An important public service announcement

Updates

Cheryl's comin' home tonight from Walnut Creek,

so I'm kinda preoccupied, but just a short post. First, Brad and Tim and the cats will be at the Orleans this weekend.

Brad Cordle - vocals
Tim Scott - vocals, bass
Dean Reichert - vocals, guitar
Ric Ulsky - keyboards
Robert Shipley - drums

9 pm to 1 am tonight and tomorrow, Brendan's Pub in the Orleans on W Trop. If you've not heard Dean Reichert on guitar (and vocals) yet, you really oughta get over there. The entire lineup is kick-ass.
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THE BONEYARD

I did a photoshoot for Phil Wigfall's upcoming new CD yesterday at the Neon Museum "Boneyard" (where all the old Vegas marquee signage and lights go to lie in repose). We had a great time. Shot a ton of pics. I'm not gonna post any of him without his say-so, but here are just a couple random non-Phil shots from yesterday.

Interesting place. BTW, Phil played some of the new CD cuts for me in his iPod. Great job. We're lookin' for a January release. His awesome "Cosmic Soul" CD had been available at CD Baby but is now out of stock. I think I have a few left in the gig store suitcase.

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TOP Ten messages on Strokeland Records answering machine: By Al Carlos

10. Hey Rocco from TOP, could those "Fat City" dudes introduce me to some chunky babes?

09. Yeah, calling for Ms. Streisand, tell The Doctor his people need my people, if they do they will be the luckiest people in the world.

08. Guys, Bruce Conte here, my cousin Victor wants the number for the new "Fat City" people, he says he has something that could help them skinny the funk up.

07. Blevins here from Mingo Fishtrap, wanted to welcome Jerry and Santa Fe, wanted to let y’all know that we still have the most ridiculous band name on the label.

06. Roger Smooth jazz Smith here, make sure those "Fat" horn homies don’t sit on my organ.

05. Steve, its Doc, has melody made a comeback yet? Text me.

04. Chris here from Funkiphino, listen man we are getting way too many calls from Manila because we sound way too much like Filipino, could the PR cats do something about this?

03. John March from Zen Blues quartet here, no message man, hear the silence.

02. Patrick Allen, bout time someone called me back.

01. Former President Clinton here, Could someone from the Hip Service band call me asap.

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SATURDAY: So, who shows up at the Berklee School Tower of Power Ensemble rehearsal today?

Tower of Power.

Amanda Corvini's Dad (that's Amanda with the bari sax) tells me in an email that TOP asked that the Berklee band play the Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns "Brother to Brother" arrangement, which they did. He also said that Berklee is soon gonna feature an article on their website about Amanda's sit-in throw down with the guys back in August.

Nov 17th gig at The Palms

We welcome all of you, including our esteemed musical guests St. Paul Peterson and Kenny Loggins.
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POST-SHOW REPORT

I'm at my wholly uncharacteristic loss for words. Mind totally blown. Uploading 251 shots into iPhoto at the moment...

OK, I been waitin' for this night for a long time. Gonna post incrementally as I triage shots and upload the keepers. Let me start with two of the best.
 We had a total crush of a house, packed in like never before. They were treated to an evening of priceless magic. Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns were on fire, and Paul and Kenny took it through the roof. Thank you Paul, thank you, Kenny. Yikes.

Paul's "Blue Cadillac" tore it up, and when Kenny came up, they launched into his legendary tune "This Is It," and the arrangement stomped the house into the floor. A Mount Everest of thundering Nast. A number of people I spoke with afterward had the same reaction I'd felt -- "please, don't let it ever end!"
 Kenny's guitarist and keyboardist also sat in with him. The guitar cat (whose name I didn't get in the din) told me after the show "we had no idea, man, they just said 'we're goin' to hear some band.'"

LOL!

One of our stalwart Champlin (and now Santa Fe) fans, Ronnie, flew in from Marin County just for this show. I'd met her last year when Bill was here at South Point with his Sons of Champlin (archival blog links here and here). Thanks for comin'! That is dedication.
 Jeff Ray again opened for Jerry. He friggin' incinerated the guitar ride in "Brother to Brother."
 Ronnie Gutierrez graced us with his presence and percussion chops!

OK, it's pushin' 4 a.m., I'm gonna upload some more shots and then crash. Will continue goin' through stuff tomorrow and write some more. Again, I don't know what to say to fully express what I just witnessed.
 After they surgically cauterized the room with "This Is It," Kenny sang the lead on "Ain't That Peculiar?" It smoked as well. The standing-O roar of house as Kenny left the stage, man, shit...

At the end of "Blue Cadillac," -- it slammed so hard -- Paul shouted out ecstatically "OK, I'm never goin' home again." Lenny shot right back: "You are home, bro'."

Yep, that's how we all feel about you, St. Paul.

"Ev'rybody in the house, let me hear ya say YEAH!!!"

CODA

So, among the crazed, euphorically delighted fans in the Lounge last night were my kids. Particularly noteworthy was the effusive reaction my 25 yr old son Nick, who was totally awed.

This is the same smartass hombre (wonder where he gets that 'tude?) who had a great laugh at our expense 10-12 years ago when we were all riding back up the 15 from L.A. We kept noticing people passing us in the left lane, and pointing and laughing.

Nick had scrawled a "hostage note" and affixed it to the back seat driver's side window. It shouted "HELP!!! I've been kidnapped and am being forced to listen to Kenny Loggins music!"
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Dal Segno al Fine

Man...Musical EMINENCE.