Life yes does go in chapters, and a major chapter started for me Summer of 1991, when Keys of the Kingdom came out. Up to this point I was just one more single mother, divorced from a quasi-abusive husband, with a 7 year old boy I loved very much, and dating guys just as flakey (if not flakier) than I was. Into my life the Moody Blues cosmically flounced, for better or for worse, and I’ve been hooked ever since, on their mad and beautiful poetry and song.

Perhaps it’s all been a "safe" way to have an intimate relationship, without the risk (child and wife beating, etc). So be it. There are worse fates in this world I suppose.

1991-- I’ve been hearing some very strange lyrics in this latest album the Moodies released, The Keys of the Kingdom. Then again, I’ve been living alone house sitting all summer too. You start to imagine funny things when you are all alone. The date I remember them playing the Concord Pavilion this year is Sept 23, 1991.…. because, my son went along, and we had ice cream for him on the lawn. We ate fast, before it melted! This was the first place he was exposed to Hippy stuff….. "smell that funny smoke, honey? They are smoking Marijuana. It makes you slow and stupid. Notice your mother is drinking a beer" as I pitched the can into the nearest trash bin. (This has worked out great actually, my son is now 24 and doesn’t smoke, nor even drink much. I took him to the Pig Nic too in Laytonville, which is where the Grateful Dead used to live. Great concert, naked hippies and lots of dope. My kid ignored it all like the classy human he is, and spent the time catching poly wogs!)

In later reviews of this 1991 tour, Justin's throat was reported as raspy, among other negative comments in reviews. I can’t say I noticed it myself. Their sponsor was Vitalis hair treatment. No kidding. The Concord Pavilion was only about 1/3 full, if that. The band wore coordinating shirts of pink, purple and mauve, to match the new album cover, but they all looked ill at ease on the stage. Ray was putting on weight. They had new back up singers, June Boyce, and Sue Shattock. And, they had a second drummer, a muscular, young fellow who was named Gordon Marshall and (in addition to Bias Boshell) a new keyboardist, Paul Bliss.

I think this was the show Ray was wearing this far out shirt with a huge mountain on the back of it. Ohhhmmm………..

It was still a great show. I wrote the fan club shortly afterwards, asking if I could join their fan club, and got back a rapid response from Ivy Stewart, who also put me right on the pen pal list for their next newsletter. Yes it’s hard to believe we were still communicating by snail mail in those days, but that was how it was done.