Off on an Adventure

Last nights concert at the EGG in Albany was intimate, moving, and for the most part thoroughly enjoyable. I have posted a photo of it here taken from the State site. There are better photos out there, but being very copyright conscious, I did not use them, but I believe because this one was on the state site, it is legal to use it, just like you can photocopy state/federal documents as many times as you want on that xerox machine, because folks, it is all done with our money and we own them. Yep, bet ya didn't know that!

I remember when this was being built, in the 70's, by the architect who designed Rockefeller Center. We would drive by it and my father would snort some insult as to its design. Super modern for its time, (unlike him) it is super cool, and a great venue to hear music. In its several theaters I have heard Johnny Winter, Leon Russel, Susan Tedeski, and a few classical concerts there, an hour away from home.

We were about 30 feet from the stage, off to the right, with a great view of Jeffrey Gaines who moves all over the stage. He is a fine musician, and an amazing lyricist. I had seen him some time ago at the infamous Joyous Lake in Woodstock where he played for free. I grabbed my daughter, who was in one of her more behaved modes of adolescence that night, and we sat on the floor in front of the stage and sat transfixed for hours. He played at Skytop in Kingston last winter in an intimate dining room. (groan, that was the night of pints of beer and Marcel drinking scotch which I sipped on and got very very sick from)
I have to say, I enjoyed him every bit as much as Shawn Colvin who was the main show. You know how sometimes you just grin and bear the opening band and can't WAIT for them/him/her to end so that you can hear who you REALLY came to see? Not this time baby.

Shawn was wonderful of course. It was her and her guitar, in a peaceful acoustic session. She played for an hour and a half or so, and sang many of the songs that I know so well. Only my friend knows her a little bit too well, and I had to plug my ear a few times on the side next to her because she was singing along. (I am easily distracted when I am concentrating..and was trying to practice my meditation techniques of blocking out unwanted sound, but it was not working!!!!!)

I am off for now, as we are heading to the Berkshires for a drive with the top down and the heat on. Big black sunglasses, maybe a scarf around my head, feeling like Jackie O. A child of the late 50's, I have her image imprinted into my library of images.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and who knows what kind of trouble we will get in. The Red Lion Inn is our destination!

Till then!

Patti O Wanderer