preview button.  So, I posted a work in progress - prematurely.  I immediately deleted it - thinking that no one would even have the chance to see a glimpse of it, BUT, then my friend Danny (Musicinmysoul) told me that he received a copy of it via email because he subscribes to the topic.

I am SO SORRY.  Just ignore it.  I promise I'll wrap it up and post the finished product (novella) SOON ..........  that is, as soon as I finish blushing..... of course, THAT could take a while.  It's just been one of those kind of weeks - ya know??  Jeez.

  Libby 

BonamassaVision presenta:
Una novella con cuatro hombres musical a la playa Doheny.

We'll wait, lil bit, don't even fret, not one lil bit. 

Okay, okay, now that SHRED asked for it....... it's comin', it's comin'....... hold your horses there Dave - I've got one or TWO sumpins to say. 

Are you still suffering from insomnia?...... 'cause I'm gonna give you the cure for what ails ya!!  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!! 

  Libby 

W0W A Shred Sighting And I wasn't here to see it Dave I got your other boy coming to town In Late august LL l8erz

Peace
Bluezman

You know, I really thought I had it baaaad before, but now, after Doheny, I have it worse - SO much worse.  I have it so bad that it took me a while to even begin to absorb it all, let alone write about it.  What a phenomenal weekend it was! 

Okay - this is what I'm gonna do - I'm going to write A LOT OF DETAIL for those of you who are interested in reading ALL about it.  Forgive me, but, THIS WAS OUR FIRST BLUES FESTIVAL and so, EVERYTHING WAS AN EXPERIENCE for us - EVERYTHING!!!!  I also thought that some of you might be show starved and could live vicariously through my "little" story, or, if you are new to the land of BLUES FESTIVALS, like we were, that you might have questions - and so, I have some answers.  As for the rest of you, PLEASE feel free to skip past it all (I'll never know) and get straight to the business of JOE'S PERFORMANCE, if you would prefer.  I'm going to write about the event as it occurred, and so, you will find the specifics about Joe toward the bottom, and I will write it in this color so that you can spot it more easily.  Okay?  Okay. 

Doheny Blues Festival 2008 - May 17 & 18 - Dana Point, CA

PRE-SHOW - THE LAY OF THE LAND

Well, first of all, I must tell you, we sure picked a good weekend to 'get out of Dodge,' so to speak.  The temperatures in the desert began to spike just before we left for the beach and were BRUTAL while we were away.  By the time we arrived back home on Monday, it was about 114 F degrees - ugh!!  We had booked a room at the Doubletree Guest Suites Doheny Beach and arrived there on Friday afternoon.  We were festival first timers, and I wanted to make it as hassle free as possible.  I thought a ten minute stroll down the street in the morning sounded much more desirable than the prospect of facing traffic, parking, etc.  It was a wise choice, I think - a bit expensive, but wise.

The festival itself takes place at the north end of Doheny State Beach Park - a beautiful 62-acre parcel of land which includes a mile of white sand along the Pacific Coast.  The actual Festival grounds consist of a big grassy park with a bit of undulation in the otherwise flat terrain.  It is dotted with many mature and stately palms, as well as fragrant, towering eucalyptus.  The park is fronted by a strip of sand, with the ocean glistening just beyond.  For those of you who enjoy such things, I am including several links to

VISUAL AIDES - MAPS, SCHEDULES, SATELLITE PHOTOS, ETC.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl= … h&z=16
(Satellite view of the park, beach, ocean, etc.)

http://omegaevents.com/dohenyblues/     
(Festival Home Page - with links to artist's bios, etc. - Also has a streaming soundtrack of snippets of participating artists, including a touch of Blues Deluxe - oh yeah - thank you Joe - perhaps it will give you a taste of what it was like - wide and varied and fantastic!!)

http://omegaevents.com/images/uploads/S … heny08.pdf     
(Venue Layout)

http://omegaevents.com/images/uploads/S … heny08.pdf     
(Performance Schedule - not 100% precise, but, you'll get the drift)

Shortly after arriving on Friday afternoon, I headed over to the park to check it all out in person.  Everyone was hustling and bustling about with last minute preparations - sound technicians doing their thing, guys laying out fencing and white lines in the grass to designate things like the 'mandatory walkways', the VIP area, etc., and dozens of vendors were setting up their booths and filling them with merchandise.  Oh, goody!  One of the only things I like better than shopping is being able to shop ALONE, before the stores are OPEN.  Yippee!!!  I had the full attention of Ellie - The Queen of All Things Festival Related (OFFICIAL festival merchandise - event T-shirts, etc.)  She was kind enough to let me do the majority of my damage right then and there - so that I could avoid the crazy lines and shop at my leisure.  After I'd had my fill of that - I whipped out my phone and reached across the country to Cathy so that she could experience a little of it WITH me.  What fun.

DAY 1 - SATURDAY, MAY 17

We grabbed our gear and headed out at about 8:30 AM.  The show started at 11:15, but people start lining up at 7:00 or earlier.  We arrived and plopped our beach chairs into the designated line.  Three different ticket prices/three different lines.  They allow people thru the gate in waves, depending upon what kind of ticket you purchased.  Gold got you in at 10:30, VIP at 10:45, and General Admission at 11:00.  Once we exchanged our tickets for wristbands, we got down to the business of making friends with our fellow waitees.  Nothin' like a bunch of happy blues fans.  As a bonus each morning, we were graced with great LIVE MUSIC right there in the parking lot.  That really helped to make the hours just slip by. 

Small world that we all know it to be, we discovered on the first morning, that our neighbors in line turned out to be neighbors from home - they live about 10 minutes from us.  Actually, we met ALL kinds of GREAT PEOPLE and had LOTS of fun before the gates even opened - drinking coffee, listening to some EXCELLENT tunes, and, I even went on a little bird watching excursion, as one of the huge trees nearby was FILLED with nesting cattle egret and black-crowned night herons - with BABIES - HUGE BABIES in the nests.  An UNBELIEVABLE and unexpected sight!!!   

WE'RE IN!!!

So, the first day we had VIP passes which allowed us the early entry (just after Gold, but before G.A.), and a preferred seating area at the Main Stage.  The festival has three stages.  The Main, The Renaissance, and The Backporch.  The smallest and most intimate of the three is the Backporch Stage, and it turned out to be one of our favorites.  It's also where Joe played last year.  The festival ran from 11:00 - 9:30 on Saturday and ended about 1/2 hour earlier on Sunday (noise curfew).  Except for a momentary overlap from time to time, there were never acts scheduled on the Main and Renaissance stages at the same time, but, the Main and Backporch stages WERE generally occupied at the same time.  Having to make those choices was sometimes VERY difficult, and then, certainly, sometimes there SIMPLY WAS NO CHOICE.  I am reminded of a conversation that I was having with a certain forum member just prior to the festival.  She was telling me what a NICE man Watermelon Slim was, and how MUCH I would enjoy him - that he was just GREAT, and that I really HAD to make an effort to see him, etc.  She was saying all of that UNTIL I told her that he was going to be playing on the Backporch opposite Joe's performance on the Main Stage.  Without even stopping to take a breath - the next words I heard were, "Oh, well, %U$K Watermelon Slim!!!!"  That's my girl.  All that sweet, sentimental stuff just flew out the window in the face of JOE and THE JOE SHOW!!!  (Turns out, the schedule was wrong, and I was able to catch a glimpse of Watermelon later in the day anyway.)

So, Steve was in charge of running toward the Main Stage with our beach chairs (after all, he's the one with the years of football experience), while I skipped off toward the Renaissance Stage to throw a blanket down there too.  We had studied the map and schedule, like an Army General and his First Lieutenant for DAYS before leaving - we had a PLAN!!!  Whew!!!  After scoping things out for a little bit, we made a few adjustments, and then felt quite comfortable with our two set ups.

MUSICINMYSOUL - there are NO COINCIDENCES

A few weeks before Doheny, Forum member Musicinmysoul (Danny) opened a thread to see how many forum members were planning to attend.  Hmmm...... he didn't get a huge response, but I knew that he was going, and he knew that we were going.  Although I was aware that he had seen Joe for the first time at the Galaxy Theater show in February (which we attended too, as did Roy, Jaci, Ken, and Rocket), we had never met, and had had no contact until a week or so before the festival.  Once we DID start chatting, we hardly stopped!  We chatted online a LOT about his ticket issues (and everything else under the Joe sun) and were both VERY excited!!!  Let me just say right here and now, that, other than a very few young people in my life that I am related to, or have had other LONG term close relationships with, I have NEVER been so impressed with ANY young man as I am with Danny.  He is EXTREMELY bright, articulate, talented, funny and sweet.  And, imagine this - he's actually nice to ME and I'm not even in HIGH SCHOOL!!! 

Well, one night, during one of our chats, Danny sent me a photo that he'd taken on a Mac at school that day.  It was a close-up of his face - it was altered with green and purple (I think), he was wearing sunglasses, and, well, let me just say that it wasn't a clear, definable image of him.  Danny, like the rest of you, had NO IDEA what I look like.  We exchanged cell phone numbers and figured that we'd meet, sooner or later at the festival, but we hadn't made any specific arrangements.  He was supposed to have a friend join him and his parents would be there too, but, he wasn't necessarily going to be hanging out with them.

So, here we are, among 8,000 strangers, and I'm thinkin' it's a good thing we have cell phones, or I could NEVER find someone here.  After setting up that first morning, we left the Main Stage area and headed for the Renaissance Stage.  Just as we were leaving the VIP area, I strolled a few feet away from a young man who was unfurling his blanket.  Something about him made me wonder if it was Danny.  I looked up and saw that Steve was getting TOO far ahead for me to call him back, and, I wasn't brave enough to just say, "Danny??"  Besides, I instantly chided myself with, "What in the WORLD makes you think THAT might be Danny, Libby???"  After all, Danny was supposed to be with a friend - and Danny ........well, anyway ...... I had to be just nuts for even thinkin' that out of a mere 8,000 people, that THAT particular young man could POSSIBLY be Danny.  Silly Libby........

Twenty minutes later, at the Renaissance Stage, I saw the same young man.  Hmmm.....this time I took note of what he was wearing.  This time I got up and walked toward the Ladies Room, where I hoped to be able to hear myself think AND make a phone call to Danny.  "Danny?" I yelled into the phone.  "Yes, Hi Libby" he said.  "Danny, what are you wearing?" I asked.  After he began with "A green T-shirt.......," I filled in with, "AND a blue backpack??....are you carrying a blue backpack?"  He said "Yes, I am."  "Well," I told him, "I don't know HOW I knew that it was you, but, I'm pretty sure I KNOW what you look like."  "WHAT??!!!" he asked.  So, I explained the whole psychic thing to him, and, as I was doing that, I started to make my way out the back door of the Ladies Room - on the beach side, away from the music, so that I could hear him better - "WHERE ARE YOU DANNY??"  I said into the phone, just as I walked out the door.  Just as he began to tell me that he was sitting on a picnic table, over by the beach, I emerged and saw him, about 50 feet away.......now, mind you, again, he could have been ANYWHERE on those dozens of acres of land, but no, he was one of only about 4 people in my line of sight.  I told him that I could see him (somehow he didn't see me) and then I hung up and surprised him!  What fun!!  I'm tellin' you - HOW did I KNOW it was HIM???  It was like there was this LINK - CONNECTION - MAGNETIC FORCE between us - it was the MAGIC JOE VIBE!!!!

LET THE SHOW BEGIN 

So, I grabbed him, took him over to meet Steve ('The Duck') AKA my hubby, at The Renaissance Stage.  We hung out there for a while, and then headed to the 'Backporch Stage.'  For us, Saturday's performances really began with Lazy Lester, the harp player.  We took Danny with us and pulled some chairs into the shade as Danny and I were both already on the pink side of medium rare.  Who knew the BEACH could GET that hot?!  Anyway, Lester was accompanied that morning by the very accomplished guitarist, Kid Ramos.  What a great way to start the day.  Steve turned to me as they wrapped it up and said, "Well, that ALONE was worth the price of admission!!"  Danny got a call from his people and had to leave us.  We hung out for a while and chatted with Lester and a very fun woman named Lizzy, who, as it turns out, is Lester's wife's best friend.  We ran into her several more times throughout the day - she is a TRUE blues fan and was fun to hang out with - bubbly and WILD.  Likewise, we were labeled by her as "VERY FUN people" and were invited to hang out and party with them.  We've got their card!!

The day was growing warmer and our chairs were right smack dab in the middle of the sun drenched Main Stage Lawn.  Luckily there were lots of trees around so that we could pop in and out of the shade - although sometimes you had to make a choice between a sunburn and a bad view........oh, the price of enjoying good music.  Now I'll have another reason beyond excessive laughter to blame my wrinkles on. 

Somehow, I missed a lot of the acts - probably chitchattin' too much with all the friendly folks, or running for drinks, or waiting in lines.  Steve caught many more acts than I did.

Eva, liebling - You MUST check out the German band who was there - B.B. and the Blues Shacks - they've won ALL kinds of awards, sold out their CDs at the show, and EVERYONE who saw them was just raving!!

The next thing I prepared to do was to secure myself a little spot - FRONT and CENTER at the Main Stage waiting for the LEGENDS to appear.  I am speaking of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Hubert Sumlin, and Pinetop Perkins.  Other than Joe's performance, THIS was what we were looking forward to the MOST, and we felt TRULY blessed and HONORED to be able to witness.  I must say - they did NOT disappoint.  WOW!  Just knowing the HISTORY - the LIVES these guys have led - the stories they've forgotten, and those they remember.  For God's sakes - Willie played drums (he plays the harmonica now) for Muddy Water's band for EIGHTEEN years, and Pinetop was with him for TEN.  Even Hubert had a brief stint with Muddy, but is better known for the decades he spent with Howlin' Wolf!!  Good Lord!!!

I really wasn't sure what to expect, but let me tell you, at 72, Willie still lights that harp on FIRE and was a sight to behold.  He was a vision in a loose fitting silky powder blue ensemble.  WHAT a performer!!  My favorite move is when he holds the harmonica still and puts his body into a FULL STEAM SHIMMY instead of moving the harmonica!!!  The energy, the camaraderie, the HUMOR, the unspoken messages of JOY passing between these guys - ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE!!!! 

Hubert was lookin' divine in black and white - right down to his shoes!  He still has some great MOVES - hoppin' and jumpin' at 76!!!  Unbelievably, all on the power of one lung, as he had one removed 4 years ago. 

AND Pinetop!!!  Good Lord!!!  Pinetop is 94 years old.  What is he even doing out of BED, let alone PERFORMING at a Blues Festival??!!!  I'll tell you what he'd doin'.  He's ENTERTAINING.  Can you imagine??  Singing??? AND playing the piano at 94?  He simply defies the odds.  Four years ago, the car he was DRIVING was hit by a TRAIN.  And, he still SMOKES!  Jeez!!  Pinetop was in RED.  ALL RED.  Red Pants, Red Vest, Red Tie, Red Fedora.  He would do something fabulous on the keys and Willie and Hubert would look at each other and break into the BIGGEST, most JOYFUL, all-knowing, deep smiles I've witnessed in a long time.  HISTORY - FAMILY - THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL and crack each other up!!!  (By the way, what with the little train accident of Pinetop's and Hubert's little lung removal four years ago, I shudder to think what in the world Willie may have been up to in 2004.  EEK!!!) 

Willie's son, Kenny, is the drummer for the band.  We also enjoyed the band's younger guitarist, "Little Frank" Krakowski.  We were able to meet and greet with Willie, Hubert, Pinetop and Little Frank (and his cute wife) at the signing booth...............

ARTISTS SALES AND SIGNING BOOTH

Right next to the tent where the official festival merchandise was sold (Ellie's booth), Omega Events had erected a double wide tent where artists COULD go (after their performances) to sell CDs, T-shirts, and to be available for autographs, etc.  Some artists participated in this, some didn't.

Pinetop, Hubert and Willie "Big Eyes" were among those who did make themselves available.  WE were THRILLED to be able to meet them and get a little visiting in.  Steve shook their hands and told them, with great sincerity and REVERENCE, that they were his HEROES.  I just gushed, took photos, got autographs, and THEN, before I left, my new boyfriend, Willie "Big Eyes" took my right hand and KISSED IT!!!  Not to be outdone - HUBERT immediately took my left hand and KISSED THAT ONE!!!  OH MY!!!

BACK TO THE SHOW

So, after our time at the Kissing Booth, er, .... um, .....  I mean the Artist's Sales and Signing Booth, we floated on air, er, .....   um, ....... I mean walked back over to the Main Stage.  We settled in for a little Robert Cray.  An excellent way to spend an afternoon on the beach - I highly recommend it.  Once again - I positioned myself at the front of the stage and enjoyed the SMOOTH presence of Mr. Cray.  After a while, I drifted back to Steve and our chairs and called Cathy so that she could hear too - she was really enjoying it when, all of sudden - BOOM!!  Out went the speakers, or the amps or SOMETHING.  The JumboTron screen to the left of the stage (I forgot to tell you about that) went out too.  But......as I said.......Robert Cray is NOTHING if not SMOOTH.  The consummate professional didn't miss a BEAT - he just kept on keepin' on - and I chatted with Cathy while we waited for things to get better.  It started and stopped a few more times before being permanently repaired (whatever IT was).  Robert was great.  Excellent, really. 

After Robert wrapped it up, it was time to make our way back to the Renaissance Stage to see Eric Burdon & The Animals.  I had introduced Danny to Eric's music the week before via the YouTube video, "Spill the Wine".  http://youtube.com/watch?v=K7_U-zj2gfE  Eric lives here, in the desert.  Angela, among others, had told me that we were in for a real treat.  Yes, indeed, Eric still has it - he is QUITE the performer - and was assisted by the legions of SERIOUS fans who could sing along with almost EVERY song.  Again, I decided I had to TRY to get up front for a photo or two - although, this crowd felt VERY different - more intense - more DRUNK - more THICK and pressed together.  But, off I went with my "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me....." until I got about 3 people away from the front of the stage.

THE HAPPY DRUNK FROM ST. LOUIS

As if enough freaky coinkydinky things hadn't already happened, just then, I heard someone say something about Missouri, and how it's the "Show Me State".  A minute later, I heard it again and I said quietly, in the general direction of the comment, "I was born in St. Louis."  The next thing I heard was this girl say, "Kirkwood."  Well, Kirkwood just happens to be one of dozens suburbs of St. Louis, (am I right Rhonda??)....... the very suburb in which I was born - so, I told her that ...... "yes, I was born in Kirkwood - at St. Joseph's Hospital."  Well, one would have thought that I had told her we'd been separated at birth.  She was feeling NO PAIN and instantly BONDED with me - LITERALLY - LIKE GLUE.  She was huggin' me and kissin' my cheek and whippin' out her cell phone so that she could call her MOM and tell her, etc., etc., etc.  Then, about five minutes later, out of NOWHERE, she said, "I'm a watercolorist."  Uh-oh......I feel another kiss coming on........ I looked her straight in the eye and bravely admitted the scary truth, "I'M A WATERCOLORIST TOO."  Well, somehow I graduated from long lost sister to......well...... I don't know WHAT - but she was NOT going to let me go - she was getting ready to write her phone number on my arm with her Sharpie when I offered her my wristband instead.  She threw her arm back around me and held me tight (with the occasional additional smooch to my cheek) while she continued to rock out to Eric UNTIL...........

THE ONLY A$%H#LE AT THE FESTIVAL APPEARED

That's right, out of NOWHERE, like a bull on PCP in a china shoppe, this shirtless psycho comes CRASHING thru the crowd - LITERALLY - mowing down anyone and EVERYONE who stood in his way.  He wasn't even pushing with his arms - he was just running at people with his chest.  He barely missed taking me OUT (by inches) before turning slightly to reach his desired destination, which was the front of the stage.  He didn't care that there were two young girls there (13 maybe??) - he just ran them right over.  So, some big guy (a fan - NOT Security) came over and spoke with him momentarily - didn't faze him - his eyes were glazed and crazed - he was NOT coherent AT ALL - and then that little tiny woman who had been so sweet and completely taken with me seconds before, decided to take him on.  She moved right up there and had a few words with him.  Good drunk vs. bad drunk.  The psycho guy's girlfriend had followed him in and was standing right next to me, telling me what an #%%h&le he was (just in case it wasn't apparent to me).  Things became more and more tense and, after a minute or two, since this kind of thing is about as far from MY reality as having breakfast on Mars would be, I decided that I needed to extricate myself from the situation BEFORE the fists started to fly.  Just as I was thinkin' that, the psycho's g-friend decided to make HER way out toward the right side of the stage.  I let her do all the work while I followed a few steps behind.

I made it safely back to Steve, tried to tell him briefly (over the music) how BAD it was, and scary, etc..  About 5 minutes later, we saw the psycho being 'escorted' out by another fan.  Psycho Drunk Guy was doin' everything he could to fight the Good Guy off, and somehow, the GG managed NOT to hit him.  Shortly thereafter, about ten Sheriffs made their way thru the crowd in pursuit.  The whole scene was not AT ALL the right vibe and, as such, we decided to leave before Eric was done.   

We ended up seeing Mr. Psycho in handcuffs over by the Backporch Stage, along with another guy.  We wondered WHERE in the world SECURITY had been at the front of the Renaissance Stage - it was NONEXISTENT.  Anyway, it wasn't until the next morning that Steve casually mentioned something about the "crazy guy who got up on stage with Eric Burdon."  "What?"  I said.  "What do you mean 'What'?  You were there, you told me about it."  I replied, "NO.  I said he crashed his way to the FRONT of the stage, I never said he got ON it."  Steve said, "Well, he DID get on it - how could you have NOT seen that if you were RIGHT there???".  We went around and around - each thinking the other was crazy, until it became clear that Psycho Drunk Guy waited UNTIL I had turned to walk away BEFORE he climbed onto the stage and bobbed around the organ player AND Eric Burdon for a while.  EEEEEEK!!!  Danny told me later that some security lady (FINALLY - YA THINK??) had shoved him back OFF the stage, into the crowd.  I was told that it took MANY Sheriffs to finally subdue him. 

And so, in general, I'm really amazed and impressed that with that rather sizable number of people, there were not more incidents.  People were generally so well behaved ......many, many HAPPY drunks - but no other crazy people that I saw or heard of, and no one sick or out of control.  I remained concerned about the presence of security (or the lack thereof) right AT the stages though.  There were TONS of security personnel present throughout the grounds, but, NOT regularly stationed in front of the stages.  THAT doesn't make sense to me.  Surely, protecting the artists should be of PARAMOUNT concern.

OKAY - ENOUGH DRAMA - BACK TO THE FUN AND THE SHOW

So, we made our way back to the Main Stage to wrap up the night with Jonny Lang.  We ran into the sister of a dear friend and she went ON and ON about Jonny - how she'd been a fan for so long and blah-blah-blah.  So, I let her talk and then we hit her with the NEWS OF JOE.  We told her that we were happy that she liked Jonny and had been such a faithful fan, but, that the minute she experienced JOE she would be changing her allegiance.  She insisted that it would never happen.  (Maybe she thinks she's got a chance with Jonny or something, I don't know.)  Anyway, the silly thing didn't even have a TICKET for Sunday, so, we had to give her the website and hope that she would trust us - at LEAST enough to LISTEN!!!

Johnny Lang.  Um.....  Hmmm......  I'm not sure how to even categorize the bulk of his music anymore, but, I didn't hear much in the way of BLUES.  HE'S NO JOE.  There were a few songs I liked, including 'Quitters Never Win', but, he just doesn't do IT for ME.  For me, he was too loud, too intense, too much - I was probably too close.  He certainly seems to have a lot of fans, and, I'm sorry if I'm not dripping with flattery, but, at the risk of repeating myself........HE'S NO JOE.

.....and so......Day One came to a close........and, back at the hotel, after scrubbing what looked to be permanently imbedded dirt from my flip-flopped feet (Cathy had WARNED me about getting 'festival feet'), and removing all of the strange 'other people's odors' (LOL! -remember all the hugging and kissing I got?!!), I drifted off for a rather nice sleep - quite weary from all the sun and the fun.       Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

DAY 2 - JOEDAY, er, um, I mean.......um, you know.....SUNDAY, MAY 18

Same morning stroll, new line (GOLD), same VERY cool birds, same new friends, with a few more to meet (including two girls who drove in from CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS!!) , new live music while we waited (Steve said it was like HE wrote the set list with all of his favorite songs), and a quicker entry - the two-hour wait really was a breeze - both days.  Same dash inside with the defensive halfback running toward the Main Stage with the chairs, and the girly-girl skipping to the Renaissance Stage with her little blanket.  I knew it was going to be a good day when the girl who began to sit next to us was wearing a black BONAMASSA tank top!!!  YAY!!!  WOOOHHHOOOOO!!!  Other people may have been calling it Sunday, but WE KNEW that it was really JOEDAY!!!!!  The paper outside our hotel room that morning even read, "The Joeday Los Angeles Times".  And, they were serving "Joeday Brunch".  (wink, wink - just kidding Andre - no one was eating crow either.) 

Anyway, we plunked our chairs down a little closer - about six rows back this time, from the apparent edge of the "standing" area at the front of the stage.  Gauging just how far back from the stage to place your chair in order to guarantee that you're still going to be able to see over all of the standers throughout the day and the night, is an imperfect science, at best, because, of course, the size of the standing crowd swells as the day goes on.  Steve's a sitter.  He doesn't much cotton to people strollin' in and standing on top of other people's blankets and blocking his view.  After a while - during Bonnie, I just gave in and stood up - trying VERY hard to make sure that I wasn't blocking anyone's view behind me.  I know, in our own Forum, we have sitters and standers - to me, it's all a matter of courtesy and sharing.  It should be a balance...... but it's hard, if not impossible, to work it out just right.  The "standers" at the front of the stage very kindly allowed me to squeeze in, under and around so that I could get some shots, hang for a while, and then back out......except for one big guy on Sunday, during Bonnie who was not nice to me - at all.  He was about 6'2" and burly and WAS NOT gonna consider lettin' little ol' me in there for one second - no way, no how.     

FOOD AND DRINK

You are not allowed to bring your own food and beverage into this venue, with the exception of one bottle of water per person.  The food and beverage vendors at this festival do not accept any cash.  Instead, everything is paid for by the use of an "Event Card."  We bought ours in the parking lot, prior to the show, and it works like a prepaid credit card.  You buy a card with a certain amount of $$ on it - get your goodies - the vendor tells you how much your balance is - they deduct their charges and you're off to the next vendor.  Handy for everyone really, not to have to handle cash, however, there were a couple of times when they overcharged me and then didn't remember the part of their training which would have allowed them to put the credit back on the card - so, they gave me cash back instead, which, of course, I couldn't use with any of them!  Ha!  Little Glitches......

On the second day, we had Gold Passes - which allowed us all of the VIP privileges we had enjoyed the day before, with the addition of a few more goodies:  Earliest entry (15 min. before VIP, and 30 min. before G.A.).  An event T-shirt.  Access to the Gold Area (which was behind the stage and adjacent to the Artist's area - sometimes the artists moved thru the Gold area).  The Gold Area had a few shaded tables.  An upgraded bathroom facility.  A free meal.  A voucher for 8 free drinks.  Sounded good, but, I'll tell you this.  We could ONLY get our meal and our drinks in that Gold Area.  There were always long lines (10-30 minutes), they ran out of water 3 times (that I was aware of - I don't know HOW often it really happened), and the better bathroom always had a long line too. 

So, imagine that you are sitting in the hot sun - at one end of the festival, watching someone play at the Backporch Stage, and you get thirsty.  You have two choices.....buy another event card and use it at one of the many nearby beverage vendors, or, hoof it all the way back to the Gold Area (while you walk PAST 20 different drink vendors) to get your free drink (your "free drink" that you paid thru the nose for, that is).  Hmmmm....... come on.  If you can train all of your vendors to use Event Cards, then surely you can train them to punch out a hole on someone's drink voucher card.  The really frustrating part is that we don't even drink - so, they didn't even touch our voucher cards - they just gave us as many waters and Diet Pepsi's as we wanted - that is, when they HAD them on hand.   

Personally, I don't understand the thinking behind anyone taking their "best customers" and making them WORK to get what they paid for by standing in long lines and walking long distances.  Shouldn't the opposite be the goal?  Isn't it supposed to be about accommodating the customer?  I didn't care about the walking, or even standing in line - it's the TIME I wasted doing THAT, instead of seeing the MUSIC.  Pretty basic problem I think, with a simple solution.  More staff and more training and better planning.  So, that's our big gripe about the Gold Tickets.  The only real benefit was that they put me in a place where I was able to chat with Joe and the guys, after they performed.  Of course, THAT made it all worth it - but still - I think the promoter has some kinks to work out.

SUNDAY PERFORMANCES

The day began with a difficult decision.  Shawn Jones, a Southern California guitarist, who we had seen open for Joe and Robben Ford at the Galaxy Theater earlier this year, was the first performer scheduled for the Main Stage.  Jimmy Thackery was at the Backporch.  Sorry Shawn - but, we can catch you at a local gig - we'd never seen Jimmy - so, decision made.  WOW!  Jimmy is hot.  I sat, rather mesmerized in the blazing sun at the foot of the tiny stage - shooting photos and raising my eyebrows in amazement.  Again, WHAT a way to start the morning.  Jimmy wrapped up his performance with a flawless rendition of the National Anthem a la Jimi Hendrix.  He threw in a little playin' behind his head too, just for good measure.  Jimmy will get your blood pumpin' - I guarantee you.  As a special guest of Jimmy's, we were also treated to the VERY funny and talented Rev. Billy C. Wirtz.  VERY, VERY funny with a fabulous pair of black and white python boots which he promised would be up for auction on Ebay a little later.

We were able to meet both Jimmy and Shawn afterwards at the sales and signing booth.  I got a couple autographs from Jimmy and also brought a photo along for Shawn to sign.  "Wow.  THAT'S a GREAT picture!  Where did you get this?" he asked me.  "I took that picture of you at The Galaxy in February, Shawn" I replied.  "Wow.  I really, really like it - will you email it to me??" he asked.  His bandmate said, "It's very cool.  VERY Rock 'n' Roll."  Oh my.  Blush, blush.  I'm in demand.  I saw him later and told him that I'd be happy to shoot his next cover.

OKAY.......................drum roll, please................................

THE JOE SIGHTING

And so, we had quite a long wait until Joe was scheduled to go on, but, since I had things to do in order to be REALLY ready - changing my memory cards and batteries, etc., we decided to skip any other acts and just relax at the Main Stage and wait for Joe.  NO WAITING NECESSARY!!!  We strolled back up and WHO do you suppose was doing his own sound check???!!!!!!!  WOW!!!  Finally!!!!  IT'S JOE!!!!!  I shouted out a couple of hellos to all of the boys and even flashed Joe my little "JOE" sign that I had made with my Sharpies while sittin' in the hotel room the night before - that way, there would be NO QUESTION of WHO I WAS THERE TO SEE.  I got a smile, nod and look of appreciation.  The boys were 'dressed down' for the sound check, which is always fun for me to see.  Joe looked like he was about about 14 in his baseball cap, T-shirt, jeans (all black) and slim body.  He looks VERY fit and healthy.  Carmine looked like a very hip and comfortable tourist on an island - shorts - cool cotton shirt - snappin' pictures of us snappin' pictures of him.  Rick was also sporting shorts and a loose tank top.  Bogie, well, darn it, Bogie's always hard for me to see back there - too much equipment between us for a full fashion review, but he was wearing a blue green shirt, T-shirt and jeans.  He was just COOL back there with his shades on.

I should mention, before you all start to imagine the artists roasting alive in the blazing sun - that ALL of the stages were covered - solidly on the Backporch Stage and with a semitransparent screening on the Renaissance and Main Stages.  The Main Stage's screening extended out enough for the first several rows of 'standers' to be covered by as well.......thank God.......otherwise, I'd be writing this from the Burn Unit at the local hospital.

So, of course, it was fun to watch all of the hustle and hard work and get that little extra anticipatory JOELT (as if we needed ANYTHING more to PUMP US UP!!!) 

Finally, after MONTHS of waiting eagerly, patiently, excitedly, etc., the show was about to start.  We'd been served up several nice appetizers, salads, and side dishes - but now, we were hungry for the ENTREE.  THE MAIN COURSE.  Really hungry for a BIG serving of JOE. 

So, you know this is where I lose full consciousness, so to speak.  I've tried to explain to you all before, the state which overtakes me completely - body and soul - when Joe is performing.  It really makes it next to impossible for me to relate the experience, because, as I have previously mentioned, it is BEYOND the LIMIT of mere WORDS.  I know, I know, you've had to read thru all of this other nonsense, just waiting to hear a word or two about JOE, and now, you get here, and I'm sort of at a loss for words!!!  For those of you who've had the honor and privilege of seeing a live Bonamassa show, you KNOW what I'm talking about.  It is really just unbelievable - other-worldly ....... it's a no-human-being-could-POSSIBLY-have-that-much-talent kind of thing.  For those of you who haven't yet had the opportunity - well, you had just better make it a priority, because, once you DO experience Joe, LIVE and in person, YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.  It truly is LIFE ALTERING.

I wonder, how Joe feels when/if he reads things like this.  I wonder if he has a grasp - any kind of grasp of the depth of the effect he and his music have on people like us.  I don't know WHAT it would be like, to be him - to have these incredible abilities, and yet, to have them all wrapped up inside such a NICE, HUMBLE package.  Does he 'get it'?  Is it all just as unfathomable to him too?  Or, does he just think of it as, "This is just what I do.  I'm having a lot of fun doing it.  I work hard.  I'm honored and pleased that others happen to really enjoy watching and listening to me just doing what I do."  I have the feeling that it's something like that.  If I think of it, next time I see him, I'll ask him this, "Do you know Joe, really know and understand, what you bring to people's lives?"

I don't consider myself to be blinded by some sort of delusional obsession over yet another very talented artist.  I am SURE that Joe IS in a class by himself.  I am SURE that we are really lucky to be here, witnessing it.  I am SURE that he will continue to grow and change and BECOME even MORE than he is now.  I am SURE that anyone in their right mind who is exposed to Joe will come to feel the same way that we do.  I am SURE that Joe will deliver the blues to the world in his way and that we are in the middle of our own 'deliverance'.  I am SURE that we have been TRANSFORMED by the music of Joe.  I am SURE that we were brought to Joe for a reason and that those reasons continue to become more clear as the days roll by.  I am SURE that Joe is a gift, which, as I have said before, keeps on giving.  I am SURE that I was meant to be HERE in this Forum with YOU - giving and getting and growing. 

It's no wonder that this may sound a little like religious fervor to some.  It also wouldn't surprise me to know that several of you who are reading this may have already broken out into an involuntary "Hallelujah Sister" or two.  And for any of you who might not 'get' what I'm talking about - or think that I'm giving Joe too much credit - or am teetering on the edge of sacrilege - no - I don't think so.  I'm pretty clear about this.  I don't believe that Joe is a holy man, and am not suggesting we make a religion based on Joe - but he IS a GIFT from HEAVEN.  That much, I believe.

THE JOE SHOW

Joe and the boys came back out onto the stage out of their casual duds, but not wearing the more formal attire which we have seen throughout recent indoor venues.  Indeed, we were AT THE BEACH, after all, at an OUTDOOR Blues Festival - with LOVELY weather.  So, the guys were totally SLICK lookin' without being inappropriately OVERDRESSED.  Joe was wearing ALL BLACK - long-sleeved black shirt, black pants and excellent black marching shoes.  Carmine, Rick and Bogie all looked CASUALLY ELEGANT as well.  So suave this group of guys. 

So, Danny gave you the set list, but, since that was a few pages ago, and more days than I'd care to mention, I'll post it again:

Bridge to Better Days
So Many Roads
Mountain Time
Another Kind of Love
Sloe Gin
High Water Everywhere
Woke Up Dreaming
Just Got Paid/Dazed and Confused

I will tell you this.  Joe has never sounded better - nor, has he looked better.  Now, I'm not talking about his incredible weight loss (for which he should be commended) - I've told him that we love him no matter what the scales say - it was just VERY apparent to me that he FEELS SPECTACULAR.  That all is RIGHT with Joe's world.  He does look just FANTASTIC.  All man.  And the band, again, as a whole, and as individuals - well, it was just magical.  I told Carmine after the show that they'd NEVER sounded better - so seamless and PERFECT.  He told me that it was because they'd played SO much together - on tour, and now in the studio.  THEY WERE MOVIN' and GROOVIN', for sure.  Confident, strong, and SPECTACULAR!!

Patty, you'll be happy to hear that the MARCHING was INTENSE.  I worried that Joe was trusting TOO much in his sveldt body and that he might have a horrible revisitation of the time he fell thru the stage.  He didn't though.  I'm tellin' you - ain't nothin' like Joe Bonamassa standing DIRECTLY above and in front of you - marchin' and playin' as if his very LIFE depended upon it.  Hot damn, Joe......Yoweee!!

So, I spent an hour - in my mesmerized slack-jawed state - barely conscious of my surroundings - just maintaining enough awareness to stay upright, breathe, and shoot a few photos, etc..  Occasionally I became aware of those around me......like the girl standing next to me who believes that she and Joe think exactly alike, and, therefore, should be married - she cried during three songs  ......  or, the woman behind me, Claudia, who told me that she's taken her grandchildren to see Joe (I told her to come visit on the Forum and she just joined!!)  ..........or, how about the thick stacks of other SERIOUS fans - LOTS OF MEN - pressing in behind us - shouting out JOOOOOOOOOE!!!!! from time to time.  I couldn't see past the 'standers' to the seated 8,000 people......but, I didn't HAVE to see them to know that, if they didn't COME there knowing who Joe was and being a devout fan, they certainly wouldn't LEAVE in the same unenlightened state.  I asked Steve what it was like out there and he said it was pretty typical - you know all the things you hear first timers say - the gasps, the "OH MY GOD!!!!", the "Can you believe it??", the "I have NEVER seen ANYTHING like THAT in my entire life!!",  the "Where has THIS guy been??", or, the ever-popular, "Where have I been??" - then, of course, you hear the familiar shuffle of paper while people frantically check to see how to spell B  -  O  -  N  -  A  -  M  -  A  -  S  -  S  -  A.  And, even after the standing ovation, you can always FEEEEEEEEL that sort of STUNNED silence and the general state of awe and disbelief.  I truly think that people have a hard time wrapping their brains around the EXPERIENCE of JOE.  I think that it is SUCH an INTENSE happening, that the brain simply cannot accept it as reality, or begin to take it ALL in.  That's what I think.  I have as much fun watching newcomers as I had when I was one. 
 
I'm not sure why they scheduled Joe when they did - but, in my opinion, it’s a good thing Joe didn’t open the festival on Saturday morning, or the rest of the performers might have had to abandon ship.  Nothin’, nobody, no how can stand the test of JOE.  He IS the MAN.  I cannot imagine having to follow him.  People must shake in their boots at the mere prospect.

As I mentioned earlier, our GOLD tickets on Sunday gained us access to an area behind the stage with food, drink and restrooms.  The artists area was adjacent to this area and separated by a low fence, so we had 'partial' access to them.  I was able to have a really nice little visit with Joe, Carmine (we spoke a little about Big Jeff), Bogie and his drop dead gorgeous SWEET wife, and a brief moment with Rick as well.  I also know that the boys hung out for some time to enjoy the festival (and several musician friends) themselves.  Isn't that nice?  I always worry that hard working musicians DON'T get enough of what we DO get - just the pleasure of some NICE relaxing time spent enjoying incredible music and the company of good friends and/or loved ones......so, it was EXTRA nice for me to actually SEE that happen for our guys.       

I have to tell you that the festival attendees were NOT the only ones enjoying Joe.  Clearly, since it is a public park, with a public beach, there were many onlookers, or onlisteners, as the case may be.  BUT, I know that something else occurred during Joe's performance - and, I've heard rumors that National Geo and the Discovery Channel are fighting over the rights to the story. 

Right in the middle of the first song, I happened to glance out into the water with my binoculars and WHAT did I see??  Flipper!!!  I saw Flipper and his other dolphin pals actually leaping out of the water – doing that hoppin’ backwards on their tail thing – in PERFECT timing with Joe’s marching!  It’s true!  I swear!  And, that's not all.  There were reports of marine life up and down the entire Pacific Coast joining in the fun!!!  Even killer whales peeking out of the ICE - trying to see what all the fun was all about!!!  It didn't stop then either.  Apparently, the phenomenon went on WELL into the night......and, I actually overheard a dolphin asking on Monday morning WHERE Joe was doing the 'Blues in the Schools' program.  Apparently, he had heard a bunch of tuna bragging that Joe was coming to THEIR school......Flipper was thinkin' "Hmmmmmmm..... a little Blues from Bonamassa, a little lunch with the tuna (so to speak)......sounds like a good day to me......"  Anyway, here's the proof of all of the celebratory stuff:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uV7hrh458aw& … re=related  (dolphins dancing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L76E81WS … re=related  (humpback breech)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB2KvyiFUws&NR=1  (killer whale spy hopping)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T-6E-rmawI&NR=1  (dolphin jumping @ sunset)

Okay, have you had enough fun yet??  Want to hear more about the rest of the acts?  Want to take a nap first?  What?  You've already been sleeping??  Okay, okay, it's almost over......

AFTER JOE - THE REST OF THE SHOW

Little Feat were great fun to listen to AND to dance to.  LOTS of energy - LOTS of songs - LOTS of great singin' and harmonies and a big band with a sense of effortless togetherness.  Again - professionalism.  GOOD TIME MUSIC!!!  I was trying as hard as possible to reach across the globe and psychically connect with George (Amsterhammer), whose FAVORITE three performers just HAPPEN to be JOE, LITTLE FEAT AND BONNIE RAITT!!!  What are the odds that they would all be performing on the same stage, on the same day??!!!  I'm not confident that my effort worked, but am happy that George will see Joe in less than a week, and Little Feat in a little bit.   

We were completely enamored with Coco Montoya who made a long guest appearance with them (almost the whole set).  He was awesome.  VERY smooth.  Steve was very impressed.  We feel quite lucky to have seen more than one of the impressive great guitarists who spent time as a part of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.  Coco is another that we can now check off the list.  (Eric Clapton last spring, Buddy Whittington twice in the past six months, Kal David for 3 1/2 hours on Saturday night, and hopefully, Walter Trout at the end of the month).

AND......WRAPPING UP THE SHOW......

The divine Miss Bonnie Raitt was a vision in violet - with her signature flamin' red hair - so LOVELY and so TINY.  She played for a LONG TIME - the crowd LOVED every minute of it.  She has very devout fans and seemed genuinely pleased to be playing in such a BEAUTIFUL location to such an appreciative audience.  She sang, and talked, and joked, and laughed and commented on the incredible full moon and the perfection of the evening.  She is a SERIOUS musician and a complete professional - she has done this a time or two before.  I love Bonnie's range of tempo and type of tune - but, most importantly of MOOOOOOOOD.  She was HOT, and blue, and sexy and tragic.  Lord, she can getcha goin' and have you up and dancing one second and sittin' back weeping the next.  A gifted, generous musician - and an elegant woman who gives BACK.  She just about laid me out with a PERFECT 'I Can't Make You Love Me' (my eyes still fill with tears at the mere memory), not to mention 'Angel From Montgomery'!  But, I survived the songs, and she wrapped up her set on a happier note.

...... oh......GEORGE, I nearly FORGOT!!!! 

The MOST important thing that I have to say about Bonnie's performance is a message for our dear George (Amsterhammer) who thinks that Bonnie is the second most fabulous woman to grace the planet.  George, I have discovered the secret to getting a hug from Bonnie.  You must position yourself close to the stage, wait until she's about 3/4 of the way thru her set - you know, nice and RELAXED and INTO IT.........enjoying the VIBE........and THEN..........take your shirt off and throw it up onto the stage.  As witnessed in Doheny, she will likely then INVITE you up onto the stage to say thank you, give you a little hug, and TRY to give you your shirt back.  Hey, it worked for one guy, it could work for YOU too!!!

So, as I was saying, Bonnie closed the Festival to a VERY happy and appreciative crowd.  We packed up our blankets, chairs, cameras, etc.  Oddly, we seemed to be the ONLY people who picked up after themselves - trash and bottles were everywhere.......and, I suppose plenty of staff to take care of the mess, but still.......  We said our last goodbyes to several fun people that we'd met and headed back to the hotel where, again, we slept PRETTY hard - now having TWO full days of fun in the sun behind us.

IT'S OVER - TIME TO GO HOME 

When we woke up the next day - after an hour or so - faintly at first - I could hear music......I thought perhaps it was coming from the park - that they were probably playing something while tearing down the stages......as I approached our sliding glass door, it became noticeably louder - a lone harmonica  ......  hmmm.....I think someone is playing a CD in a nearby room - no - WAIT - there's a little acoustic guitar too  ........  WELL.....by the time I was out on the patio, I KNEW it was LIVE, I knew it was in the room above us and I KNEW it was NOT an amateur.  Turns out, (which I didn't find out until we got home) that, according to my hotel source, "ALL of the performers were staying with us.  Lazy Lester was down in the bar playing on Friday night.  THAT kind of thing happens ALL the TIME.  That's why you HAVE to come back!!!"  Well, that and a million other reasons.  Yes, we will go back to Doheny.  Just remember, this was our FIRST Blues Festival......we weren't sure we'd even LIKE it ........ we are so SPOILED with the intimacy of seeing GREAT acts in SMALL VENUES - especially JOE - but, like it we did.  It will NOT be our last festival - that's for sure.  I wonder when tickets for the '09 Festival (which Joe will likely be headlining) will go on sale .......

We came home with five new T-shirts, more than 30 new CDs (several 4 Disc Sets), just enough of a kiss from the sun to prove we were there without paying the price of a sunburn, AND enough memories of the music and personalities of countless gifted artists to last SEVERAL lifetimes.

In closing, I have to say THANK YOU, thank you, thank you, George (Amsterhammer)!!!  You are the one who first alerted me to the possibility of a Joe show in May in Southern California, which, as it turned out, was the Doheny Blues Festival.  I will be indebted to you for a long time for this one, my friend.

And, by now, you know the high points:  Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe and Joe......and, of course, Carmine, Rick, Bogie and his BEAUTIFUL and SWEET wife.  Hubert Sumlin AND Willie "Big Eyes" Smith kissing my hands.  Meeting Danny.  Bonding with strangers thru the universal language of music - the language of the BLUES in particular.  Taking in the gorgeous backdrop surrounding the beautiful music......the elegant palms thru the shade screen at the Main Stage.....the full moon.....the eucalyptus ......  the crisp, clean, warm, slightly moist air  ......  and, finally, awakening unexpectedly on Monday morning to the sound of LIVE music coming mysteriously from above, as if it had followed us home and wasn't quite ready to let us go .............  Doheny ...............
 

Much Love to All my Forum Friends,

  Libby 

Okay, I'm gonna post this baby now, and pray that I don't break the Forum with its unwieldy girth. 

P. S.  I've arranged for smelling salts to be shipped to each of your homes so that your families and friends can revive you.

*************************************************************************************************************

By the way, in case you missed any of these - here are FIVE short articles from the Orange County Register:
 
Thursday, May 15 - Pre-festival article - very complimentary about Joe
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/en … 043868.php

and another article from the same day (with the same pics as above, I believe):
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/en … 043877.php

Review from Day 1 @ Doheny.  Be sure to click on the 'more photos' button - there are 12 on this review.  (This is the only one w/o pics or word of Joe since he didn't perform on Day 1.)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/blue … ang-guitar

Review from Day 2 - again, click on that more photos button - 11 photos here, I think. 
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/en … 046155.php

and a few more photos:
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ne … 047226.php

Jeez Libby, was worth the wait. Gonna have to print this out and read it during my lunch hour!!

Very nice work, been getting review withdrawals since the Euro-tour ended. One serious post there girl!!