Fall 2006 - Caroline's Headin For Another Joint Journal
Submitted by Girlofthenorcal... on Sat, 07/21/2012 - 5:12pm
This tour we got the first shot at shows here out West. It was hard planning and affording, since the tickets went on sale when we were out on the ballpark tour, but I’m proud to say that we got it together enough to hit all the GA shows west of Maine!
We left here on a Saturday morning for the seven hour drive north to Portland, getting there with about three hours to spare before doors. Spent some of those three hours drinking sub-par drinks (made with flat tonic and then, switching liquors to avoid the flat tonic, flat coke) at the Ramada bar. But they had a good restroom for getting ready for the show. Check out our reviews section for my full account of the Portland show (as well as the second San Francisco).
Spent Sunday driving back down the way we’d come and then some. We’re going through Weed, CA just as Rainy Day Women is coming on the car stereo! In SF we were put up comfortably at our friend Pamela’s condo which has, among other fine features, a hot tub that we luxuriously utilized after the ensuing two days of little sleep, long hours on the sidewalk, and rocking it out heartily. It’s always a good time at multiple shows at a venue, since not having to head on to the next place affords fun post-show recreation opportunities. San Francisco is my favorite city, and we took advantage of what it had to offer (a theme for the trip that had developed on the way to Portland of “Just do it!” turned into “Just overdo it!” for a night), and we were more than a bit hurting that second day. But we pressed on, had fun talking to the folks in the line and handing out fan club buttons to the security (who wore them throughout the day) and made it to show time – and once Bob comes on, I’m never tired any more.
Live Modern Times is really good! I wrote about the song highlights in the MT Forum and in my specific show reviews. I am sad to have missed Spirit on the Water by one show (damn having to go back home to work for a day and a half!) but I feel lucky to have seen all the new songs that I got to see, including a stunning Nettie Moore in Long Beach, where Bob played in the giant aquarium (show that also featured an extremely creatively sung Watching the River Flow among other highlights). “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” became one of the trip themes, from witnessing the song’s debut in Portland to bidding it farewell right before the encore in Denver. We heard it every night, and each night in a different place: 3rd, 2nd, 5th, 9th, and 13th song slots, in that order. Then even after we retrieved our car at the Oakland Airport and were driving once again north up the 101 at the end of it all, we were listening to Traveling Wilburys and there it was, on two songs back to back: Heading For The Light (“I’ve rolled and I’ve tumbled through the roses and the thorns”) and Margarita (“I rolled and tumbled till I saw the light”).
We got to see the return of some old favorites too, and I got what must be the most surprising opener I’ve witnessed in Lenny Bruce. I think the only other time I heard that song at all was at my first show, in 1981. It was really kind of surreal because I thought it was Thunder on the Mountain switched to the opening slot, and so did some other people around me, because it started with that same kind of guitar noodling and cymbal tapping. So we were all going nuts for that one, and then it turned into something else altogether! Gotta love a surprise. Seems like Bob is into keeping this band on their toes and pushing them. He had words for them on several occasions and was very intense throughout these shows.
Speaking of surprises there was the whole Denver set! I love Wheel’s on Fire, Shooting Star, and Things Have Changed (some of those old favorites). And it was good to hear Honest With Me! We had a whole extra day and a half in Denver so, like Bob, we enjoyed the fine dining that the mile high city has to offer, moving easily between the Rock Bottom Brewery and their 8.0 “Hop Bomb” IPA for lunch, and the margaritas at the 3-margarita limit Rio Grande for dinner, and finally to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Denver also featured good sleeping opportunities and some really pleasant weather (got out right before the two feet of snow hit), as well as a requisite visit to The Tattered Cover bookstore for some browsing and buying.
Well, thanks again to all those who put us up and put up with us along the way! It was fun, as always. Time now to knuckle down and work through the winter rains, to save up money for whatever comes next year. Here’s hoping it’s not too long before we’re back out seein’ Bob and everyone again! -Caroline