Bakersfield 6-27-08

Great photos!!  It looks like all of you had a great time.  Can't wait to read the write up on it.
Thanks for sharing,
ss

OK, the set list, I believe was close to this:

Bridge To Better Days
So Many Days
Mountain Time
Another Kind Of Love
Sloe Gin
Highwater Everywhere
Your Funeral, My Trial
Don't Burn Down That Bridge
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Woke Up Dreaming
Just Got Paid/Dazed

Encore 1
Angel On My Shoulder
One of These Days

Encore 2
Ball Peen Hammer
New Day Yesterday

It was a warm breezy night at the Bakersfield College Outdoor Theater. The theatre is recessed below ground level like so many amphitheaters are. We had a group of eight that I had assembled and we were fortunate to have front and second row seats. While walking down to our seat I asked my wife if she wanted to let our son and his friend take the two front row seats. She NO, she wanted to sit in front! Since we saw Joe in New York last October, she has been a big fan.

I didn’t know if Joe would play his full set list because of his early show the next day in Monterey, but I watched the stage guy tape down the list where Joe was to stand  and I could see it was the full deal. Sometimes Bakersfield gets passed over by people with preconceived ideas and I hoped that Joe wouldn’t and he didn’t! By the time the show was to start, seats were filling up quickly. If I can get a head count for Pat on Monday, I’ll post it.

Joe came out looking slim and relaxed with his classy threads. The audience was very responsive and Joe let it rip! From our seat, Joe wasn’t more than 6 feet away half of the time! What a amazing opportunity to see such talent up close. I knew all of the songs and it was fun to know what was coming next in each song and hear the audience really respond to each change of style.

At one point in a song (sorry I don’t know which one because I was taken by surprise), Joe stepped away from the mike and shushed the crowd and sang the remaining song without any amplification!  I’m not sure why, except that it seems consistent with his innovating style of music. During one of the encores, two “ladies” decided to join Joe on stage and try to dance with him, (very classy Bakersfield!), but the guy who hands Joe his guitars, quickly threw them off stage. Joe just smiled his winning smile and continued on without missing a step! He introduced his band and also pointed out his girlfriend standing at the left side stage. Bakersfield won’t soon forget, if ever, Joe’s performance. Too bad our rag of a newspaper didn’t cover the show. I waited to see if Joe would come out and greet the fans cause I wanted to try to get a photo with him, but he didn’t. I’m sure that they needed to get on the road quickly.

Roddawg

Very nice, Roddawg. Joe usually steps away from the mic during "Asking around for You"...Right when he sings "When I get to heaven".....Because I know what's happening I've learned to be quiet. I think it confuses people however, because for years, when an artist would step away from the mic, it was a "signal" to applaud. That, of course, leads to him having to quiet the crowd.
    It's also a bonus that your wife shares your love of Joe. Addictions are so much better when you have a co-dependent partner!!!!                                    Cathy

I'd love to have a recording. Let me knwo when you get it set up.

Thanks!

Girls dancing on stage...............shades of ANDY Live. Maybe they saw the video and thought it was a tradition?????..........NOT!!!!

                                                                                        Bailar Mi Hermana, Bailar Para Mi,

                                                                                        J Dawg

"What's the matter with being sexy?"......................Nigel Tufnel