"The reason that ego and love are not compatible comes down to this: you cannot take your ego into the unknown, where love wants to lead. If you follow love, your life will become uncertain, and the ego craves certainty."--clipped off MSC

Wrapping up the Spring Tour

April 4-6, 2009

"We’ve seen the nude scene, can we go home now?"-- Hair

Him who pelts you with stones, you pelt with bread- Yiddish proverb

After the show I didn’t linger. Frusty (also at all the shows I saw) ran around excitedly (waving a print-out) outside the Fox, she was traveling with someone and trying to navigate back to her car I think. She didn’t even notice me when I said "Hi Sue". Interesting, she prints out her map quests as directions, not as maps. I much prefer maps, they are prettier that way. Well at least she uses maps! I still chuckle over Rhonda Connelly years ago in Los Angeles, saying the people she was traveling with "never had maps". I hopped onto BART, found my car easily, drove on through to Vacaville, stayed in one more crummy motel, and blew town the next day, not shutting it down until Portland.

So many friends to meet: Sadly I missed my Moody buddies, Jill and Renee, but found Rebecca and Debbie (but not for all shows!) I talked to many many people. It was a great vacation with all the folks I met. I don’t get out much I’m afraid, too busy working! Leslee "the Starer" was at all the shows, and responded when I talked to her in front of the Fox, so I guess she’s ok. She is just not the bubbly gal I met years ago in Santa Barbara. I wonder what is up with her. She wasn’t into being chummy so I didn’t push the issue.

The TER clique. They were usually over on the bar in a gaggle. I'm afraid I didn't recognize any of them. The TER bunch is not the only fan group, but at times they act like they are. Many many "regulars" were traveling along (and NOT hanging with TER), who also keep low profiles (one is an RN! LOL they should give her free tickets, just to be backstage and help them out if they need medical assistance! She would be glad to help I bet! Especially when all those wild titties cause a heart attack!)

I overheard one gal call themselves the "California Moody Cutie Club". Do I need to say more?

I rarely make an issue out of "on line". But that Tina Turner look-alike I mentioned DID snub me in Nashville last February when I said I lurked on about ten Moody newsgroups, but didn’t post on TER. (Translation: you ain’t shit if you ain’t on TER. Sigh). Anyway a friend of hers came over to me in Santa Barbara and Bakersfield both (both were at all the shows I did) and was pretty persistent about figuring out who I was. ~~Groan~~. After a while, some of ‘em run out of info on the band to gossip about, then start in on the fans! I’m not into high profile, and keep my real name off line as much as possible for this reason. Anywho, she asked (in unctuous tones), not if I was Lunazure, or Josie (or even Tigger!) she asked about my REAL name. Sorta rude! And sorta scary. How the hell else would she know my real name unless she and her gossipy friends had been discussing me? What a horrible thought! Why would I even respond to something like this? I lied (like a dog!) to her, and thankfully she went away.

After some research I put her together with her posts (she‘s ok, just nosy), and got good feedback about the Tina Turner clone too (from a mutual acquaintance), so, not digging at you guys, but just pointing out to ANYone reading that 1) I’m not fodder for your gossip and you’re pitiful if all you have to discuss is ME and 2) good heavens, put on a bra!!!!!! And 3) please pardon my paranoia, but I really have run into some ugly situations with the on line group. I've had my back ventilated a lot in the fan club, not to mention semi-assaults! I may not be a nice person to play with at all. <pleasant tone> Please leave me out of your social circle! Thank you. Sometime again.

Debbie knocked me out in Bakersfield, she has a "dumb blonde" act but is actually pretty intelligent. We started talking about the economy (I think this bothers John a lot, being a Cancer like he is……… he said before "One More Time to Live" in Santa Barbara something like "this is more true today" and over the song he says "tell me someone" repeatedly). Anyway Debbie said "we are in information overload, and when something radical happens, we are like a school of fish, we just all turn at once and react". That is worth pondering. We let media sway us so easily. Maybe we need to turn off our tellys and just live life. Go watch Mary Poppins, take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

Mr. Happy DID put in an appearance at the shows, and never mind who where or when. But I did hear a distinct off-mike comment of "Oh no" and Mr. Happy went away shortly thereafter. Smile, be proud, everyone enjoyed it. I told a friend and she replied "where have you been? That happens all the time at shows!" Ok so I’m just a "little girl from the willows." Rock on.

If I haven’t said it enough yet, Justin’s picking style is just incredible, I think I enjoy "Are You Sitting Comfortably" the most. He has a big pick BTW, a bit heavier than I use. A true master of the guitar. John and Justin have incredibly muscular arms, did you know that? You can really see their tendons stand out up close. Looked even better in tees!

Allan Terry shows up about 7:30 to do a last check on the drums, because I think putting all those bodies into a house will alter the moisture and the drums. He did it about the same time every night. Also the Collins doesn’t put in an appearance until about quarter to 8, which was almost like a timetable too. They usually start at 8:15 on the dot, but in Primm they started at 8:10 and I think they were done by 10:15, no intermission, poor devils.

I saw one of Justin’s "pick flips" finally from the front. He actually TOSSED it up with an open hand at the end of whatever song he was doing! Sorta a final gesture! I wonder if it isn’t when he gets a bum pick that is cracked and falling apart or something, it’s very funny. I don’t know of any other musicians who do that.

In "I’m Just a Singer" the Jays go back and forth with "I’m just a singer" and when it comes to Ray’s spot where he used to sing, Justin goes down to a lower register voice that sounds nothing like him, sorta funny. Something tells me he can do some incredible vocal mimicry when he’s not on stage and just relaxed, being himself.

One guy next to me said, guiltily "I guess I should turn off my cell phone". LOL. I told him there was no way you were going to hear a cell phone over that rock and roll! And you know, I never HAVE heard a cell phone at a Moodies concert, come to think of it, and it’s not always all that loud. (they have their quiet moments). Isn’t that interesting?

The light shows were incredible, I think I saw a new 70’s video I have never seen before in the background. As always I thought the yonic Rorschach show in AYSC was very very lovely. They have gotten rid of the bare light bulbs around the set for Graeme’s Thunderdance, and it seemed just fine without them (good, those naked bulbs were kinda tacky). The beginning slideshow has blue falling leaves on it now, rather than the shooting white lights.

The show went on. In Reno (?) Justin switched out a Sunburst 33 for his Gibson, and appeared on stage in all white, pants, tee and all. (Is he leaning toward angelic moods? Or was it a response to the white worn by Native Americans in Mexico?) A nice switch apparently; all guitars need to go to the doctor sometimes and maybe the red one is off tonight. A surge in Oakland could have damaged something, tho the 335 certainly sounded great during "Nights" even after having to restart. Maybe an intermittent short.

From Santa Rosa: a friend emailed me and said Justin and John BOTH acted like they were sloshed on stage! (Or they were smoking some Salvia divinorum?) Hey why not, it was closing night! It’s Spring, after all! I bet they were better for it, not that I would encourage that sort of thing (used to be the Union could fire your arse if you were drunk on stage, I had that hammered into my head in Drama school, NEVER never go on stage drunk. Of course, the Moodies own their own show, so does it matter? It’s rock and roll!) John was certainly quite jolly for all the shows I saw, and Justin, after the SB where he was a bit stiff, got pretty loose too. Thank you Moodies for your great shows!

The Titty Tata Tour wraps up in Style: I had no more put a snide comment on LC about flopping boobs in Bakersfield, than people followed up my post about a tit flasher in Santa Rosa! My GOODNESS it must be in the air (isn‘t Mardi Gras a bit further to the South?) Several have written about it on TER; according to one report, that the flasher got a better round of applause than the band, one thought she was the same who flashed 9 years ago at a concert and "was removed for eye pollution" (that from a male poster) that she looked better in the shadows! It was none of this namby pamby flesh colored skin tight top stuff! (Get nekkid, do it right!) Justin is alleged to have remarked after the song, "Now that is what used to happen at our shows in the Sixties"! And later something about "isn’t that your sister?" pointing at the flasher. Better yet the gal allegedly came on out of her knickers too! Yep it’s that San Francisco crowd all right! She turned around giving the entire theatre a good view! LOL One wag said that Justin’s eyes popped out "like Loony Tunes", and he couldn’t get out the words to IKYOTS. I’m sorry I missed that one!

I’ve never seen the like! Lest you think I’m a total prude, let me hold forth at length:

I’ve danced naked on stage myself. Back in the late 80’s I was fortunate enough to be cast in Hair (the musical) in the Bay Area, and I had a blast doing it. Wonderful music. Anyway the famous musical is written as: there’s no shame involved in being nakid, that‘s the whole point. It is incredibly liberating too, I might add. But I didn’t do it lightly: being a psychology major, I worked through it by doing a research paper on "Stage Nudity" and wound up finding out the entire history to The Night They Raided Minskies, which as far as I can tell, was the birth of modern stripping. It was fascinating, getting nude in public is all tied up with shame, defiance, wanting attention, and a whole laundry list of emotions. Sadly my parents wouldn’t bring my first grader to the show (quite scandalized!) so my little boy didn’t get to see Mum’s swan song on stage, even part of it. I do remember some clown sitting in the front row with his little girl one night when we did the show. They didn’t last through the show, we did an uncensored version, and it‘s quite naughty.

The point being when all is said and done, WHY can’t women shake their boobs in public? *I* won’t, because deep underneath, I’m shy, and besides, that’s for the young, I’m far past my prime. The gal with no bra in Bakersfield (shaking them thar things for Johnny boy) and the blatant flasher in Santa Rosa (size "watermelon" according to one writer), apparently had plenty to shake. But why should we care???? Let it all fly! (Do you know how much it hurts to let that much flesh bounce? I wear a bra for a reason: gravity is winning! OUCH!)

See what happens when you invite Kokopelli to the party? <chuckle>

In the "I’d like to get my hands on Justin’s body" department, being up close put things in a different perspective (and a very delightful one too!) I first noticed it when Justin struck fifth position in Santa Barbara. Justin has a thing about knees, if you’ve never noticed the end of "Nights" (and now that I’m writing about it, he won’t do it). The left knee is fine, it’s the right knee that I wanted to grab and straighten out. You see, I used to teach ballet years and years ago, and I’ve thrown my own knees out of place by twisting the wrong way. It happens in sports a lot too. I watched John too, and that man is built like a brick outhouse, his legs knees and etc all move in exactly the right way. Justin throws his right knee in ‘way too much. (you don’t know how much I would love to discuss the body language, but no not in this public forum. EGAD JUSTIN, RELAX). Yes I know he’s a big boy, but he’s also going to loose a kneecap (painfully!) on stage if he ever puts weight on it at the wrong time. Right knee over right toe when you do a dramatic knee bend, everyone.

I have GOOD NEWS to report. Justin did NOT touch his nose once in Primm, the whole business on line over Justin’s cold was balderdash. You'd itch too if you were in California in the Spring. I've been sneezing my guts out. The hills are a-bloom. Apparently dry desert air agrees with him! I know people have been anxious to hear this news. Maybe he started mainlining Vitamin C (I sure was, and it worked) but I only saw a few nose itches. He sniffed a few times, but he’s had smeller problems in the past (no comment, losing your smeller is perhaps God’s way of telling you you’re too affluent!) and in general he seems one of those itchy Celtic types. Allergies run in families who are heavily Irish and Welsh (if you don’t know the type, Justin has beautiful droopy Welsh eyes). Yes he rubbed his nose a few times. After a week on the road, and having motel air systems dry you out, you’d sniff too. I forgot my own mentholated nose rub, and it drove me bats all the way through my vacation, drying nostrils. (TMI)

I doubt that I'll ever untangle the Gordian Knot that is the Moody Blues, and keeps me coming back for more. I do know it’s pure poetry watching Justin’s hand picking. I enjoy travel, I travel for solitude and to think. Justin said once the Moodies travel for the comradery. At times, the drummers would look at each other, and then bash together on cue……… if being with those you love and/or admire is not the purpose in life, I don’t know what is. Rebecca was talking about energies shifting in the world. Something tells me that when it all gets done shifting around, it will come full circle right back to where we started.

Rebecca said something pretty profound about the "regular" fans and I think there is some truth to it, even though she and I do show up for shows (just like the others, LOL). We discussed giving back the positive energy, and I think that’s a good way to deal with the shows. When you walk out the door, be of good cheer, take that good feeling, and go out into the world to spread it around. I’ve been doing that all week in school since I got back, and it seems to be working. Kokopelli knew his stuff, all right! But I do think Rebecca is right. People up there at the Moodies’ feet are very NEEDY and they are grasping at the band sometimes, trying to suck their energy like vampires. Thankfully the Moodies know their boundaries, and what they give, they can afford to give. Be it ever so……… I hope.

On the other hand……….

Love hurts ---a song. (Dionysius and Apollo perhaps). I’m currently reading the Twilight series, it’s a convoluted (and rather immature) exploration into the human heart, not sure it’s my cup of tea, but I HAVE to finish and see how it turns out (I’m more a werewolf type than a vampire type, no matter how young and stupid I once was over my own vampires). Maybe it’s been there all along (and I just noticed), but I wonder if the new light show for IKYOTS isn’t inspired by Twilight, those book covers all follow this same red color schema. I don’t like red on stage. Red is very powerful, denotes anger or passion, blood, danger. Right now the idea of pain and love being entangled is slowing my thought processes. (I have my own boundaries: to me, love and pain are not the same, and someone who thinks they are, perhaps needs counseling. Passion is involved with pain perhaps, and passion is also involved with love, but they are separate feelings, and should be thought of as such. In my humble psychologist’s opinion). And I wonder what in God’s name possessed the lighting designers to use red for such a lovely song. (It used to be soft, cool blues and greens).

And the Trip Back Home (jiggity jig)

Look out of my hedgerow…….

I passed so many nice places on the way home. Some I plan to revisit this summer going down to Britt Hill. All along the Rogue River there is wonderful fishing. And in Livermore, CA area near the airport (for any reading Moody golf freaks) there is a gorgeous perfect golf course called Las Positas, beautiful lawns, fountains, water, willows, trees. It was like paradise.

The air is so clean in Portland, it was a gorgeous green, sunlit day when I reached town, with a huge sigh of relief. I could smell wood smoke in the air, and when I got to my brother’s house, he grinned and fired up his own barbeque pit. Can you imagine so many people barbequing that the whole town smells like hickory?? It had been snowing earlier in the week, and people were all very very excited by the Sun coming out. Here comes the Sun!

Gee it was good to be home! I don’t think I’ll do any more cross country trips alone like that. My eldest nephew and his wife came over with their two small children. What cuties! (and ALL boy, I might add, grins). I asked my great-nephew what his favorite subject was in Kindergarten, without hesitation he answered "RECESS!" :) I haven’t seen them in a long time, and I was SO impressed. The parents are doing it RIGHT; they are involved, the children are right on developmentally, if not ahead of the curve. You can’t believe how heartening that is after teaching classrooms half-full of small children who have idiots for parents, who neglect their children, send them to school either dirty or with no sleep. It gives me hope for the world.

The next day I got home to Seattle, and it was Spring. Time to clean up my neglected garden! I guess Kokopelli’s magic worked after all. No matter what, Spring always comes. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter; I bet some Moodies are doing egg hunts with their grandchildren! Graeme didn’t have far to go, just to Los Angeles.

That's all! Have a nice tour, those on tour, and have a nice night, those not.

Appendix:

Josie’s travel tips: Never travel with a companion who won’t eat fast food. If they insist on being waited on, chances are YOU will wind up waiting on them too, at some point.

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