Bruuuce.com - tour reports

Venue: Portland, OR .. August 25 2001

Click to check the photos!

Thanks to Elyce for another great review:

Bruce and the boys rocked the Zoo in Portland. It was a gorgeous evening (no humidity like the East Coast Shows!) I was really pleased that they didn't seem exhausted at the end of the long tour - especially after the stories I had heard about the Saratoga shows (those of you who got to see those, had quite a treat!) I really enjoyed their rendition of We'll Sing In the Sunshine, I Can't Make You Love Me was a nice surprise and Bonny had a nice solo there towards the end.

I had a personal highlight that I'm pretty certain no one else caught. It was something you really had to be listening for, but just before Bruce went into Takes a Lot to Laugh, he ALMOST honored my request to do a little China -> Rider action. I was dancing up front, and Bruce saw me and gave me that devilish little grin of his. He hit that chord (Dmaj, as I was told later) that used to always segue The Dead from China Cat Sunflower into I Know You Rider, and I just about came unglued! BUT - at the last minute he changed direction and played Lot to Laugh instead. After the show, Bruce told me that he really thought about doing it, but didn't think he could pull it off. (I have more faith in him and the boys than that... but who am I to say?)

While I would have really dug it if he had done I Know You Rider - being brought to the edge like that was amazingly exciting! It's kind of hard to explain, but it reminded me of something Blair Jackson wrote in the Golden Road tribute book, after Garcia died. He said that there was something indescribable about "that moment", when the band hits THE NOTE that tells you it's gonna be a certain song (your favorite, or the one you're dying to hear, or the one you never thought they'd actually do), and basically - whether the band took that song to the most amazing place ever, or they dropped the ball and sat up there "suckin'" (as Bruce might say), you still had THAT moment. That split second of bliss and ecstasy that is yours forever. I guess that's kind of how I felt about it.

The venue itself had its good points and its bad points. I think it was well suited for those who like to enjoy the show in a more relaxed fashion - but for those of us who like to dance with reckless abandon... there was a challenge.

There was a "dance floor" area, but that quickly filled up - leaving little room to cut loose. There was a great wide aisle, but that was the "fire lane" and the staff was instructed to keep people clear of it. One of the volunteers politely (and repeatedly) asked people to move along... and we politely did... then came back, then were asked to move - it was kind of a dance in and of itself. It was all well and good until the folks in blue came by and got ugly. I was dancing in the cleared out former food area and was told that if I didn't leave I'd be asked to leave the venue. I couldn't understand this... the food vendors could block the "fire lane" with their food and tables, but as soon as they were finished, we couldn't be in the place where the tables had been because we were blocking the fire lane and that was a hazard.

I don't get it.

Anyway - I managed to keep finding dance space - it was a mobile show... but great music makes up for the icky security people who don't like us freaks (and I mean 'freaks' in the most lovable possible way). I've had more important people think less of me for better reasons. Besides... I had one of "those moments" that night, so it was a good night anyway.

I'll probably start experiencing the shakes and other signs of withdrawal soon.... I'm just waiting for the reality of the real world to hit me.


		Tour reports - I'd love to hear about any shows you've been to, recent or distant. If you'd like to share, please mail anything to me, and I'll see that it goes straight up with full credit.
	Venue: Portland, OR .. August 25 2001 Click to check the photos! Thanks to Elyce for another great review: Bruce and the boys rocked the Zoo in Portland. It was a gorgeous evening (no humidity like the East Coast Shows!) I was really pleased that they didn't seem exhausted at the end of the long tour - especially after the stories I had heard about the Saratoga shows (those of you who got to see those, had quite a treat!) I really enjoyed their rendition of We'll Sing In the Sunshine, I Can't Make You Love Me was a nice surprise and Bonny had a nice solo there towards the end. I had a personal highlight that I'm pretty certain no one else caught. It was something you really had to be listening for, but just before Bruce went into Takes a Lot to Laugh, he ALMOST honored my request to do a little China -> Rider action. I was dancing up front, and Bruce saw me and gave me that devilish little grin of his. He hit that chord (Dmaj, as I was told later) that used to always segue The Dead from China Cat Sunflower into I Know You Rider, and I just about came unglued! BUT - at the last minute he changed direction and played Lot to Laugh instead. After the show, Bruce told me that he really thought about doing it, but didn't think he could pull it off. (I have more faith in him and the boys than that... but who am I to say?) While I would have really dug it if he had done I Know You Rider - being brought to the edge like that was amazingly exciting! It's kind of hard to explain, but it reminded me of something Blair Jackson wrote in the Golden Road tribute book, after Garcia died. He said that there was something indescribable about "that moment", when the band hits THE NOTE that tells you it's gonna be a certain song (your favorite, or the one you're dying to hear, or the one you never thought they'd actually do), and basically - whether the band took that song to the most amazing place ever, or they dropped the ball and sat up there "suckin'" (as Bruce might say), you still had THAT moment. That split second of bliss and ecstasy that is yours forever. I guess that's kind of how I felt about it. The venue itself had its good points and its bad points. I think it was well suited for those who like to enjoy the show in a more relaxed fashion - but for those of us who like to dance with reckless abandon... there was a challenge. There was a "dance floor" area, but that quickly filled up - leaving little room to cut loose. There was a great wide aisle, but that was the "fire lane" and the staff was instructed to keep people clear of it. One of the volunteers politely (and repeatedly) asked people to move along... and we politely did... then came back, then were asked to move - it was kind of a dance in and of itself. It was all well and good until the folks in blue came by and got ugly. I was dancing in the cleared out former food area and was told that if I didn't leave I'd be asked to leave the venue. I couldn't understand this... the food vendors could block the "fire lane" with their food and tables, but as soon as they were finished, we couldn't be in the place where the tables had been because we were blocking the fire lane and that was a hazard. I don't get it. Anyway - I managed to keep finding dance space - it was a mobile show... but great music makes up for the icky security people who don't like us freaks (and I mean 'freaks' in the most lovable possible way). I've had more important people think less of me for better reasons. Besides... I had one of "those moments" that night, so it was a good night anyway. I'll probably start experiencing the shakes and other signs of withdrawal soon.... I'm just waiting for the reality of the real world to hit me.