Return to Events

Subjective Experience: November 25, 1999

25-NOV-99   THE ROOTS                      
HOUSE OF BLUES – WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

07-Nov-99  
STEELERS VS 49ERS              
3-COM PARK – SAN FRANCISCO, CA

06-Nov-99  
FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF S.F.       CA
PALACE OF THE LEGION OF HONOR – SF,CA

30-0CT-99  
LAUGHLIN WEEKEND               
LAUGHLIN, NV

14-Oct-99   CIRQUE DU SOLEIL “DRALION”     
SANTA MONICA PIER

10-Sep-99   THE FUNKY HIPPEES              
THE WESTEND – SANTA MONICA, CA

29-Aug-99   ROLLERCOASTER                  
NY, NY HOTEL & CASINO – LAS VEGAS, NV

??-Aug-99   BLAIR WITCH PROJECT PARTY      
LE COLONIAL, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

??-Jun-99   CONNEAUT LAKE AMUSEMENT PARK   
CONNEAUT LAKE – PA

26-Jun-99   TERMINATOR 3-D                 
UNIVERSAL STUDIO’S – UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

??-Jun-99   CASTLE PARK AMUSEMENT          
RIVERSIDE, CA

24-Jun-99   SPARKS VS LYNX                 
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGELWOOD, CA

07-May-99   ME’SHELL N’DEGEOCELLO          
CLUB CAPRICE – REDONDO BEACH, CA

11-Apr-99   VAN GOGH’S VAN GOGHS           
LA COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

25-Mar-99   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
VENTURA THEATRE, VENTURA, CA

24-Mar-99   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
GALAXY THEATRE, SANTA ANA, CA

18-Mar-99   RONKAT & THE SOUL DISCIPLES    
ATLAS SUPPER CLUB, LOS ANGELES, CA

13-Feb-99   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOUSE OF BLUES, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

05-Feb-99   SOUTH BAY MASTER CHORALE       
PACIFIC UNITARIAN CHURCH
                                            – RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA

30-Jan-99   MACEO PARKER                   
HOUSE OF BLUES, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

03-Oct-98   DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER            
UCLA ROYCE HALL, WESTWOOD, CA

11-Sep-98   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
STREET SCENE ’98, SAN DIEGO, CA

05-Sep-98   MACEO PARKER                   
HOUSE OF BLUES, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

26-Aug-98   LONG BEACH AQUARIUM            
LONG BEACH, CA

22-Aug-98   RACE FOR ATLANTIS              
CAESARS PALACE, LAS VEGAS, NV

02-Aug-98   MAGIC’S ALLSTAR GAME           
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

01-Aug-98   STOMP                          
UCLA ROYCE HALL, WESTWOOD, CA

08-Jul-98   CIRQUE DU SOLEIL “MYSTERE”     
TREASURE ISLAND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NV

03-Jul-98   IND. DAY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR 
HOLLYWOOD BOWL, HOLLYWOOD, CA

19-Jun-98   SPARKS VS LIBERTY              
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

22-May-98   ALANA DAVIS                    
ROXY THEATRE, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

25-Apr-98   IEBNA AWARDS BANQUET           
ONTARIO, CA

11-Apr-98   RIVERDANCE                     
PANTAGES THEATRE, HOLLYWOOD, CA     

26-Mar-98   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
THE KEY CLUB, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

03-Mar-98   …BRING IN THE FUNK!!         
AHMANSON THEATRE, LOS ANGELES, CA

01-Jan-98   TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE     
PASADENA, CA

10-Dec-97   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM, HOLLYWOOD, CA

30-Nov-97   STEELERS VS CARDINALS          
SUN DEVIL STADIUM, PHOENIX, AZ

17-Nov-97   COMDEX                         
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

31-Jul-97   SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR           
UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE,
                                            UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

30-Jul-97   SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR           
UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE,
                                            UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

26-Jun-97   ZAPP FEATURING ROGER           
BILLBOARD LIVE, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

03-Jun-97   MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO            
HOUSE OF BLUES, HOLLYWODD, CA

22-Nov-96   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
GALAXY THEATRE, SANTA ANA, CA

21-Nov-96   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE,
                                            UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

11-Nov-96   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
THE ALADDIN THEATRE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

19-Oct-96   PRE-SEASON LAKERS VS SUNS      
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

05-Oct-96   MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO            
GALAXY THEATRE, SANTA ANA, CA

22-Aug-96   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
VISALIA CONVENTION CTR, VISALIA, CA

10-Aug-96   LONG BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL       
RAINBOW LAGOON, LONG BEACH, CA

02-Aug-96   SARAH MCLACHLAN                
STARLIGHT BOWL, BURBANK, CA

20-Jun-96   ALANIS MORISSETTE              
IRVINE MEADOWS AMP., IRVINE, CA

27-Mar-96   NSBE NATIONAL CONVENTION       
NASHVILLE, TN

28-Jan-96   SUPERBOWL XXX                  
SUN DEVIL STADIUM, TEMPE, AZ           

28-Jan-96   NFL EXPERIENCE                 
TEMPE, AZ

27-Jan-96   NFL EXPERIENCE                 
TEMPE, AZ                     

10-Dec-95   STEELERS VS RAIDERS             OAKLAND COLISEUM STADIUM,
OAKLAND, CA

03-Dec-95   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL AUD.- RIVERSIDE, CA

26-Nov-95   STEELERS VS BROWNS             
CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL STADIUM,
                                            CLEVELAND, OH

04-Nov-95   RICKY HARRIS-JOHN HENTON       
RIVIERA HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NV            

15-Jun-95   RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE       
HACIENDA REAL-DOWNTOWN, LOS ANGELES, CA

28-May-95   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOUSE OF BLUES, LOS ANGELES, CA

26-May-95   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
THE DRINK, LAS VEGAS, NV                

18-May-95   NBA PLAYOFFS: SPURS VS LAKERS   GREAT
WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

07-Apr-95   CAMEO, GAP BAND, TINA MARIE    
GRAND OLYMPIC AUDITORIUM,
                                            LOS ANGELES, CA

14-Jan-95   STEVIE WONDER                  
UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE,
                                            UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

24-DEC-94  
STEELERS VS CHARGERS           
JACK MURPHY STADIUM, SAN DIEGO, CA

27-Nov-94   STEELERS VS RAIDERS            
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM                    

30-Oct-94   STEELERS VS CARDINALS          
SUN DEVIL STADIUM, TEMPE, AZ           

18-Oct-94   BOOTSY COLLINS                 
HOUSE OF BLUES, LOS ANGELES, CA

04-Sep-94   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOLLYWOOD PALLIDIUM                     

26-Aug-94   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOUSE OF BLUES, LOS ANGELES, CA

24-Mar-94   NCAA TOURNAMENT-WEST REGIONAL   LOS
ANGELES SPORTS ARENA               

21-Nov-93   COWBOYS VS FALCONS             
GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA             

20-Nov-93   HORNETS VS HAWKS               
THE OMNI, ATLANTA, GA                 

06-Nov-93   BOWE/HOLYFIELD(CLOSED CIRCUIT)  GOLDRIVER,
LAUGHLIN, NV           

29-Oct-93   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
BREN EVENTS CENTER, IRVINE, CA

12-Sep-93   STEELERS VS RAMS               
ANGEL STADIUM, ANAHIEM, CA              

24-Jul-93   ZAPP, WAR, BARKAYS, DAZZ BAND   ORANGE
PAVILION, SAN BERNADINO, CA

27-Jun-93   CHAKA KAHN                      THE HOP, CITY OF INDUSTRY,
CA     

23-May-93   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
CELEBRITY THEATRE, ANAHEIM, CA

22-May-93   JAM FOR PEACE                  
IRVINE MEADOWS AMPHITHEATRE, IRVINE, CA

May–1993   AMER. MUSEUM-NATURAL HISTORY    NEW
YORK, NY                  

14-Apr-93   PRINCE                         
UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE,
                                            UNIVERSAL CITY, CA

06-Feb-93   OCEAN SPORT FISHING            
CHANNELL ISLANDS / OXNARD, CA         

22-Jan-93   CAVS VS CLIPPERS               
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA      
              

28-Nov-92   CAL.ST.FUL.VS UNLV (FOOTBALL)   SILVER
BOWL, LAS VEGAS, NV       

01-Oct-92   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOLLYWOOD PALLIDIUM                     

20-Sep-92   STEELERS VS CHARGERS           
JACK MURPHY STADIUM, SAN DIEGO, CA

16-Jul-92   P-FUNK ALLSTARS                
HOLLYWOOD PALLIDIUM                     

14-Apr-92   KINGS VS CLIPPERS              
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA    

30-Dec-91   DISNEYLAND                     
ANAHIEM, CA                   

25-Dec-91   LAKERS VS CLIPPERS             
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA            

16-Jul-91   OLYMPIC BOXING FESTIVAL        
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

14-Jul-91   BEAUTY SHOP                    
WILSHIRE EBELL THEATRE, LOS ANGELES, CA

GAME 2 91   NBA PLAYOFFS:ROCKETS VS LAKERS  GREAT WESTERN
FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

09-Apr-91   MAGIC VS CLIPPERS              
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA               

26-Dec-90   LAKERS VS CLIPPERS             
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA                

07-Nov-90   PISTONS VS CLIPPERS            
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA             

GAME 4 90   WORLD SERIES REDS VS ATHELETICS OAKLAND-ALAMEDA
COUNTY COLISEUM        

23-Sep-90   STEELERS VS RAIDERS            
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM                    

22-Aug-90   PUBLIC ENEMY,DIGITAL U’GROUND   GREEK
THEATRE, LOS ANGELES, CA

O7-Jul-90   PUBLIC ENEMY,DIGITAL U’GROUND   CIVIC ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PA 

26-Jun-90   JANET JACKSON                  
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

25-Apr-90   JANET JACKSON                  
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

16-Jan-90   HORNETS VS CLIPPERS            
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA              

26-Sep-89   GIANTS VS DODGERS              
DODGER STADIUM                  

23-Sep-89   UCLA VS MICHIGAN (FOOTBALL)    
ROSE BOWL, PASEADENA, CA         

23-Sep-89   OHIO STATE VS USC              
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM                    

29-Jul-89   LL COOL J, NWA / EAZY E        
OAKLAND COLISEUM ARENA, OAKLAND, CA

01-Jul-89   BUDWEISER SUPERFEST            
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM                    

20-Apr-89   KINGS VS LAKERS                
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

02-Mar-89   TRAILBLAZERS VS CLIPPERS       
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA              

11-Dec-88   STEELERS VS CHARGERS           
JACK MURPHY STADIUM, SAN DIEGO, CA

24-Nov-88   NEW EDITION: HEARTBREAK TOUR   
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

21-Nov-88   MICHEAL JACKSON                
LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA

02-Oct-88   BENGALS VS RAIDERS             
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM

24-Sep-88   USC VS OKLAHOMA (FOOTBALL)     
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM

22-Aug-88   METS VS DODGERS                
DODGER STADIUM

07-Aug-88   MAGIC JOHNSON’S ALLSTAR GAME   
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

03-Aug-88   BRONCOS VS RAMS                
ANGEL STADIUM, ANAHIEM, CA

04-Jun-88   MAVERICKS VS LAKERS            
GREAT WESTERN FORUM, INGLEWOOD, CA

10-May-88   INDIANS VS ANGELS              
ANGEL STADIUM, ANAHIEM, CA

18-Mar-88   NCAA TOURNAMENT: FIRST ROUND   
PAULEY PAVILION, WESTWOOD, CA

08-Sep-85   JETS VS RAIDERS                
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM         

 


 


jefferytv
        –        
   –           

 

E-MAIL
  


 

 

The Roots House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA November 25, 1999

semi-weak and virusy (i wore my coat with a longsleeve pullover and

t-shirt inside the concert) i still love the house of blues and the

crowd…mostly young white girls, but still diverse, very positive, playful,

cute and fun…the sistas was there this night too, in fact… i played and

vibed a little, freaked a little, but i was weak so i left before the show

finished…oh, the roots are still good-


Me’Shell N’degeocello Club Caprice, Redondo Beach, CA May 7, 1999

until this evening, i had never left a concert before it ended without
feeling just a little bit of remorse…first of all, this is a dinner club type
place so they had dinner tables & seating practically surrounding a very small
stage (i hate sitting down at a concert) and other than that, there are very few
places to sit. doors opened at 7pm, show was scheduled for 8. i get there about
7:45. the opening act was one dude scratching while another played rhythms on a
keyboard… a slow-mellowy-urban-funky-spiritual vibe with various instructional
type recordings dubbed in…but these dudes didnt hit the stage till 9:15, so i
had been standing for an hour!!! they were cool, but after working all day i was
tired…so when meshell hit the stage at 10:15 my legs were damn near
cramping…alot of peoplke around me was complaining, but i stayed positive
until she started to play. you couldn’t hear her bass!!! meshell is a very funky
bass player, so you expect to hear her the loudest- its usually up loud enough
to her her fingering the strings. it was like her bass wasn’t beng sent to the
house PA system…about 10 seconds into the first song she stopped and said the
sound was “f**ked up,” a dude ran around a little but nothing changed. it was
like you just heard her stage speakers- she obvisously heard herself…anywayz i
dont wanna waste no more time on this very very poor place to see a show…the
crowd was nice though, mostly black- been awhile since i been around a bunch of
sistas…and they looked good- everytime i get around my sistas im reminded of
why i am a leg man…i forget what the booty is all about (i had “real nice
ass,” but that seems to apply to white girls)- seem to be my “class” (education,
economic) of folx too..i gets mad attention in this kinda crowd…too bad about
the place/show being so f’ed up…unless it was p-funk, i doubt if i ever go
back there…


Van Gogh’s Van Goghs LA County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA April 12, 1999

the wait wasn’t that bad cause the tickets are staggered by the hour…

me and ej had the 1pm slot, arrived about 12:40 and saw our 1st

van gogh around 1:30p…the gallery is set up in 4 rooms, each with

paintings from different stages of his career…my main interest for

attending this show was to see why people say this man’s art is great…

first of all, his work has no emotion, life and enthusiasm is “pushed

down”…his paintings of potatoes have as much life in them as the people

he painted…there were alot of self portraits (i can dig that) but no

smiles in any of his work. he was never in love, had severe bouts of

depression (he once checked hisself into an asylum, let alone the ear

thing) and ended up commiting suicide…and all this shows in his work-

groups of people were let into the gallery which had no bathrooms,

no place to sit and no re-entry…you really couldnt enjoy the work cause

they were hung on bright pea green walls in a very heavily lit room…

there was also too many people in the gallery at once. the 70 paintings

would’ve had much more of an effect had they not had to compete with so

many other things in the room (other paintings, too much light, too many

people)…say like on black walls with individual lighting for each

painting. one thing i did notice was that even though the musuem people

kept everybody 2 feet the paintings, there was nothing between the

crowd and the paintings, no “velvet rope” or nothing…crowd was 95%

white, the museum workers were 80% young black kids…

van gogh stole, uh, imitated a japanese pic and did a terrible job-

he made it gaudy and cheap looking…a guy who worked there said most

japanese people familiar with the art he copied hate his piece and are

disgusted by it- the original uses subtle coloring where van goghs has

reds and greens…it was also pointed out the influence japanese art had

on van gogh, there even was another gallery just of japanese art-

and it was much, much better than van goghs…if you asked me

the japanese gallery is multi-leveled with circular walkways

between floors and spots to sit and chill…it was softly lit, not

crowded and had water running thru it with a waterfall so you could

hear the sound of flowing water throughout the gallery…i was so

impressed by the work and the gallery that not only am looking forward

to returning but was inspired to try my hand at some drawing-

already got some good ideas too!


P-FUNK ALLSTARS Ventura Theatre,
Ventura, CA

March 25, 1999

though this was a “16 and over” crowd, it was much much younger than
yesterday…us oldtimers (darbyQ
and homey simone) tried to get some chants started, but these kids wasn’t wit
us…but they got funky when the show started…it was cool funkin’ and vibin’
all them young white girls who wanted to party but just wasn’t sure- it was my
duty to show them and i fulfilled my duty!! i can rememeber what it was like
going to shows not sure and wondering if i was gonna get my freak on or not,
then being excited when i did do a little freakin’ and now i don’t worry about
it…the vibe is always there- and ofcourse i love it when the fellas be checkin
the brotha doing his thang, i can rememebr this one time… most notable: NO
BLACKBYRD! show started slow, cosmic slop came about 1/4 way thru the almost 4
hour show…the crowd was eventually worked into a frenzy…we sang the refrain
to “one nation under a groove” about as long and as good as i ever heard it…
about the last 40 minutes of the show i danced & spaced around the auditorium
just vibe’n folx and people was just all into the music and into their own
thing…that was very very coool- the crowd was again 95% white and young just
like yesterday and i commented to
darbyQ
(who is a funky white girl) that “i want to go to a show where i’m
the one scared.” where the crowd is so hardcore funky (does funky= black and
older?) that im worried about how funky it could get…usually when i see the
mob, im the predator, the hunter… gotta do a show in detroit, dc or nyc…or
germany? almost forgot, the band was much tighter than in feb, and still
playful- gary played a lot more lead guitar, he started the show off with the
lead rhythm on “bop gun.” though skeet’s bass expertise is missed, they
compensated…horns did good tonight too-


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA

March 24, 1999

 

this was an “all ages” crowd, there was a funkateer who saw

me at the HOB show on 2/13/99 who brought her 3 children (and

this wasn’t their first show)and a very very cool 17 year old

funkadelic (who i met via the onenation mailing list and constantly

reminded that i was into p-funk before he was born)Carlos

(gruverboy1)…and we all were a part of the front rowers…

this show started off slow, very slow- funkadelic, dope dog,

maggot brain, etc- all the slow dark funky jams…they didn’t

play cosmic slop until well past the midpoint and the show was

close to 4 hours long. but when it did get funky, the crowd was

ready, like they had been worked into a frenzy…they were young-

but funky…one of the dancers with the mob came out during the

dog wearing this mesh shirt dress…with nothing on under it!!

i looked, then i looked again…dizzzamn!!! dat was funky…

george was trying to block the view with his cape cause

there was kids there…so i just leaned over and gently moved

his sheet to see around him…she was shakin dat ass too!!

props to gruverboy1 and my other p-funk homey (who i see at alot

of shows but never get his name), it was a good time hanging out

and actin’ up wit y’all before the show…


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA

Febuary 13, 1999

 the band had a lot of energy, maybe cause this was their

first show in awhile…never seen them this playful, lots of riffs

turned into songs. the crowd was 95% white and very very excited, hyped-

they played so long that the house killed the power to the stage, but

the drummer kept playing while george and gary held back the curtain.

skeet (bass)was absent, frankie waddy (drums) didnt play the whole time-

there were 3 different drummers. they sounded rusty until mike did

one of the best maggot brain solos i’ve ever heard him do…right after

that blackbyrd gave a very very good guitar solo too!! it was good to see

them do a show where they weren’t tired after a long road trip…

atomic dawg, tommy davidson, very sexy violinist dueled with blackbyrd…

there was this dude in the audience drunk as hell and just having a good

time who kept bugging airbody trying to squeeze in up close to the stage-

next thing i know homey is on stage! george told security to let him go

and he got about 5 minutes of mic time during knee deep!!! i was like

DAMN!!! it was cool cause he kinda funked out!

i noticed george’s legs were swollen…take care of yourself george,

i want you to be around for a long long time!! it made me really concerned

about his health and made me wonder about finite things and longevity…

take care of yourself man…


SOUTH BAY MASTER CHORALE “OPERA GILROY”

Pacific Unitarian Church,
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA Febuary 6, 1999

“a night (like none other)at the opera”…this was a very

good horle thats been performing together for years-

they did little skits based on an opera company in gilroy, ca-

the show they were putting on was called “la rose qui pu”

(the stinking rose). in between the staged personalities and

skits (which were pretty funny) was some good opera and choir

vocals. most were accompianed by a piano…very pleasant and

enjoyable evening…even in “opera” i could feel the movement-

the beat was in the voice and not the drums or music…

the crowd was semi conservative, mostly older- there were a

few faces that looked like mine in the chorale and crowd…

i had a good time and enjoyed the production


MACEO PARKER

House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA

January 30, 1999

how was much more funky than last one…buddy miles opened-

he was imi hendrix drummer and he did almost all hendrix stuff…

it was funky…i was at the stage and gary busey watch the show

standing next to me…fender gave buddy a special presentation

and a special guitar, he cried and then they funked out, it was good-

skeet played with maceo, it was funny seeing him in a vest and a tie-

greg boyer was in the band and greg thomas sat in a couple of numbers-

bootsy was in the house and dressed to play but had to leave…

maceo got funky and the crowd was fun and freaky-


MAGIC JOHNSON’S ALLSTAR-CELEBRITY GAME

Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA

August 2, 1998

freak night at the forum…when you get this many NBA stars

and celebrities in one place it brings out LA’s finest freaks…

they played knee deep, flashlight and atomic dog…

magic was ose to play but because of the player lockout

he couldn’t even be on the court at the same time as the

NBA players, he came out at halftime. it surprised me the

level of talent of the celebrities, they was ballin’. (there were

2 games, a celeb game and the NBA rookies vs NBA stars game)

the games were good but the crowd and the music was better…

LA’s sexiest females…oh yeah, the sparks kids was there!

i love the sparks kids, they be jammin…


Stomp UCLA Royce Hall, Westwood, CA

August 1, 1998

this show is all about rhythm. No

words, no plot, just rhythm. they used rubber hoses, containers, brooms, cans,

plastic bags, barrels, sticks, anything that makes a noise they used to make a

beat and the beats they made were good! royce hall is beautiful. the crowd was

not as stiff as i thought, they kinda got into it- at the end of the last

encore, the guy broke it down and had the whole place snappin our fingers

together in a nice rhythm. this is something that i want and will do with a

crowd. i can feel something when a group is “one the one” like that, i

was really moved. and just before he finished he said “can you feel

it?” and naturally i was like “YEAH!!” i went with a friend to

this so i wasn’t front row, in fact i was balcony…but this show was nice to

see from a distance to take it all in…


MYSTERE: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV

July 8, 1998

 im chillin in vegas at the flamingo on biz when i think;

“cirque du soleil!” i walk to a house phone, connect to

treasure island, ask for best available…from thought

to front row center in less than 10 minutes, and i mean

front row center. this show is as much spiritual as it is

entertaining. “MYSTERE is a celebration of life. From the

genesis of the first life forms to the rise of human

civilations.” the acrobatics, costumes, comedy and music

disguise how almost religous this show really is from most

of the public. that makes it easier to sell. but there is deep

underlying theory to this show (just like riverdance). it is

very “mystical?”, emotional and it deals with primal, basic

instincts that western philosophy only likes in small doses…

no mention of GOD, just of earth, life and universe…

some of the acrobatics were so difficult that you could

tell there was more than athleticism involved here. the

concentration needed between performers was spiritual,

mystical. the music is very moving (rhythmic, mystical (i

gotta find the right words to describe this) and is played

live. i especially like the violin keeping rhythm, ala keltic.

the whole theatre is the stage and the audience is forced to

participate. so many good things happened in this show im

not even gonna attempt to describe any


Independance Day Fireworks Spectacular

Hollywood Bowl,
Hollywood, CA

July 3, 1998

i love calling the same day of a show and asking for the best

available single seat. its to the point now i expect to be front row.

and this was no exception, front garden box. the reason i wanted

to see this show was i knew it would be different, but good. i wanted

to see/hear the violins, horns, flutes and drums of the hollywood

bowl orchestra. i wanted to hear della reese sing and recite. the

crowd was alot less stuffy than i thought it wood be, it was almost

rowdy compared to what i expected. still the evening was without

“edges,” and nothing aggressive. everything was soft. the sound was

good and i could feel the music even though it didn’t move…it

was more of a sluggish march even at its high points. no drive, but

still very pleasant…the fireworks were nice, some went off

with the beat of the orchestra and that was real cool. della sang,

made a few jokes during and recited a couple of things including one

of lincoln’s speeches. she provided 98% of the limited human emotion

that came from the stage- it was still good, it was just that kinda

evening. i guess even the philharmonic guys do the “thats it, im done”

then come back out and play more if the crowd cheers enough…hell,

john mauceri, the conductor, did it 7 times…


LOS ANGELES SPARKS VS NY LIBERTY

Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA

June 19, 1998

there was a definite family or female vibe. there was a carnival

outside the forum. the “spark kids,” were real cool dancing during

halftime and timeouts to some real funky snipets of the latest

hip-hop funk (ice cube, notorious big, etc- the music was real

good), i grooved the whole game. and it was cool to see the white

kids gettin funky like that, everybody was groovin. as the players

were introduced they each presented a ball at mid-court to a younger

girl (maybe 4-12yrs) who basically did nothing but run off the court

with it. it was cool to get them involved like that. jody wately

sang the national anthem…

the girls are very competitive, but play the game at a different level

than the men. its just their first year and it will improve. but the

primary of this evening was not the game, but the festive atmosphere…

it was all about having fun and we did!!!!

they had these long ballons drop from the ceiling during the game, and

me being the ultra intelluctual that i am, began tieing them together

into what became a representation of the double helix of DNA. ofcourse,

everybody else in the forum started doing it too…even though i was

getting alot of attention leaving with my DNA molecule, i didn’t realize

how massive it was until i gave it to some kids walking by (i knew i

couldn’t take it home so i said i’ll let some other parent worry about

it) and as they walked away it took two kids to carry it!! only from a

distance could i appreciate the masterful work i put into it…

it felt real good watching them carry my creation across the parking lot…

hanging out in the forum club was nice too, same vibe…oh yeah, there

was a definite lesbian showing. some folx you couldn’t even tell what sex

they were. some of the angry type too…im into diversity and experience

so it was all good…


ALANA DAVIS

The Roxy Theatre, Hollywood, CA

May 22, 1998

even though alana davis’ cd “blame it on me” isn’t considered to

be funky, i can feel the funky movement of her music. i was

hoping that her live performance would move like her cd moves…

and it does. alana looks very very young but has a powerful and sweet

voice. she was accompanied by a bass, lead guitar and a drummer.

most of the songs had good a instrumental groove in the middle

and there were a number of good guitar solos with a hard drum beat,

a funky funky bass and alana leading the rhythm on her acoustic guitar.

i love her cd not only for the music quality but for the deep and

creative lyrics. i think she sang every song off it except my favorites;

“murder” & “free.” the roxy is very small and the stage was so low

that i was damn near on it most of the show. i was to her far right

directly below the lead guitar. i made one on one eye to eye contact

with each band member as we grooved and got smiles from all. alana

gave me a real big smile early in the show and that was real coooooool-

the crowd was mostly young-young girls, racially mixed with a few of

us older brothas hanging out solo. the last song alana did “lullaby”

without the band and they watched her standing right behind me.

i should have givin them props and shook some hands but i had partied so

hard i was soaked with sweat and didn’t feeeeel it. next time though-

an all male band, “five easy pieces” opened for her…


RIVERDANCE

The Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, CA

April 11, 1998

when i first saw riverdance on pbs, i said i was gonna go see it.

the music’s hard driving rhythm is very similiar to my music (funk),

its just played with different instruments. i felt the driving energy

of the music, the motion of the music.

i connected with the dance as a celebration, and it is. the straight-backed

tap dance style was kinda cool too, especially when them girls in them

short skirts and stockings did it. acrobatic, rhythmic, graceful, melodic…

i was front row slightly right of center. AA 201, aisle seat too!!!

i was able to vibe the performers and they me…a 6’1″ 260 black man

in a sea of wasps with this great big ass grin on his face as a row of

4 girls danced energeticly directly at him. smilin’ & eye to eye…

eileen ivers the fiddle player may have been my favorite, she was jammin’,

maria, sensual latin style…

lead singer girl was a wholesome kinda cute too…

they dont move much when they sing, but you can feeel the emotion.

bagpipe dude did a very good solo also…

then these brothers came out tappin’, did their thing to a funkier beat

and then the irish tappers came back out and they dueled!!!! i wanted to

see them go at it so i was talkin’ trash, encouraging them…so when the

irish dude did his steps, the brotha looked at me and gestured and i raised

my hands as saying i don’t know what’s up wit dat…it was gooooood!!

it feels good when the performer smiles cause he can see im really enjoying

his performance. the best moment was roddy’s (lead male role) look of

surprise and excitement to see me groovin. i was partyin’ to his music and

understanding his beat. this is old white keltic irish groovin with big

black funkateeer, it was goood-

celebration of the sun as the energy of all life,

celebration of woman-


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

The Key Club (billboard live),
West Hollywood, CA

March 26, 1998

there is nothing to do and no where to sit in this club. but they were

showing some of the best deep space pictures i have ever seen on video

screens, i REALLY got into them too, that started it off. crowd was typical

hollywood, diverse, youngish and ready to party. and we partied!!!!!

earlier i said that i am not part of the parliament-funkadelic family.

this show was deefinitely the zenith of my p-funk career, proved me wrong.

i felt it this night and it was gooood. i was personally greeted (handshake

or what up) by most of the band. george, franky (drummer, stick) and overton

(artist, sign) each made effort to be sure i got that item from them and in

a crazy crowd during a funkadelic show that aint easy.

mike (lead guitar) & skeet (bass) both had on shirts just like my jersey.

i know they seen mine first cause mike told me he liked it. mine is a

official steeler black jersey with the name “P FUNK” and the number 1.

their’s were white with a mothership logo on the front and “P-FUNK” with

a number 1. my buddy noticed it first and showed me…one of the younger

dudes who did a funky rap had on kordell’s jersey. official white steeler

jersey with nfl logo and italics type number…

talked to ron (baby payne) and he said his daddy was at home cause he

just had twins- congrats clip!!! and i still owe you five for the vegas

taxi thang…skeet was good too-

lashonda did another funky rap and we kinda did our thang on underground

angel, i was so pumped by the other stuff i guess i felt this was routine.

but that little brown girl is still cute as hell!!!!

my boys went 4 hours strong this night and it was funky. they were lively

and tight. george was very animated and the band was pumped and playful.

blackbyrd, greg on horn and knee deep, mike (maggot was good)…

the more i think about it the better they get, airbody jammed that nite!!

sthey played all the classics and stretched them out too, it was goood-

gary was good too. when it was over i had lost my voice and could barely

walk. i was on such a “high” i didnt go to work the next day.

this is literally the stuff i used to dream about 20 years ago. and its

coming together in a way that fits directly into my philosophy of today.

are they one in the same?


BRING IN DA’NOISE, BRING IN THE FUNK

Ahmanson Theatre,
Los Angeles, CA

March 21, 1998

its all about da’beat. i caught on to the story with the graphic about

how drums were outlawed because it was thought they had caused an

uprising of black slaves. the next scene was two brothas goin’ off

on pots and pans. it showed how we did what we had to do to keep dat

beat. we? it showed how early hollywood tap was about show and not rhythm,

featured were a classic white smiling soft shoe dance number. and

the totally upper class white elderly crowd loved it. it was an honor

to attened this show with this crowd. these rich white folx sat there

like statues cause though they had heard about rhythm, they had never

seen it. i overheard “how do they do that?” and “did you understand

anything they said?, “not a word.” i was 3rd row left ($65), i was able

to look into the eyes of the performers and feel them. i was able to

see them feel my excitement. i was so excited my eyes watered cause

i was tryin to be cool in statue land. it was some serious funk goin

on, my kinda funk and these folx was sitting there like they was in

detention. no head bobbin’, no foot tappin’, nothin’- (but i didn’t

hold it in the whole show)

i realized that the interaction between me and performer really moves me.

there is no gathering; meeting at work, major concert, seminar at comdex,

comedy show, etc where i don’t interact with the principle.

front row, eye to eye.

i was able to look into the performers eyes and let them know that i

understood and believed in what they were doing. eye to eye they saw that

i was thouroughly entertained by their talents and by what they had created.

there is an instance when you connect with them. a one on one momment.

there were moments when me and performer connected cause of a joke

we both knew staute land didn’t catch that was about their lack of funk!!!

but the best part was that these people were exposed to this funk.

let them see how we do it, how we feel it, how it just aint dancin when

we move to the beat. da’beat, dat funk is so much more…

thats why i had to cut up a little towards the end when it got funky…

i went up to the balcony to see the $15 ticket view and it aint bad.

am definitely tryin to go back…(chicago & riverdance too)


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood , CA

December 10, 1997

the first thing i noticed about this crowd was the lack of females!

ofcourse i got my freak on, but there still could have been more.

this was a funkadelic show, hardcore funk music. i have never seen the

band this loose, playful, and just tryin’ stuff! at the end for about

5 minutes after the house lights came up, george was conducting the band

doing tight 4 note bursts, ala prince and james brown. me and lashonda

sang underground angel again too (with her cute brown ass). during one song,

greg thomas of the p-funk horns started an old parlet riff and by the

third note i was on it so tough that when he finished he smiled and

pointed at me. could have went backstage and maybe even on the bus, but

i was tired. i was (as always) front row at the stage but i couldn’t hear

the drums, like they weren’t being sent to the house speaker system…

i got one of frankie waddy’s drum sticks he thru into the crowd…

talked to carlos (sir nose) after show, hollered at baby payne…


Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals

Sun Devil Stadium,
Tempe, AZ

November 30, 1997

 i have never seen so many steeler fans in my life!!!! it was like a

steeler home game. even the usher said he never seen it like this before.

black and gold everywhere. and lots of pretty girls, lots! it was one

big steeler party and everybody was so cool. the night before the game

i went to the stadium and it hit me that the last time i was there was

superbowl XXX. and the night i got there then i also went to see the

stadium. lots of good memories of the greatest football game of my life…

and a damn good one that day too!!


SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR

Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA

July 31 1997

this show was a whole lot better- as i walked in i was personally

greeted by smiling policemen and security who remembered me from the

license plate fiasco yesterday, that made me feel good. the crowd was also

a touch older and more funky.

they still didn’t get into the brand new heavies but me and siedah had our

own little party going- cypress hill ripped again and it was cool to be that

close to a pretty decent moshing session. them boys was banging.

p-funk came out tonight and played a funkadelic show. i can’t remember

the songs, but they were the usual warm-up funkadelic songs they do early

in a full show. i want to commend the band on the fact that they can

play two totally completely different shows like that back to back. i also

want to commend the light guy who said the band is tighter without george.

i love you george, but i noticed that a long time ago- anyway, it was cool

cause they played knee deep when the mothership landed (what i wood play).

me and george’s grand-daughter lashonda rapped little angel together again-

i even gave her a cue, she caught it and smiled…

the backstage party was a trip. i shook a few hands, took compliments on

my jersey, drank a diet coke, and mostly observed the hollywood after

concert backstage scene- some of the most attractive girls i have ever

seen…and it was just like they say it was…dying to meat a star-

this is the stuff i used to dream of- being backstage of a major concert

and just chillin’ with parliament/funkadelic- and special props to

over-10 void and clip’s son for getting me there-


SMOKIN’ GROOVES TOUR Universal
Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA July 30, 1997

first off, they didn’t let me take in my PFUNK1 license plate…

secondly, the crowd was mixed, funky and cute, but very young- lotsa’ high school kids worried more about being/looking cool than

having a good time. lotsa dope smokin’.

the roots were a drummer, bass player and a guitar/keyboardist with

two lead rappers. they mostly played a nice, slow, bassy groove, under

a semi-reggae type rap style. they were a good opener…

the brand new heavies with siedah garrett was good too. they were a full

band that played a bassy, jazzy, funky, moving groove… i think the

crowd was more into programmed beats cause they had no reaction to the

live music played by a band.

erykah badu said the atoms in her body spin on the same axis as the earth-

if this is true i like her, if not…she was alright-

cypress hill stole the show. they had the most energy and a well put

together performance. they also connected well with the audience. i like

the giant skeleton smokin a joint.

the p-funk allstars started off with flashlight, a song they usually do a

hour into the show. the show tonight was a popular hits show- flashlight,

knee deep, atomic dog, etc. this was the second time i attended a mothership

show (spaceship descends from the sky bringing funk to the funkless). i

didn’t like the fast start or playing the dog when the mothership landed.

im used to 3 hour p-funk shows, this lasted 1 hour, so you know how i felt


ZAPP FEATURING ROGER

Billboard Live, West Hollywood, CA

June 26, 1997

hollywood concert crowd, diverse, fun, cute…real cute-

this was my first time at billboard live. parking $6 around the corner,

relatively small standing area in front of stage, high balcony, downstairs

VIP section, very dark. Not as lush or rich as the House of Blues, but for

$12.50 i complain not. Cliff Winston from KJLH was MC and he was funny. I

didn’t quite understand the warner bros, benson and hedges, kjlh connection-

they were really pushing benson and hedge’s product, they even had gorls

going thru the crowd to get people to sign up to get in the raffle.

what was that info for? were they targeting the smokers? hmmmmm…

anyway, the opening acts were a latin-salsa band “johnny palanco” and a

black female pop-r&b type group “fosha” or something, they were cute-

i keep forgetting roger’s show is 40% musician, 60% performer. costume

changes, fat guys in lighted underwear, elvis impersonation, he rode on

a guys shoulders thru the crowd, he puts on a real “show”. his music is

good, he plays all of his hits- but they are short. he played biggie’s

hypnotized and dre’s california love …


MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

House of Blues, Hollywood CA

June 3, 1997

I love the House of Blues crowd. Cool, funky, cute, diverse. The

place ain’t so bad either. Valet park, $10. When the upstairs

balcony swings out, they play a nice litte audio show.

A latin funk-band opened, they were good.

MeShell opened with God Shiva, maybe my favorite. The band was tight

and followed MeShell’s every move. She let them jam and everybody

took nice solos. I could have sworn the keyboard played “knee deep.”

Anyway the music was good and then Chaka Kahn showed up. She sang

and MeShell really enjoyed it so she let the band get funky.

She played past midnight, which was the next day, my birthday.


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA

November 22, 1996

Orange County in the muthaFUNKin’ house. Us middle-class, educated

folks got funky this night. All the funky white gorls in OC showed

up and we simply partied. When the show started I was surronded by

solid ring of these gorls. We were all at the front of the stage and

ready to go, and so was Parliament / Funkadelic.

The crowd started chanting dem funky refrains; the 80% white funk crowd

with that OC discipline- the chants were tight, we grooved. This pumped

the band up and they came out livelier than usual. This was a Funkadelic

show vs the Parliament show yesterday.


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Universal Amphithetre, Universal City, CA

November 21, 1996

At first I thought the crowd was stuffy, but I was wrong, they were late.

I was front row center for most of my first “Mothership Show”. The show

seemed a little more orchestrated. They played “Funkentelechy” and

“Cosmic Slop” (my favorite). George’s grand-daughter LaShonda was cute as

hell!! I told her and she smiled during “Underground Angel”. I started the

chant “Tear it Up” during “Funky Kind” and we got really funky.

When the Mothership landed, George came out and they broke into “Knee Deep”.

It surprised me even though this is my favorite non-live song. And the

crowd went wild, it was good. Folx was sweatin’ and partyin’ everywhere!

It was funky. The show was shorter, around 2.5 hours, and Rick James came

out at the end.

I got a pass and hung out backstage a little after the show, it was cool.


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Aladdin Theatre, Las Vegas, NV

November 9, 1996

This show started at midnight on a Vegas fight night. Gangsta Paradise.

Ofcourse i was front row center. It was late and folx was overdressed and

sleepy. A few of us was partyin’ though. The show was Ok, nothing major.

I ran into Micheal “Clip” Payne on my way out, I loaned him cab fare.

He was cool, he took me back stage and repaid me plus $5. I owe him 5.


Pre-season: Lakers vs Suns

Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA

October, 19 1996

Me and Ingram went to the Forum on got our tickets on the way in.

Learned something from him; get the cheapest Loge seat. This is the

cheapest ticket that gets you get past the last usher to the floor.

We had good seats and it was good (and weird) to see Sam Cassell and

Robert Horry in the Suns uniforms. These were my boys cause I like

and follow Houston in the play-offs. I remember Cassell as a rookie.

Horry was fearless on fast break defense and tip dunkin’ on a brutha.

I applaud you boys once again.

Laker highlight was seeing Shaq shoot a free throw. It was horrifying.

I see why he shoots so bad now. It was like he was throwing it at the

bucket. He can do nothing but dunk and D. He has no moves. But all the

same, i love him and what he’s doing and how he’s doing it.


MeShell N’degeocello Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA October

5, 1996

I have never seen a crowd with

more atitude. Orange County stiffs mixed with angry homo and bisexuals.

Alot of black women with short hair with the atitude to go with it. this

one walked by me and said “Excuse you!” I was like DAMN!!! Eye

wore my sweats and my PFUNK1 jersey and these folx was dressed for the

opera. I chilled in the pit with the rest of my kind while my friend/date

Andrea sat up with her kind. She was over dressed too. The warm-up act was

cool. Didn’t get the name. Some guy produced by Wendy and Lisa. They were

there too. In fact, it was so quiet between songs that I told Wendy that i

liked that bass. She smiled. Meshell was cool. By the time she came out i

was into it and the crowd might have been…couldn’t tell. She played all

the hits from her two albums except for “make me wanna holler.”

Her band is really, really tight. Clean, clean, crisp sound, sharp. She

had back-up on bass so she could play keyboards and/or sing. Very smooth.

The songs were masterfully changed to enhance the live sound and just to

jam. I like the way she lets the rhythm get going, lets the beat set the

pace. They start the song jammin’ and keep it going. She got funky, but

not out of control. I like that loss of control, thats P-FUNK. She had two

back-up singers, lead guitar (who sang a song), bass back-up, keyboard,

drummer and uh, thats it i think… Good show, but i bet the one at the

House of Blues with the hollywood crowd was better.


P-FUNK ALLSTARS

Visalia Convention Center, Visalia, CA

August 22, 1996

Parliament/Funkadelic is the best band live even when they

ain’t. Visalia is a small semi-rural town and the crowd at

this show was too. Small and semi-rural. After looking at

the schedule and seeing the Mob had a show in Detroit,

three in DC and one in Santa Cruz, I realized why the

P-FUNK ALLSTARS weren’t up for this. I noticed it right

off when they started with “Maggot Brain.” No Bootsy,

no Bernie, no Mothership- but it was still good to see

Parliament/Funkadelic do their thang.

It was good seeing them and the untrained fan would

never have known. George’s new album was playing before the

show and the crowd, mostly young-white 18-25, came in and

sat at the tables along the sides of the auditorium. I went

to the front of the stage to check it out and to stake out

my spot. The floor was wide open, the music was playin’ and

i was dancin’ (solo) when this lady with the shows PR asked

me if I would trade my PFUNK1 jersey or my license plate for

an introduction to George. I hope i didn’t laugh in her

face cause i was border line offended. Call it ego, wutever.

It was like she didn’t recognize who I was. But I am nobody.

What she did was remind me that I am just a devout fan with

top quality P-FUNK gear, the real stuff. I guess it was a

compliment, huh?

The band came out and I greeted them individually by

Mr McKnight, Mr Payne, and so on. Highlights of the show

included that cute brown gorl that i think was George’s

daughter. She rapped the refrain to “Underground Angel.”

She was really cute and brown. Oh, she did the rap good too.

They sang “Swim” and it was cool to hear the new stuff, even

though they didn’t do my favorite “Mathematics”.

Another thing, first- I love you George, I swear. But you

be picking the wrong chants for the beat. Thats why i

changed a couple of them. Yep, thats right. George had his

mic turned down and wanted to chant “If anybody gets FUNKed

up…” over (name of song, i forget). So I kept singing the

woh-ahh-hay, woh-ahh-ahh part loud enough so that he pointed

the mic at me, smiled and followed. The crowd followed after

that. It was cool cause this was like the firt chant and i

was leading it, from the floor.

I love Parliament/Funkadelic and to lead a chant like that

was a honor for me. I feel like i am a part of the band

(i know I am down with the P-FUNK) but realize that I am

not. So when I get close to the band it makes me feel really

good. Like after the show when Sir Nose (Carlos) was out

signing autographs. He recognized me, we shook hands and

he gave me a hug. He said that my PFUNK1 plate that i gave

him awhile ago was in the prop trunk with the Mothership.

That made me feel really, really good.


Long Beach Jazz Festival

Rainbow Lagoon Park, Long Beach, CA

August 10, 1996

I am a social person, I am into people. I felt funny writing

this because of the 3 reviews I’ve written so far, its been

the audience that has moved me. So about this crowd…

The crowd was 93% black, mainly in the 26-36 age range,

very good looking, very well mannered, polite, very fun.

These people had flavor too, you felt that you were

part of something living. Not like at Sarah, that crowd

wasn’t into interacting and dry- Alanis’ was a little more

playful and interactive, but less flavor.

Well dressed (as all black crowds are), but a decent mix of

everything from evening dressses and heels to shorts and

t-shirts. I was in shorts and tank-top, tennis shoes, I was

gonna be comfy. I don’t dress and the level of attire at

black events makes me uncomfortable sometimes, but not here.

These are the people I want to hang-out with, but not

necessarily in a “jazz” atmosphere. Maybe something a little

more funky.

We were on the lawn way-off to the left of stage. Me and

my “best friend by far” Andrea went. This is her thang, her

people, her scene. I could barely see the stage, buts that

was cool cause the music wasn’t the point. The point of this

“Festival” was to hang-out and chill with good, live music

and good people. It was like a big picnic. Folx playing

cards, dominos, eating, talking. In fact, I have never seen

so many people carrying so much stuff ever!!! It was like an

Exodus. People had carts and luggage totes, chairs, tables,

coolers, you name it- people brought it. All just to chill,

and that was cool.

Performers were Les McCann, Roy Ayers, Special EFX,

Stanley Turrentine, Ramsey Lewis, Ernestine Anderson,

and Bob James.


Sarah McLachlan

with Paula Cole and Suzzane Vega

Starlight Bowl, Burbank, CA

August 2, 1996

Again, i was trippin’ on the crowd. 98% white and I have

never seen a more quiet, orderly crowd in my life. Even in

the parking lot it was like a library. And don’t even think

about talking during the concert!!! THIS IS NOT CRITICISM!!!

Its just that eye’m used to them funky, loud, crazy events

and this was new to me. I am very glad that I had a chance

to see how “they” do it.

The Starlight Bowl used “stack parking”. That means cars

were parked so that there are no exit lanes. With the

orderliness of this crowd that was no problem. Everybody

left on time and was very, courteous. The sound system was

very, very good. You could hear the performers lick their

lips. The system and the quiet crowd made it intimate, nice.

Our seats, Andrea went with me, were a quarter the way up

the upper lawn slightly right of center. I could see the

girls, but not their faces.

Paula Cole came on first. Barefoot, jeans. Very pretty

voice. Sounded a bit like Alanis, then i noticed THEY ALL

kinda sounded alike. She said the “F” word. Her songs were

playful, but sad. She played the piano with just a drummer

for a while and then they got into a beat-box-scat type

thing for about a minute. She was jammin’ and dancin’, but

the crowd didn’t like that open display of rhythm. She

finished her show banging on the bass drum with the drummer

also jammin’. It was good, funky energy. Her voice moved me.

She sang about bad love experiences and I felt them, but it

was the voice. i liked her.

Suzzane Vega played guitar with a bass, and a drummer

back-up. Her highlight was her last song that she sang

acapella. I forget the name of it, I think it was Lucas. I

remembered the song and sang the do-dut, dut-dut, do-dut

part. The crowd sang but you could tell they didn’t want to.

Then came Sarah.

I first heard “Fumbling Towards Ectasy” playing in a record

store, I liked it, so I picked it up. I immediately liked

this CD and eventually liked it so much that eye thought I

had a problem!! Why was I into this white gorl’s music so

deeply? Was it a white gorl thang? I don’t have the problems

or am into the stuff she sings about, but I love her music

and I love her voice. I now have Solace, Touch, and the

Freedom Sessions CDs. She is a major part of the musical me.

I listen to her when i need to cool out, when i’m tired i

look forward to putting her on and getting into bed. I let

her in my head and i take her with me when i’m doing really

deep thinking about myself. Sarah is special.

The Show: Sarah played numerous guitars, with a bass,

keyboard-drum machine back-up. She did a couple of piano

solos also. She sang a jazzed-up “Elsewhere” with Paula

Cole and they were good. She sang “Good Enough”, which

moved me, “Posession”, “Mary”, and the “Terms of Endearment”

song. She sang more, but these I remember. She also put a

deep bass rhythm and a loop of her voice in a couple of

songs to give a more rhythmic, funky sound.

It was a high quality show. I enjoyed the show and seeing

Sarah. I felt tingly actually getting to see her cause it

was very special to me.It was shorter than what i’m used to

(P-FUNK is 3.5hrs) so it left me wanting more. Sarah did not

let me down, I was impressed with her music and her voice.


ALANIS MORISSETTE

Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre

June 20, 1996

I forgot i had been to Irvine Meadows before with Jackie. I started to remember
and trip a bit. The crowd was 96% white and very good looking. It was cool to
drink beer in the parking lot and they had cans inside the Theatre. Never saw
that before. This was a crowd you could trust. I was a bit uneasy being 1 of the
9 black people in a crowd of maybe 10,000. But I relaxed. My seat was first row
Terrace. I was chillin’ to the warm-up band with my hand hanging over the rail
when this girl jumped up and tapped it as she walked by. It startled me at
first, but i rebounded in time to flash her the peace sign when she turned to
see how i reacted. She smiled and after that, I was cool. Thank you whoever you
were. I got into Alanis after Sarah, so i was more comfortable liking her. I
heard “You oughta know” on the radio and liked it first for the lyrics, then the
music. I liked 65% of “Jagged Little Pill” at first but that grew to 100%. My
favorites are “Perfect”, “Forgiven”, “Not the Doctor” and “Wake-up”. I love how
she talks about the deep stuff. The lyrics are involved and she uses big words
(for a lack of a better way to say it). Ofcourse the sound system was top-notch.
Everything sounded really clear. She had a TV screen in the background that
flashed her lyrics and pictures. Like the ones during “Forgiven” of Jesus and
Mary. You know the really traditional rosey-cheeked soft-eye Jesus pictures. The
crowd didn’t get into this song, it scared them. Not me…I was jammin’. But the
other songs, especially the cuss words, were sang expertly. One time Alanis
paused and we sounded so good singing you couldn’t tell she stopped. Her voice
impressed me too. And I think she was holding back. I think she really wants to
wail (like the gospel- soul singers) but knows the crowd ain’t goin’ for that. i
really thot that was true when the band started jammin’ during songs. You know
how the beat gets going and the musicians are into it and want to jam? But the
crowd doesnt’ dance so they weren’t giving anything back to the performers. They
just kinda sat there when this very talented band went off!! Thats gotta hurt. I
was dancin’. There might have been 20 of us. I almost forgot. As I was leavin’
one of them young white gorls grabbed my ass!!! I swear, she was just playing,
drunk and having fun and it was cool. She made me feel good, not because of the
grab (I knew it was a grab cause she got a whole handful and a squeeze right on
the cheek) but because she had no problems doing it to me. It made me feel
“apart” and less “not a part” and I thot that was so cool. Thank you whoever you
were. I think “Jagged Little Pill” deserved to be the “Album of the Year.” In
fact i told Scott in the DeVry computer lab it would be. Alanis is very good
live also. She mixes up the songs well, doesn’t perform them exactly like the
record, but not too much differently so that you can’t follow. Her new stuff
“Can’t Not” is gonna be good. “Can’t Not” had an echo-ey guitar upfront and i
love that. I like the song and her singing it too. Her new stuff is gonna be
good.

 

subjective experience                 

jefferytv

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/subjective-experience/subjective-experience-november-25-1999/