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Santa Ynez I left Sacramento after a hearty breakfast at Denny’s late at about 10:30 and hammered for 3 hours before a break. This was the first day I realized that I could do this without a map, I was getting to know California so well. This was also the first day of rain, but it really wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought it would be. The drive was nicer than just the week before because the fruit trees were starting to bloom, groves and groves for miles and miles. I noticed that there were at least three types of tree with lighter and darker blossoms and those that weren’t out yet.
Once at my digs (Best Western Andersen’s, next to the Andersen’s Pea Soup restaurant in Buellton, 6 miles from the venue), I visited Solvang, a town halfway inbetween. I walked around admiring the kitch and the windmills. Every building seems to be actual or faux half timbered with little white lights decorating the tops and sometimes windows. I’ll bet it is part of the building and zoning codes for this town. I’d whizzed through so fast back two years ago when the Moodies were last at Chumash that I didn’t know if this town was supposed to be imitating Swedish or Dutch, but this time I spent enough time to know it’s Danish. There are a number of Danish bakeries, and the street names are Danish. It’s very interesting and pretty in its own sort of way. I decided against staying at the place in Buellton that I stayed at last time – the Days Inn which has this wooden windmill on it – because they have raised their prices a lot since the place was featured in the movie, “Sideways”. It was quite a surprise when I saw that movie only 8 days after having stayed in that hotel.
The Concert I skidded in a couple of minutes before the show usually starts… the folks at Andersen’s Pea Soup, an extension of the Danish theme in the town of Buellton, where I stay, got my order wrong so that threw off my time calculations. Oh, and the self park garage was a zoo. The LED sign said open and it was like musical chairs with dozens of cars circling for no empty spaces. I got out as quick as I could, after having reached the rainy roof where there were half a dozen cars just stuck with nowhere to go. I got at the back of the valet line. I usually never treat myself to that. That took another five to ten minutes, but all’s well.. I watched the Jays and there was still quite a bit of coolness going on, but Justin let a few more smiles come through tonight, but not nearly as many as usual. I wonder what’s gone on. I noticed the sound fellow kneeling in front during the second song to get his levels. This sure does make a difference. Now there is far more uniformity in the sound from concert to concert. You can depend on hearing John’s and Justin’s crisp and full guitars, and nothing overpowers as it used to be. And you don’t go for several concerts where the sound level is so loud it causes hearing damage. Graeme’s comments are getting longer and longer. This time after the Santa Claus comment, he said the ladies could sit on his lap, and another comment I didn’t get. Enough women heard it that there was a definite reaction. Tonight, after his dance, he lept up the steps to his kit. Norda’s really in her own world, outside the times when she’s goosing Graeme in the butt with her tambourine. It’s a good thing she works out so much… she really does move around quite a bit and seems blissfully happy. Julie’s playing with John again as he gets close to sing with them during Singer putting her finger on him.. yesterday she’d put up her hand as if to stop him from approaching. Recalling the last time I was there, where lots of people rushed the stage after only a few songs, this time security ladies sat in the aisles at the fourth row where I was, with a webbed rope across the aisles so that no one could go up to the stage. Too bad! That was one of the reasons I decided to come to this venue again. But then, Surprise! At the beginning of Singer, as if on cue, lots of people rushed the stage and stayed there for the rest of the show and security let them. I joined, of course. Standing back to the stage, there was a young, tall, fellow who was keeping tabs. In the middle of Singer he stopped me from taking more photos, but I had taken quite a few from my seat and a few at the stage with the SLR. He was nice about it. I do wish the Moodies would take their restrictions on photography out of their contracts with venues. There were only two fans that I recognized this time. I know of four who had been planning to come and decided against it at the last minute. It Was a long drive and out of the way to the next concert in San Jose. Afterwards I hung out at the merchandise table. They really hid Hal’s operation well; I saw six or seven signs guiding people to it from the right side of the venue. I’m sure most didn’t see these. But nonetheless, he had quite a few buyers and I saw how many were racking up bills of $50 to $100. I was also entertained by this 50-ish fan sounding like a giggly teenager describing how they played Nights in White Satin Aaaauuuggghhh! She was going on to the tour manger, who smiled. There was this tall fellow with a greyish beard and I think a ponytail, standing next to him watching this as well – I didn’t recognize him. I later found out he was Alan Parsons. He was waiting for the rest of his party (two young, attractive women) to arrive to go backstage. Waiting for the valet to come back with my car, I snagged a few Chumash water bottles. I remember they handed out Chumash water the last time and for sentimental reasons I kept using the bottle till it wore out a short while ago. The Best Western Andersen’s Pea Soup was fine and conveniently situated. I noted lit signs along the road coming back from the casino that there was to be a bike race through there in the morning. I learned it was one going down the entire coast. Good thing I was leaving earlier than 10. Watching the Weather channel back in the room, I was filled with more nervosity (J) about the predicted Rockies snowstorm this weekend. My plan was to drive from Tahoe to Denver in two days… a heavy lift even in good weather.
San Jose
At this point you decide whether you go back inland to 101 and make time going up the coast or you take the longer, slower, but much more picturesque PCH. I decided for the latter since I had not been on the part from Hearst Castle to Julia Pfeiffer state park just south of Big Sur. This allowed me to take lots of great shots along the coast and it was a good day for it. Much of the time I was way up on cliffs, looking down on the crashing waves. I took the short hike at Julia Pfeiffer again to get some of the same pix I’d taken before, but this time with wider angle and better rez, and at this point, the SLR’s battery went out. I coaxed a few more shots out of it there and further up the coast, and then dashed through the Monterey area up to San Jose in the dark, getting into San Jose, spying Hal’s truck (clue to venue location) and my digs, a Ramada Ltd. at 6:30. This place is trying to save energy by outfitting every room with automatic motion sensors which turn on a light. I thought, how cool. Of course by the time I was in the bathroom, all the lights went out since the timer was set for about 20 seconds … I walked to the venue… maybe 8 blocks away.
Concert John’s falsetto was so huge tonight that the audience as a whole gasped and cheered. John had a sweet spot tonight with most of the active fans probably in fan club seats on each edge. Graeme continued with his lengthy comments ending with inviting the girls in the audience to the bar to sit on his lap… Going offstage (in the middle and the end) he twice smiled and pointed at me (with two fingers tho…) (What does this mean?) During Singer, Graeme counted in four bars too early. No one else started then. There were a few false starts for See-Saw with Gordon and Graeme not quite in sync. I’ve never seen this before. (This bit might have occurred last night. I’ve been running hard and the shows might be running together in my mind.) A few of us in front stood up in the beginning as the band came out and that got the crowd started in standing up. They were still quite reserved tho until towards the end. There weren’t too many traveling fans at this show but it was great to see Bob Hardy again. At the intermission we talked guitars and amps as we had just before I bought my first electric back in ‘95. The crowd finally got Justin going a bit more than in the last two shows, where he didn’t have much eye contact or smiling with the audience. Two friends got Gordon’s sticks and the child with Down’s Syndrome, who sang along knowing all the words, that I think I’ve seen at shows before, got Graeme’s. Hal was selling tambourines with Graeme’s signature and now has a white and blue Moody bear for $15. He sold 40 of those the first night.
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