Black Cowboy
April 9, 2008, Temple Bar, Santa Monica, CA (WED)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
April 5, 2008, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA (SAT)

SETLIST: Out in the Street, Radio Nowhere, Lonesome Day, Gypsy Biker, Something in the Night, Magic, Trapped, Reason to Believe, Prove It All Night, She's the One, Livin' in the Future, The Promised Land, Fire, Incident on 57th Street, Devil's Arcade, The Rising, Last to Die, Long Walk Home, Badlands
ENCORE: Detroit Medley, Born to Run, Glory Days, Bobby Jean, American Land
WEB SITE: backstreets.com

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
March 31, 2008, General Motors Place, BC (MON)

SETLIST: Atlantic City, Radio Nowhere, No Surrender, Lonesome Day, Gypsy Biker, Magic, Trapped, Reason to Believe, Because the Night, She's the One, Livin' in the Future, The Promised Land, Waitin' on a Sunny Day, None But the Brave, The River, Devil's Arcade, The Rising, Last to Die, Long Walk Home, Badlands
ENCORE: Tenth Avenue Freeze-out, Rosalita, Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark, American Land
WEB SITE: backstreets.com

U2 3D
February 23, 2008, AMC Century City, CA (SAT)

NOTES: Live U2 filmed in Argintina: EPIC

Iron Maiden
February 19, 2008, The Forum, Inglewood, CA (TUE)

NOTES: Bonnie on trombone in this great salsa band

Ragga Muffins Festival
February 17, 2008, Long Beach Arena, CA (SUN)
FEATURING: Gregory Issacs, Tarrus Riley, Midnight, Queen Ifrica

Dead Man’s Party
February 16, 2008, Galaxy Theater, Santa Ana, CA (SAT)
FEATURING: Atomic Jones, Christopher Anton

Biirdie
Roxy Theater, West Hollywood, CA (WED)

FEATURING: DMC, DJ Wordy, VI HaoBuHao

     back to top 

Angel Lebron Y Su Sabor Latino
December 29, 2007, Temple Bar, Santa Monica, CA (SAT)

NOTES: Bonnie on trombone in this great salsa band

Ozomatli
December 21, 2007, House of Blues, Los Angelese, CA (FRI)

Van Halen
December 18, 2007, Honda Center, Anaheim, CA (TUE)

FEATURING: Ky-Mani Marley

DJ QBert
December 6, 2007, ChinaDoll, Beijing, China (THR)

FEATURING: DMC, DJ Wordy, VI HaoBuHao

Hershey Park
June 6, 2007, Hershey Pennsylvania (SAT)

INFO: Went with my MBA crew: Melissa, Ed, Tamara, Sally, Dany, Phil, Samira

Phillies vs New York Mets
April 17, 2007, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (TUE)

INFO: Went with my MBA crew and we had a BBQ outside before the cold game

2007 Chinese New Year
January 24, 2007, Merriam Theater, Philadelphia, PA (WED)

     back to top 

SF Jazz Collective
April 14, 2006, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

INFO: Went with Alan Raznick

Ma Ying-Jeou
March 27, 206, Crystal Ballroom, The Beverly Hills Hotel, CA (MON)

INFO: The Los Angeles World Affairs Council; went with Jenny

The Rolling Stones
March 6, 2006, The Forum, Inglewood, CA (MON)

INFO: Ticket was $160.00 + $19.95 service, but we paind $50

Ashes & Snow by Gregory Colbert
Feb 26, 2006, Nomadic Museum, Santa Monica Pier, CA (SUN)

Dead Man’s Party
January 14, 2006, Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (SAT)

FEATURING: Depeche Mode and Cure cover bands

     back to top 

Dark Star Orchestra
October 27, 2005, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (THR)

SET 1: Hey Pocky Way, Minglewood, Half Step, Me & My Uncle → Mexicali,To Lay Me Down, Masterpiece, Bird Song
SET 2: China Cat → I Know You Rider, Ship Of Fools, Estimated → Terrapin → Drumz → Miracle → Mr. Fantasy → Hey Jude Finale → Sugar Magnolia
ENCORE: Baby Blue
FILLER: Music
NOTES: Show #517. 9/16/1988 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Special guest keyboardist Tom Ryan (Cubensis) — "Beer Barrel Polka" tuning before "Half Step"??? — The Yoshida Brothers opened.
WEB SITE: darkstarorchestra.net

Cedars-Sinai Charity Event
September 25, 2005, Playboy Mansion, Homby Hills, CA (SUN)

Reggae Night IV
August 28, 2005, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA (SUN)

FEATURING: Culture, MaxiPriest

Niyaz
August 25, 2005, Knitting Factory, Hollywood, CA (THU)

WEB SITE: niyazmusic.com

Los Angeles Open
July 28 & 29, Straus Stadium, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (THR - FRI)

Andre Agasi vs. Paradorn Srichaphan

Widespread Panic
July 15, 2005, Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA (FRI)

SET 1: Pleas, Monstrosity, Travelin’ Light, One Arm Steve, Weight Of The World, Junior, Rock, This Part Of Town, Ain’t Life Grand
SET 2: Run For Your Life, Thought Sausage, Gradle, Tall Boy, You Should Be Glad, Papa’s Home, Drums*, Arleen, Red Hot Mama, None of Us Are Free, Imitation Leather Shoes
ENCORE: And It Stoned Me, Conrad
WEB SITE: everydaycompanion.com

Oliver Mtukudzi & the Black Spirits
June 26, 2005, Temple Bar, Santa Monica, CA (SUN)

SETLIST: Ziwere, Help Me Lord, Ndakuvara

Hot Fab DJazz Club
June 17, 2005, Lunaria Los Angeles, CA (FRI)

The Pixies
June 3, 2005, Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA (FRI)

OPENING: The Bell Rays

Shakespear Theatre Free For All
May 29, 2005, Cater Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC (SUN)
NOTES: A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Greg and Kashio

MOMA
May 25, 2005, MOMA Museum, New York, NY (WED)

Thievery Corporation
May 8, 2005, Warfield, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

Sount Tribe Sector 9
April 14, 2004, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA (THR)

     back to top 

Paul Oakenfold
April 21, 2004, Narcissus Club, Bangkok, Thailand (WED)

WEB SITE: pauloakenfold.com

     back to top 

Césaria Évora
November, 2003, Hall, Berkeley, CA

Simon & Garfunkel
November 6, 2003, Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA (THU)

OPENER: The Everly Brothers

Modest Mouse
November 4, 2003, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (TUE)

OPENER: The Shins
LINEUP: Anjali took us here, and convinced the ticket seller, after moments of haggling, that we were indeed on the guest list.

A Bridge School Benefit XVII
October 26, 2003, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (SUN)

• Neil & Peggy Young & Native American dancers
  SETLIST: Sugar Mountain, Mother Earth, Comes a Time
  
• Dashboard Confessional
  SETLIST: Screaming Infidelities, Again I Go Unnoticed, Hands Down
  
• Counting Crows
  SETLIST: Mr. Jones*, Rain King*, Friend of the Devil, Blues Run in the Game#
  *extended version; #Jackson Frank obscurity
  
• Wilco
  SETLIST: New Madrid, California Stars, Bob Dylan’s Beard, I’m the Man Who Loves You, I am Trying To Break Your Heart, War on War
  
• Incubus
  SETLIST: Teardrop*, Drive, Warning, Wish You Were Here, Warning
  * Massive Attack tune;
  
• Indago Girls
  SETLIST: Closer to Fine, Galileo*, Chickenman, Old McDonald Had a Farm
  * featuring David Crosby on vocals
  
• Pearl Jam
  SETLIST: Masters of War*, 25 Minutes To Go+, I Believe in Miracles$, Man of the Hour, The Long Road#, Old Dick Cheney Had a Farm
  *Bob Dylan tune; +Jonny Cash tune; $ Ramones tune; #featuring Neil Young on pump organ
  
• Willie Nelson & Mickey Rafael (on harmonica)
  SETLIST: Funny How Time Slips Away, Nightlife, Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Crazy, Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, On the Road Again
  *with Neil on vocals and guitar
  
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  SETLIST: For What It’s Worth, Human Highway, Harvest Moon
  
• Finale
  SETLIST: Teach Your Children

Bazaar Bazaar
October 17 , 2003, Boom Boom Room, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

AL Division Game 5 — A’s vs. Red Sox
October 6 , 2003, Network Associates Arena, Oakland, CA (MON)

SCORE: 3-4 Red Sox
NOTES: Red Sox complete 0-2 comeback, advance to meet Yankees in ALCS

Reggae in the Park
October 4 — 5 , 2003, Sharon Meadow, San Francico, CA (SAT/SUN)

SATURDAY: Groundation, Prezident Brown, Barrington Levy, Steel Pulse
SUNDAY: Pacific Vibrations, Eek-a-Mouse (band only), Lucky Dube, Sizzla

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2003
October 5, 2003, Speedway Meadow, San Francico, CA (SUN)

FEATURING: Willie Nelson (On the Road Again; You Were Always on My Mind)
WEB SITE: strictlybluegrass.com

Mr. Vegas
October 4, 2003, Studio Z, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

Phil Lesh & Friends
September 26, 2003, Warfield, San Francisco, CA (SAT) (2)

SET 1: Jam → Casey Jones → Jam → Welcome to the Underground → Jam → Shakedown Street → Jam → Stagger Lee (Phil), Beautifully Broken → Doin’ That Rag, Night of a 1000 Stars
SET 2: Turn On Your Lovelight → Jam → Uncle John’s Band → Jam → St. Stephen → Again & Again → Millenium Jam → The Eleven → Spacy Jam → Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (v1 & v3) → Viola Lee Blues, Golden Road ...Donor Rap/Intros…
ENCORE: Celebration
LINEUP: Phil Lesh (bass), Warren Haynes (guitar), Jimmy Herring (guitar), John Molo (drums), Rob Barraco (keys)
OPENER: Lauren Shera
WEB SITE: philzone.com

Radiohead
September 23, 2003, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (TUE)

SET 1: 2+2=5, Sit down. Stand up., Where I End and You Begin, Kid A, Backdrifts, Lurgee, Morning Bell, My Iron Lung, I Might Be Wrong, Sail To The Moon, Paranoid Android, Punch Up at a Wedding, Go To Sleep, The Gloaming, Idioteque, No Surprises, There There
ENCORE 1: You and Whose Army, The National Anthem, Wolf At The Door, How To Disappear Completely
ENCORE 2: Airbag, Eveything In Its Right Place
WEB SITE: greenplastic.com

Sound Tribe Sector 9
September 18, 2003, Regency Center, San Francisco, CA (THU)

WEB SITE: sts9.com

Burning Man
August 27 - August 30, 2003
Black Rock City, NV

Djelimady Tounkara
August 21, 2003, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA (THU)

NOTES: From Mali, guitarist from the world-famous Super Rail Band of Bamako

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
 August 16, 2003, Pacific Bell Park, CA (SAT)

SETLIST: The Promised Land, The Rising, Lonesome Day, My Love Will Not Let You Down, Prove It All Night, Something in the Night, Empty Sky, You're Missing, Waitin' on a Sunny Day, Darlington County, Worlds Apart, Badlands, Out in the Street, Mary's Place, Across the Border, Into the Fire, No Surrender
ENCORE: Bobby Jean, Ramrod, Born to Run, Seven Nights to Rock
ENCORE: My City of Ruins, Land of Hope and Dreams, Rosalita, Dancing in the Dark
COMMENTS: 3 hour show.
WEB SITE: Backstreets.com

BRUCE'S COMMENTS:

(Before playing Land of Hope and Dreams): “People come to my shows with many different kinds of political beliefs; I like that, we welcome all. There have been a lot of questions raised recently about the forthrightness of our government. This playing with the truth has been a part of both the Republican and Democratic administrations in the past and it is always wrong, never more so than when real lives are at stake. The question of whether we were mislead into the war in Iraq isn't a liberal or conservative or Republican or Democratic question, it's an American one. Protecting the democracy that we ask our sons and daughters to die for is our responsibility and our trust. Demanding accountability from our leaders is our job as citizens. It's the American way. So may the truth will out.”

BACKSTREETS.COM COMMENTS:

A beautiful night in San Francisco, CA. As Bruce says, usually he'd be "sweating his ass off" after the first five or six songs… but not so in the city of layered clothing. Rarities tonight included "Something in the Night" (very strong) and "Across the Border." In the words of Bruce, the latter was "a little California music." To the folks in the Western branch office of Backstreets, the first half of the show was the strongest the Bay Area (and the Northwest) has seen since perhaps the second night in Oakland in 1999. If not before. "Across the Border" was a beautiful full band arrangement, but it took until "Born to Run" for the crowd to get back in the groove.

MY COMMENTS:

We arrive two hours early and score sections 6, row 19 & 20 from independent people for $40 ea. Lucky. We find seat in the front, right to the left of the GA pit. The band walks on stage and the crowd cheers. The band doesn't hesitate for a second; the moment Bruce walks out he says “one, two, three, four… ” and the band erupts instantly into the opener. Most bands would at least take a minute to tune, but not Bruce. We are eventually kicked-out of our prime seats, but find some other nice seats and enjoy the show. Afterwards, we meet other Boss fans and party for a while. Really a nice evening.

Oliver Mtukudzi & the Black Spirits
August 5, 2003, Mo’s Alley, Santa Cruz, CA (TUE)

SETLIST: Wake Up, Todi, Ziwere*, Help Me Lord, etc.
NOTES: *On request by a fan (me). A beautiful show in an intimate setting. Thank you Oliver, everything was perfect.

Reggae on the River
August 1 — 3, 2003, French’s Camp, Percy, CA (FRI — SUN)

• FRIDAY:
  Lost at Last, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Culture, Oliver Mtukudzi & Black Spirits, Tre` Hardson, Potluck, John Trudell, Opening Ceremony: Charlie Red Hawk Thom, All Nation Singers & Medicine Warrior Dancers, Fred Coyote Downey
  
• SATURDAY:
  Ghetto Youth Crew (Damian, Steven, & Julian Marley), Machel Montano and Xtatik 5.0, Wayne Wonder, Anthony B, Baby Cham, Vybz Kartel, Israel Vibration, Bemebeya Jazz, Slightly Stoopid, South County Dogs, Niyabhingi Blessing
  
  
• SUNDAY:
  Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Toots & The Maytals, David Lindley & El Rayo-X, Beres Hammond, Judy Mowatt & Marcia Griffiths, Pato Banton & The Revolutionary Band, Tribute to Rod Deal, The Pomo Nation Tribal Dancers
  
• SOUND SYSTEMS:
  Jah Love Universal Sound, Midnight Dread Sound System, Massive Sound International, Island Style Soundz

Culture
July 18, 2003, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

Afro Celt Sound System
July 12, 2003, Stern Grove, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

Césaria Évora
June 28, 2003, Historic Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA (SAT)

Robert Hunter
June 26, 2003, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (THU)

Giants vs. LA
June 25, 2003, 7:15PM, PacBell Park, San Francisco, CA (WED)

SCORE: 1-6 Dodgers

Merle Saunders & His Funky Friends
June 8, 2003, Haight Street Fair, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

Giants vs. Mineapolis
June 5, 2003, 7:35PM, PacBell Park, San Francisco, CA (THU)

SCORE: 4-3 Giants
NOTES: Giants were losing until the B8 when 2 runs tied it 3-3. Then, B9, bases loaded, they have to pitch to… yep, Barry Bonds. No, he didn’t grand slam it (which would have been magical) but a nice solid hit to right field sufficed and before a runner scored, the Twins were running to the locker rooms. Jonathan decide he is going to Thailand.

Christian Castro
May 24, 2003, Zocalo, Centro Histórico, DF, Mexico (SAT)

Some Rock Concert (old-school theatre)
May 15, 2003, Vedado, La Habana, CUBA (THU)

Septeo Nacional
May 13, 2003, Vedado, La Habana, CUBA (TUE)

Rumba Band
May 11, 2003, Centro Habana, CUBA (SUN)

West African Highlife Band
May 3, 2003, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA (SAT)

The Avalon Allstars
April 20, 2003, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

LINEUP: Melvin Seals (JGB); John Kadlecik (lead guitarist - DSO); Kevin Rosen (bassist - DSO); Gloria Jones & Jackie LaBranch (JGB)

Giants vs. Los Angeles
April 13, 2003, 5:05PM, PacBell Park, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

SCORE: 5-4 Giants
NOTES: Game ends bottom of 12th when Marvin Benard gets the big hit to score Marquis Grissom.

Steve Kimock Band / Soulive
April 12, 2003, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

SETLIST: It’s Up to You, A New Africa, Arf She Cried, Moon People, Five B4 Funk, Why Can’t We All Just Samba+, Cole’s Law+, You’re the One+*, Stella Blue+*
LINEUP: Steve Kimock: guitars, Mitch Stein: guitar, Rodney Holmes: drums, Arne Livingston: bass,
+ Pete Sears: keyboards
* Martin Fierro: tenor saxaphone.

Buju Banton
April 11, 2003, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

My B-day
April 8, 2003, RoHan Lounge, San Francisco, CA (TUE)

Linkin Park
March 23, 2003, Warfield, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

Keller Williams
March 21, 2003, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

SETLIST:

SF Funk All Stars
March 15, 2003, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

OPENING: Zigaboo, Modeliste, Bernie Worrell
FEATURING: Brian Jordan, Bobby Vega, plus Boomshanka DJ Motion Potion

Sound Tribe Sector 9
March 14, 2003, Warfield, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

SET 1: Breathe In, Rilly Wut?, And Some Are Angels*, Once Told, Mischief Of A Sleepwalker, Moon Socket, Luma Daylight, Satori*
SET 2: Evasive Maneuvers → Kamuy, For My Peeps*, Circus, Today, Jebez, Orbital*, Grow
ENCORE: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It*, T.W.E.L.V.E.
NOTES: * =’s With Audio Angel
WEB SITE: soundtribe.org

Knife in the Water
February 19, 2003, Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA (WED)

OPENING: Nick Flanagan; Jolie Holland

9th Annual McCoy Tyner Two-Week Residency
January 21, 2003, Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA (TUE)

Won two tickets courtesy of KUSF.

LINEUP: McCoy Tyner—piano; Bobby Hutcherson—vibraphone; Cecil McBee—bass; Jack DeJohnette—drums

     back to top 

Galactic
December 28, 2002, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (SAT)

SET 1: B.E.P, Sweetback, Blackbird Special, Truth Is Out, All Behind You Now, Start From Scratch, C Minor Jam, Hamps Hump, Give Mom A Rose, Spicoli’s Toe
SET 2: Little Miss Lover, Action, Doublewide, Tiger Roll, Root Down, Sprung Monkey, Moil, Moog Marmalade, Blue Pepper, Ice Cold Daydream, Sweetleaf
ENCORE: Why Can’t We Live Together?

Peter Gabriel — Growing Up Live Tour
December 15, 2002, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA (SUN)

SETLIST: Here comes the flood, Darkness, Red Rain, Secret World, Sky Blue, Downside up, The Barry Williams Show, More Than This, Mercy Street, Digging in the dirt, Growing Up, Animal Nation, Solsburry Hill, Sledgehammer, Signal to noise
ENCORES: In your Eyes, Shock the Monkey, Father Son
WEB SITE: The Movement Genesis

LUNA
December 13, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

The Other Ones
December 5, 2002, Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA (THU)

SET 1: Jam → Iko Iko → Music Never Stopped → The Eleven → Jam → Eyes Of The World → Music Never Stopped (Reprise), Scarlet Begonias → Fire On The Mountain, Midnight Hour
ROBERT HUNTER: Mission In The Rain → Lazy River Road → Wind Blows High → Easy Wind → Mister Charlie → Standing On The Moon → Ripple
SET 2: Strawberry Fields Forever → Cryptical Envelopement → All Along The Watchtower → Drums → Space → Help On The Way → Slipknot → The Other One → Slipknot → Franklin’s Tower
ENCORE: Box of Rain
LINEUP: Phil Lesh - bass and vocals, Bob Weir - guitar and vocals, Bill Kreutzman - drums, Mickey Hart - percussion, Jimmy Herring - guitar. Jeff Chimenti - keyboards. Rob Barraco - keyboards and vocals.
WEB SITE: otherones.net

The Wedding of Amy Lerner and Charlie Hill
November 9, 2002, Jonathan Club, Los Angeles, CA (SAT)

A Bridge School Benefit XVI
October 27, 2002, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (SUN)

• LeeAnn Rimes
  SETLIST: Life Goes On, Damn, Suddenly, Love Is An Army, Can’t Fight The Moonlight, How Do I Live
  
• Thom Yorke
  SETLIST: Street Spirit, Morning Bell, Nice Dream, I Might Be Wrong, Sail To The Moon (New song), Like Spinning Plates, True Love Waits, Paranoid Android
  
• The Other Ones
  SETLIST: Truckin’ → Friend Of The Devil, Cumberland Blues, Box Of Rain, Uncle John’s Band → The Wheel → Uncle John’s Band → Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad → And We Bid You Goodnight
  
• James Taylor
  SETLIST: Something In The Way She Moves, Secret O’Life, Country Road, Carolina In My Mind, You’ve Got A Friend, Fire And Rain, Sweet Baby James
  
• Neil Young
  SETLIST: Heart of Gold (with James Taylor), Old Man, Don’t Let It Bring You Down, Mother Earth (On pump organ), After The Gold Rush (on piano), The Needle And The Damage Done, Love And Affection (new song, possible title)
  
• Finale
  SETLIST: Comes a Time (wonderful) (Neil with Pegi, Vanessa Carlton, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Ryan Adams, Jack Johnson, Thom Yorke, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, Rob Barraco, Jeff Chimenti, Jimmy Herring and James Taylor)

World Series Game 4 — Giants vs. Angeles
October 23, 2002, 5:00PM, PacBell Park, San Francisco, CA (WED)

SCORE: 4-3 Giants!
NOTES: First Giants home game World Series win since 1962!

Strictly Bluegrass
October 6, 2002, Speedway Meadow, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

FEATURING: Emmylou Harris

Fairfax World Music Festival (FWMF)
September 21 -22, 2002, Fairfax, CA

SUNDAY:
Sister Carol, Don Carlos, Abyssinians, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, Hamsa Lila, WETR-Loufa Dance Co. (New Caledonia)

WEB SITE: FairfaxWorldMusicFest.org

Burning Man
August 29 — September 2, 2002
Black Rock City, NV

Reggae on the River
August 2-4, 2002, French’s Camp, Percy, CA (FRI — SUN)

• FRIDAY:
  Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jillian Speer, Steel Pulse (canceled), King Chango, Kanda Bongo Man, North Coast Underground, Dragon Tribe
  
  
• SATURDAY:
  Taxi Triple Connection (featuring: Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Ini Kamoze, Michael Rose), Ghetto Youth Showcase (featuring: Steven Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Julian Marley, Jah Stream), Tanto Metro & Devonte, Sean Paul, TOK, 3 Canal, Mystic, Prezident Brown, Katt & The Revolutionary Dream Band, Luna Angel
  
  
• SUNDAY:
  Burning Spear, Lucky Dube, Morgan Heritage, LMS, Amadou Et Mariam, Sudden Rush, Dub FX, Youth Exodus, Rod Deal Medley, Non-Prophets
  
  
• SOUND SYSTEMS:
  Jah Love Universal Sound System, Midnight Dread Sound System, Massive Sound International
  
  Lucky Dube
  SETLIST: Back To My Roots; Slave; I’ve Got You Babe; Prisoner; Rasta Kwasa; Money; among others

Kanda Bongo Man and Soukous Night 2002
August 1, 2002, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA (THU)

SET 1: Yesu Christu, Sana, Monie; among others
SET 2:
LINEUP: Kanda Bongo Man (Phillip): vocals; Nene Tchacou: guitar; 2 backup singers (one with green hair); various dancers the best of which were three sister from Pedemont; bassist; drummer; rhythm guitar.
NOTES: Evening ended with a GD dance celebrating Jerry’s 60th birthday. Band members were mingling with D-heads and everyone dance ’till at least 2 AM+.

Widespread Panic
July 28, 2002, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA (SUN)

SET 1: Goin’ Out West, Surprise Valley, She Caught The Katy, Give, Imitation Leather Shoes, Pusherman, Bear’s Gone Fishin’, Climb To Safety
SET 2: Thought Sausage, Bayou Lena, Papa’s Home → Get In Get Out, Rebirtha → Drums → Jam → I Walk On Guilded Splinters, Rock, City of Dreams
ENCORE: One Arm Steve, Down, Travelin’ Light
NOTES: Entire show with George McConnell on guitar, Randall Bramblett on saxophone/flute/keyboards/vocals; Without Mike.
WEB SITE: everydaycompanion.com

Femi Kuti
July 27, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

Won two tickets courtesy of KUSF.

OPENING: Hamza Lila
SETLIST: Beng Beng Beng; Fight AIDS,
ENCORE: Fela Song

Disco Buscuits
July 27, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

SET 1: Hope → And The Ladies Were The Rest Of The Night1, Haleakala Crater → Munchkin Invasion, The Tunnel, Shelby Rose → Story Of The World
SET 2: Digital Buddha2 → Rock Candy3 → Digital Buddha, Bazaar Escape, M.E.M.P.H.I.S. → Spectacle, Jigsaw Earth → Sound1 → Jigsaw Earth
ENCORE: Little Betty Boop
NOTES: 1: With ’Basis For A Day’ tease. 2: First time played. 3: Inverted version.
WEB SITE: discobuscuits.net

Jane’s Addiction
July 20, 2002, Warfield, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

OPENING: DJ Alex Graham, Pussycat Dolls
SETLIST: Up The Beach, Whores, Stop!, Ain’t No Right, Three Days, Pigs In Zen, Sparks (Instrumental The Who cover), Ocean Size, Bring The Mood (live debut), Been Caught Stealing, Summertime Rolls
ENCORE 1: In The Flesh (Instrumental Pink Floyd cover), Mountain Song, Suffer Some, Hypersonic
ENCORE 2: Jane Says, Chip Away
NOTES: Before Been Caught Stealing Perry says "I guess this next song should be dedicated to Winona Ryder" — referencing her recent arrest for shoplifting. Before Pigs In Zen, Perry began calling everyone filthy and dirty pigs in a very coy-like voice.

YES — 2002 Tour
July 19, 2002, Konocti Field Amphitheater, Kelseyville, CA (FRI)

SETLIST: Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra, Siberian Khatru, America, In The Presence Of, South Side Of The Sky, The Revealing Science Of God, Leaves Of Green → The Little Galliard, Show Me, Wakeman Solo → Wonderous Stories → And You And I, Heart Of The Sunrise, Magnification, Don’t Kill The Whale, Whitefish → On The Silent Wings Of Freedom, Awaken
ENCORE: Yours Is No Disgrace, Roundabout
LINEUP: Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Alan White
WEB SITE: forgottenyesterdays.com

Smokin’ Grooves
July 18, 2002, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, CA (THU)

FEATURING: Outkast, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Jurassic 5, Truth Hurts, Cee-Lo

Issa Bagayogo
July 15, 2002, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (MON)

SETLIST: Baro, Sisi

Orchestra Baobab
July 10, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (WED)

OPENING: Jai Uttal and the Pegan Love Orchestra

The Bomb-itty of Errors
July 7, 2002, Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, Chicago, IL (SUN)

WEB SITE: bomb-itty.com

Femi Kuti
July 6 (evening), 2002, the Metro, Chicago, IL (SAT)

Ralph’s World
July 6 (day), 2002, Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (SAT)

WEB SITE: ralphsworld.com

Mahotella Queens (South Africa Mbaqanga)
June 26, 2002, 19 Broadway, Fairfax, CA (WED)

SETLIST: Oh Jesus, Nyamphemphe
NOTES: Band played two sets and incorporated several different costumes throughout the evening.
WEB SITE: mahotellaqueens.com

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF)
June 21 — 23, 2002, Health and Harmony, Angles Camp, CA

• FRIDAY:
  Coco Tea, Barrington Levy, Mahotella Queens, Jah Shaka, Nor-Tec Collective, Earl Zero, West African Highlife Band
  
• SATURDAY:
  Toots & the Maytals, Marcia Griffiths, with Dean Fraser, Culture, Leroy Sibbles, Mutabaruka, Sugar Minott, Abijah, John Brown’s Body, Hassan Hakmoun, Quetzal, Les Yeux Noirs, Stone Love, Fidel Nadal
  DJ Cheb i Sabbah, MIDIVal PunditZ, Karsh Kale, Sultan32, Quinto Sol
  
• SUNDAY:
  Tabla Beat Science featuring Zakir Hussain, Bill Laswell, Usted Sultan Khan and Karsh Kale with very special guests GIGI, Sultan32, MIDIval Pundits, and DJ Disc, Steel Pulse, Bamboleo, King Chango, Gjallarhorn, Niney the Observer, The Melodians, Midnite, Prezident Brown, Martin Campbell, Johnny Osbourne, Fab Five, Groundation
  
  Culture
  SETLIST: Adis Ababa, Peace Love & Harmony, International Herb, One Stone, See Dem A Come
  
  Mahotella Queens
  SETLIST: Oh Jesus, Nyamphemphe
  WEB SITE: mahotellaqueens.com

Lost at Last
June 8, 2002, Health and Harmony, Santa Rosa, CA (SAT)

Jerry Seinfeld
June 7, 2002, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

Jethro Tull
 June 6, 2002, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA (THU)

OPENING: The Young Dubliners
SETLIST: Aqua-intro, Living In The Past, X-Eyed Mary, Roots To Branches, Thick As A Brick, Hunt By Numbers, Elegy, A Song For Jeffrey*, The Water Carrier, Boris Dancing, Wond'ring Aloud, Barre Instrumental, A New Day Yesterday, Bourée, Budapest, Mayhem Jig, Aqualung,
ENCORE: Locomotive Breath, Protect And Survive, Cheerio (with balloons)
COMMENTS: 'A Song For Jeffrey' unconfirmed.
WEB SITE: Ministry-of-Information.co.uk     Collecting-Tull.com

Jonathan and I arrive yet once again ticketless. We encounter various hawks attempting to buy all the extras and scalping them at exorbitant prices. I suddenly get the feeling that luck will be on our side when Jeremy drives up on the street in his Ford Focus. He is lagging majorly.

I decide that we are going to have to sneak in. We try the right side of the venue with no luck. However the left side of the venue has its door wide open with partiers outside drinking, smoking, and doing whatever else people do. Jonathan and I simply walk in and look down at the street below to a desperate Jeremy trying to still buy a ticket. We attract his attention, wave at him, call him, and subsequently direct him into the venue.

We get cocktails and opt to find seats in the higher up section. We find seats in the last row, center, but gradually get closer seats as the show progresses. Eventually, for the encore, we are about 20 feet away from the stage.

We decide we must sneak in the next night for Jerry Seinfeld.

Steve Kimock Band
 May 30, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (THU)

SET 1: Talking → ? (jam w/o Alphonso) * → You're The One *, Five B4 Funk *, Song Two, Why Can't We All Just Samba, Elmer's Revenge
SET 2: Cole's Law → Tangled Hangers *, Sabertooth * +, Thing One, Avalon
COMMENTS: * with Martin Fierro. + with DJ Tobi-Wan (sp?)

A nice evening at the Fillmore. Highlights for me included Cole's Law → Tangled Hangers.

Oliver Mtukudzi & the Black Spirits
 May 15, 2002, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (WED)

COMMENTS: A nice concert, but someone had the bright idea of putting tables all over the dance floors.

2002 Tour Dates

April 22, New York, NY: Late Show with David Letterman
April 22, New York, NY: Joe’s Pub (Acoustic Show)
April 23, New York, NY: Joe’s Pub (Full Band)
April 24, Vienna, VA: Barns of the Wolf Trap
April 26, Lafayette, LA: Festival International
April 27, Houston, TX: Houston International Festival
April 28, Dallas, TX: TBA
April 29, TBA
April 30, Austin, TX: Flamingo Cantina
May 2, TBA
May 3, New Orleans, LA: Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 5, Atlanta, GA: Music Midtown Festival
May 9, Edmonton, AB Canada: Winspear Center
May 10, Vancouver, BC Canada: Vogue Theatre
May 11, Bellingham, WA: Western Washington University
May 12, Seattle, WA: Ballard Firehouse
May 13, TBA
May 14, San Rafael CA: Rafael Film Center
May 15, San Francisco, CA: Great American Music Hall
May 16, Austin, TX: Austin City Limits
May 17, Salt Lake City, UT: Living Traditions Festival
May 18, Los Angeles, CA TBA
May 19, Birmingham, AL: City Stages
May 22, TBA
May 23, Chicago, IL: Columbia College (AM)
May 23, Chicago, IL: Hothouse (PM)
May 24, TBA
May 25, St Louis, MO: African Festival of the Arts
May 26 TBA
May 27 Departs USA

Oliver Mtukudzi/Shanda
May 14, 2002, Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA (TUE)

SETLIST: Mbabvu Yanga*, Wake Up, Help Me Lord
NOTES: *Dedicated to Oliver’s wife. Featuring the world premire of Shanda, Oliver’s new documentary, and an acoustic jam by several band memebers. In the audience are Bonnie Raite, Heuy Lewis, and Mickey Hart.

Steven Wright
May 10, 2002, The Warfield, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

NOTES: Jonathan took me here for my 30th birthday. A fun evening, indead.

Wilie Nelson
February 22, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

SETLIST: On the Road Again, Crazy, Blue Skies, Whiskey River Road (x3), etc.

Baaba Mall
 February 5, 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (TUE)

We (Lisa, Jonathan, Kim & Mike) spent the evening in the 3rd row (standing) enjoying the raw Senegalese sounds of Baaba Maal, Mansour Seck, et al. We didn't leave our spot the entire night, no drinks, no WC, no resting. Simply watching mesmerized and in awe.

*   *   *   *   *

Jon Matsumoto
Special to the Mercury News
Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2002

There's usually a party going on when world-music star Baaba Maal of Senegal performs.

Maal often has about 20 musicians and dancers accompanying him on stage in Africa. When he tours the West, his band is often almost as large, usually at least 14 performers.

But Maal's concert Tuesday at the Fillmore in San Francisco, with opening act Gigi Shibabaw, will be a more subdued and intimate affair because he's doing mostly acoustic music to reflect the style of the singer-guitarist's latest album, ``Missing You (Mi Yeewnii).''

In these shows, his large funk band is being replaced by a small string ensemble: three acoustic guitars, an electric bass and two West African string instruments, a kora (harp) and a hoddu (a small, skin-faced lute).

``This show is like how we play in the tiny villages in the deserts in Africa and has a very traditional feel to it,'' Maal says via e-mail from the road. ``It feels like we are singing around a campfire late at night in Africa. While I do not have the dancers or percussionists on this tour, it is still very exciting, and people in the audience can still dance if they want to.''

Even if Maal's current performances aren't the high-energy affairs some fans have come to expect, the gifted performer has been getting positive reviews. One reviewer called a recent performance ``magnificent: hypnotic and galvanizing, uplifting and visceral.''

Much of ``Missing You'' was recorded after dark in the village of Nbunk, Senegal. Crickets chirping and other sounds of nature are occasionally audible in the work, which represents the singer-guitarist's most overt return to the traditional music of West Africa since he began recording in the mid-1980s.

Live from Nbunk

``We set up a mobile studio outside of my house in Nbunk, close to Dakar, and recorded live,'' says Maal. ``Just sitting around playing outside at night seemed like the best way to capture this traditional feel I was looking for with this album. The only problem was the lights we used attracted insects, one of which, a beetle, had a vicious bite! Many of the musicians and technicians were bitten.''

Though those on-site recordings set the tone, some tracks were recorded at a studio in England. The project also received a sonic polish from producer John Leckie (Radiohead).

For this disc, Maal also recruited notable musicians from throughout West Africa, and each brought a cultural and personal style to the 11-track disc. The songs possess a melodic sweetness, rather than the propulsive rhythmic drive often associated with African music. Reggae and Latin flavors creep into many tracks, while the acoustic guitar lends what some listeners will consider a European flavor. Maal, however, says the instrument has been used in African music for many generations.

``The guitar is similar to the hoddu,'' he says. ``The guitar is very much a part of the traditional and modern African music. I think everyone'' in West Africa ``who has an interest in music wants to learn the guitar first.''

As an artist who tours internationally, Maal creates music that reflects global styles. One of his albums, ``Firin in Fouta,'' fuses Celtic and African influences. ``Nomad Soul,'' the album that preceded ``Missing You,'' has been described by one critic as ``slick and full of woozy synthesizer washes.'' Maal says the acoustic and traditional orientation of ``Missing You'' wasn't meant as an apology for ``Nomad Soul.''

``It is the life of a musician to travel, and I love to hear music from all over the world, so it is natural that I try to incorporate other styles into my music,'' he says. ``The time just felt right to record a more traditional-sounding album, but then there are also very traditional songs on both `Firin in Fouta' and `Nomad Soul.' ''

Maal gives no indication that his shift to a stripped-down West African sound is permanent. He still finds great satisfaction performing onstage with a funk band the size of a football team.

``It's important to have the big band, because it makes it much more of an event for the audience, because it is rare that these big groups tour nowadays when so much of music is electronic,'' he says.

Maal also performs four songs on the soundtrack album for the current film ``Black Hawk Down,'' a drama about a battle between Somali fighters and U.S. soldiers sent to Mogadishu in 1993.

Messages in the music

In Africa, Maal also is known as an intellectual and a social activist. He has made an AIDS-awareness tour of West Africa.

``I don't know,'' he says when asked if he's having a significant impact on AIDS education. ``I hope so. When we tour Africa, after our concerts, I meet with the village elders, and we discuss many things and hopefully persuade a few people of the dangers of AIDS. But it also requires government and health officials to be willing to tackle the problem, and we need to ease the suffering of those with the disease.''

Though he enjoys traveling around the world, Maal says he has no interest in living anywhere but Senegal.

``I have a home in Dakar, but the place I always return to is Podor in northern Senegal, where my family is, and it is where I grew up. This place is magical and special for me. I cannot imagine living anywhere else.''

McCoy Tyner Trio
January 31, 2002, Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA (THU)

     back to top 

U2 — Elevation Tour
 November 15, 2001 Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA (THU)
(forth row; standing)
OPENING: No Doubt
SETLIST: Elevation, Beautiful Day, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, Out of Control, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Stuck In a Moment, Kite, Wild Honey (B&E acoustic), Please (B&E acoustic), Bad - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Pride
ENCORE 1: Bullet the Blue Sky, What's Going On*, New York, One,
ENCORE 2: Peace on Earth - Walk On
*Gwen Stefani of No Doubt joins Bono on stage.

What a great concert; still feeling great about it the next day. Mark Segalman, the real hero of the evening, arrives at the Oakland Coliseum Arena by midday. Though he is more than the 500th person there, Mark courageously wedges his way into number the number 148 slot thus guaranteeing him access to “the Heart”——the famed 300 person pit of U2's Elevation tour.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Brian arrive a bit late, but still manage to score general admission floor seats. After the No Doubt set, all three friends hook up. Jonathan decides to puff with Dave, et al, in the “nose bleed” section, while Brian accompanies Mark for an attempt to enter the Heart.

“Sir, I am sorry, you can't go in there.” A friendly, yet firm security guard interjects Brian's attempt to make his way to the Heart.

“But my friend lost his wristband in the lavatory. Someone ripped it off his wrist. All of his friends and things are up there.” Exclaims a hopeful and eager Mark pointing to the front row.

“I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do.” The security guard nods her head side to side in the classic NO manner.

But somehow a miracle happens. Another security guard walks up and says, “Sure, I'll take you up there [to the Heart] but you can't leave once you get up there.”

*No problem*

The angel leads us to the Heart just as Big Ben, the main SFX security guard walks by. Mark pats him on the shoulder diverting his attention from the wrist-band-less Brian. The two then wedge their way to the forth row spot where Mark was previously standing during an ear-cruching No Doubt performance.

Bono and the boys come on stage and rock the house harder than it has been since February 26, 1995——the last time the Grateful Dead played the Oakland Colesium Arena.

And this is the story of how Mark and Brian ended up forth row at a sold-out U2 concert.

King Crimson
 November 14, 2001, Warfield, San Francsico, CA (WED)

OPENING: John Paul Jones
SETLIST: Dangerous Curves, ConstruKction of Light, ProzaKc Blues, ElectriKc, Dinosaur, Elephant Talk, Thela, Hun Ginjeet, Virtuous Circle, Level 5, Into The Frying Pan, Larks' Tongues In Aspic IV / Coda, Deception, Of The Thrush
ENCORE: Frame By Frame, Red
WEB SITE: KingCrimsonLive.com

This is the loudest Warfield concert ever. I arrive due to a last minute decision and score a twenty dollar tic. I walk in during the John Paul Jones set. I hear a great version of “Whole Lotta Love.” The lights come on and I find Mike and Jonathan sitting, theorizing about the music.

We all get a drink and find Beth who stubs us down to the floor where we stay for the rest of the concert. When King Crimson comes on, the bass is so loud that it rattles my inner organs. I think one of my kidneys briefly explores. But that is okay. I am actually wearing a pair of foam-rubber ear plugs which makes the sound clear and good.

I am not familiar with any of the songs, but I am here (hear) in honor of Jeremy's spirit. Robert Fripp's guitar playing is dark and incredible.

Built to Spill
November 11, 2001, Slim’s, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

WEB SITE: BTS.com

Yonder Mountain String Band
 November 10, 2001, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

SET 1: Easy As Pie, Don't Let Your Deal Go Down, Molly & Tenbrooks, Half Moon Rising, If I Lose, Country Boy Rock n Roll, A Father's Arms, Mossy Cow, To See You Coming Round The Bend, Yes She Do (No She Don't), Lord Only Knows → On The Run → Jam → Bolton Stretch
SET 2: New Horizons, 8 Cylinders, Sally Goodin * → If Your Ever In Oklahoma → Spanish Harlem Incident → Only A Northern Song → Elzic's Farewell → If Your Ever In Oklahoma, The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me, New Speedway Boogie → Free To Run, E: Darling Allalee #, Rag Mama #, Pan American #, Gonna Tear Down THe Grand Ol' Opry #
COMMENTS: Whole show with Darol Anger on Fiddle * = w/ Dave and Darol only # = Single Mic

We attend this show after a nice dinner at Lisa and Brian's place. Mark Segalman, in a moment if ingenuity, decides to bust out a 20 proof bottle of Limerick Lane port on top of the 6 bottles of wine the twelve of us had already drunk. Lisa end up in the shitter the whole concert, Bo losses his nugs, Brian has to go home twice during the show, and Kala and Jonathan flat out leave. All in all, though, it is a pretty damn good time. Nice posters on the way out, too.

Jane’s Addiction — Jubilee Tour
 October 26, 2001 Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (FRI)

OPENER: Stereo MC's; Sevendust
MAIN STAGE: Kettle Whistle, Ocean Size, Ain’t No Right, Three Days, Stop!, Summertime Rolls
CENTER STAGE: Jane Says, Classic Girl, Helter Skelter (impromptu jam), Hungry (Navarro), Happy Birthday Jubilee (Perry Farrell)
MAIN STAGE: Up the beach (Instrumental), Mountain song, Ted, Just Admit It (with a lucky fan helping out with vocals on one chorus)
ENCORE: Chip away
WEB SITE: janesaddiction.org

We are not even going to go to this show. In an eleventh hour move, Laura Segalman tries to persuade to attend; and in a moment of impulsiveness, we decide that we will go.

We arrive to Shoreline and there are many tickets to be scored. A Shoreline security guard named Todd gives me a miracle ticket. We enter the venue and immediately find Mark and Laura in line for cocktails. Mark has had his tickets upgraded to the third row—the triple C's (CCC.) In addition, Mark is willing to “stub” us down and share his seats. I am the first to go with Mark. As it turns out, Shoreline has removed seat rows triple A (AAA) and triple B (BBB) making our seats front row. Nice! And that is not all, there is enough room, and minimal security, so that we are able to hang on the rail for the entire show. We are so close that I can hear Perry Farrell's footsteps as he walks on stage with his platformed stompers and pimped out maroon outfit. Plus, it is the best view in the house of all the pretty girls on stage. Sure, we have to dodge the occasional security storm trooper, but all in all, this is one of the better concerts ever. Dave's guitar licks are bindblowing. Great stage performance. Thank you Jane's.

Show Review from one-percent.com

What an amazing show: Sound and Visual. It’s all about the freedom. Met every expectation and blew some of them away. We arrived about 45 minutes before Jane’s would come on stage. We missed all opening acts.. oh well. We did hang out and watch the carnies and gypsies play carnival music. We found a great spot in the lawn and waited. Having seen Jane’s from several angles in the past, and never being to Shoreline Amphitheater I was content with the lawn. Besides, we got our tickets for $18 each. I think because we had lawn seats I didn’t expect to be quite so blown away, but I was… from the lawn!

Opening up with “Kettle Whistle”, Perry came out with a HUGE dress, which had about 6 half naked ladies underneath. He changes into a black and red velvet-looking suit, and begins to hit the natural-super-rock-hero we all know with “Ocean Size.” Dave was rippin’ it all out with a guitar that looked like Eddie Van Halen’s ‘5150’ guitar.

There was a very long and different into to “Ain’t No Right.” Not quite the usual heavy bass intro.

Perry raps a bit then goes into the hypnotic “Three Days”, building through all the movements. I think Perry may have introduced the band at this point (he recognizes the band like 3 times throughout the show) Perry raps a bit more about the freedom and asks, ‘are you going to “Stop”’?!, which they go into immediately.
They slow it down and go into “Summertime Rolls”, which was great as always. The song changes and the band leaves for the center stage.

There was a nice groove playing during all this. Then there’s a presence of THE gypsies and carnival people moving through the audience, fire twirlers on side stages. We enjoyed these people’s antics before the show by the food/beer area. They performed gracefully to carnival music and generally got their trance on. They really got the vibe going before Jane’s went on. Anyway, there they were apparently escorting the band to the center stage, or causing a distraction while the band took the center stage. Before you know it they’re on the center stage and that LONG groove turns into (or already was) a familiar “Jane’s Says” intro. Perry looks like a cross between Pokemon and Davy Crocket.

We made our way closer to the center stage during this song, which was way worth it.

At some point on the center stage Perry was rapping about how ‘we want your children… you guys like to party… we need you… and your children’. The crowd was very responsive feeling complimented and entertained. It was just a great vibe of energy out there. He also spoke to the times, ‘there’s no terrorism out here… This is a party! … How many of y’all wanna say, ‘Kiss my Ass!’ (to the terrorism)?’. They dive immediately into “Helter Skelter.” This was a surprising privilege and treat. As far as I know they haven’t played their version of The Beatles “Helter Skelter” for any other shows. The band really played it well, and it felt great hearing the entire audience sing along.

There was a lot of improvisation on the center stage with Perry rapping about freedom and Dave, Steve, or Martyn coming in every now and then. I think he announces the band by name again here. Then it sounded like they got it together and they were about to play something, but Perry halted it to continue rapping about this and that. He talked about love and freedom and went into “Classic Girl”

Perry talks more about freedom and how he ‘wants his good friend Dave to play one of his songs’. Dave says hi and plays “Hungry” off his solo ‘Trust No One’ album.

They return to an improvisational style on the center stage with Steve playing a beat on bongos and Perry singing ‘Steve Perkins, Steve Perkins… ’. This builds into an all out jam, “Happy Birthday Jubilee.” The intensity backs down with Perry singing solo on the center stage “Happy Birthday Jubilee.” The whole center stage phase blended and flowed like a fresh jam session.

After Perry finishes singing solo on the center stage the rest of the band appears back on the main stage and begins playing “Up The Beach.” It was completely instrumental. Can you imagine Perry’s journey back to the main stage with that song filling the place?

Perry arrives back on the main stage decked out in a silver sequence suit and a fuzzy purple hat worthy of Dennis Rodman. He was lookin’ like the slickest pimp in the place. They head right into “Mountain Song.” It was America in every sense of the notion. American rock n’ roll, Dave wailing on the guitar wearing blue jeans, standing in front of an American flag. It’s all about the freedom.

They go into “Ted, Just Admit It” and Perry announces the band introductions again this time including Linda Good on keyboards. With all the theatrics in effect at the end of the song Perry jumps onto a ‘rotary swing set’ that was on stage. Swinging around the thing screaming ‘Sex is Violent’!! The song ends high, the band leaves the stage, but Steve Perkins stays behind pointing at the audience. You could tell they wanted to play more. And they did.

The band returns to play “Chip Away” to the remaining audience. They really jammed all levels of the percussion. It was great. Perry got some mic feedback when he walked to the side of the stage. He played it off perfect by hiding to the side of the speaker wall swinging the mic into the front of the speakers producing and experimental ‘controlled feedback’. Then bring it to and end.

The band goes out, but Perry doesn’t make it all the way out. He’s talking to the fans on the way out asking, ‘Are you good? Are you bad?… You’re good, right?’ He runs back to the middle of the stage and drop his pants. He starts running around in his black underwear with his pants around his knees saying, ‘don’t you tell anybody!’ He runs off the stage and that was it. We were free to go mingle with the gypsies and carnival people again.

Oh, yeah, we capped the show with doughnuts from Krispy Kreme then drove back to San Francisco.

Some of the sequence might be slightly off, but that’s the way I remember it. You understand how someone can lose time at a Jane’s Addiction concert. I highly recommended you see this show.

Visual: A
Sound: B
Set List: A
Band’s Stage Presence: A
Theatrics: A
Audience: A
Overall Experience: A

A Bridge School Benefit XV
 October 20, 2001, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (SAT)

Neil Young (opener)
SETLIST:Sugar Mountain, Blowin' In The Wind

Jill Sobule
SETLIST:The Jig Is Up, Bitter, Trains, I Kissed A Girl, Mexican Wrestler, Survivor, Jet Pack

Ben Harper
SETLIST: I Shall Not Walk Alone, Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now, Pleasure And Pain, Burn One Down, With My Own Two Hands, Sexual Healing, The Woman in You

Billy Idol
SETLIST:Rock The Cradle, To Be A Lover, Eyes Without A Face, White Wedding, Sweet 16, For What It's Worth, Rebel Yell, Mony Mony

Tracy Chapman
SETLIST:If Not Now… , All That You Have Is Your Soul, Fast Car, At This Point In My Life, The Promise, Telling Stories, Give Me One Reason

R.E.M.
SETLIST:Imitation of Life, All the Way to Reno, Man On the Moon, I've Been High, The One I Love, Let Me In, Cuyahoga, Lotus, Losing My Religion

Dave Matthews
SETLIST:Everyday, Crush, Bartender, Where Are You Going [new song], When The World Ends, Grace Is Gone, One Sweet World, The Space Between, Long Black Veil, All Along The Watch Tower

Pearl Jam
SETLIST:Long Road, Of the Girl, Elderly Woman...Small Town, Last Soldier [new song], Daughter, Better Man, Drifting, Crazy Mary, Give Me Some Truth, Indifference [with Ben Harper], Last Kiss

Neil Young & Crazy Horse (regular set)
SETLIST:(with Pegi & Astrid & Larry), Long May You Run, Love And Only Love, Blowin' In The Wind, Mideast Vacation, All You Need Is Love, Mother Earth [on pump organ]

Finale
SETLIST:Imagine [Instrumental by Neil & Crazy Horse, audience sings the lyrics]

Widespread Panic
 October 13, 2001, Greek Theatre, UC Berekely, Berkeley, CA (SAT)

SET 1: Goin' Out West, Disco, Diner → Porch Song, Sleeping Man, Stop Breakin' Down Blues → Jack, Action Man → One Arm Steve
SET 2: Give → Pigeons, Tall Boy, Pusherman, Down*, Stir It Up* → Jam* → Drums** → Tears of a Woman → Pilgrims, Fishwater → Sharon → Fishwater
ENCORE: Sometimes → Blackout Blues
COMMENTS: * with Cecil Daniels on saxophone; ** with Cecil Daniels on percussion
WEB SITE: Everyday Companion Spreadnet.org

Lisa and I arrive a bit late as we have just driven up from Santa Cruz. (Bob Dylan the night before.) I drop Lisa off and find parking. Lisa receives a miracle, as usual for her Greek shows, and I sport a $20 dollar ticket from a brother.

We go inside during set-break and immediately run into Mike who directs us to the rest of the posse including: Neighbor Amy and Dave, Jonathan and Kala, a melancholy Terra C., Mandy and Sammie, and various other fools all dancing away.

The band comes on stage and busts out an incredible "Pusher Man" as Apolinare walks by drunk as a skunk murmbling some unknown words of wisdom. He dances with us for a while.

After the show ends, everyone piles into my car and we drive to the local Best Western for a show by JIVE. Tickets are $12 ea. and I ain't about to pay 12 bones to stand in a 120° room with a bunch of sausage. So instead a go downstairs to where there is coincidentally an African DJ spinning tunes that are unreal. The whole room is packed with about 400 brothers and sisters dancing and grooving soulfully to the spinning grooves. Lisa finds me and complains for a while. I eventually emerge from the Soul room to find my gang overheated and exhausted.

We drive back to the city. What a wonderful evening.

Bob Dylan & His Band
 October 12, 2001, Compaq Center, San Jose, CA (FRI)

SETLIST: Wait For The Light To Shine (acoustic) (Larry on mandolin) (song by Fred Rose), The Times They Are A-Changin'; Desolation Row, Searching For A Soldier's Grave, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, Just Like A Woman, Summer Days, Standing In The Doorway, Masters Of War, Mama, You Been On My Mind, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Absolutely Sweet Marie, Sugar Baby, Cold Irons Bound, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
ENCORE: Things Have Changed, Like A Rolling Stone, Forever Young, Honest With Me, Blowin' In The Wind
WEB SITE: Bob Dates

Another ticketless night for our heros. I arrive to the San Jose Stapples Center in search of two tickets. They are plentiful tonight and soon I am holding two tickets that cost ten dollars each. Mark scolds me saying his tickets cost 54 dollars each. I tell Mark that he needs to plan ahead a bit better.

Lisa arrives, finds her ticket that I placed at will call, and we guide her to ourselves via cell phone transmission. I realize that cell phones are great for concerts. I suddenly want one, part time. I pass Lisa my cocktail (gin & tonic) and we make our way to the floor where we are reunited with Bo, Christy, and a lot of random Santa Cruz folks. We run into the legendary George Lions and Dar.

Dylan comes on stage with his band. We appear to be about the thirtieth row, standing. It is a great evening, but we don't hear my favorite, “Tangled Up In Blue.” Lisa and I go up to a bleachers entrance where we can see better and dance the remainder of the show away. We all return to Happy Valley afterwards for some post-show fun.

Garaj Mahal
October 6, 2001, Justice League, San Francisco, CA (SAT)

OPENING: Animal Liberation Orchestra
SET 1: Line Games, Jan Jan, Be Dope, Gulam Sabri → Gulam Jam, Ivory Tower, Liquid Visions, Never Give Up Giving It Up, Eric B-Day Song → Madagascar
SET 2: Kai’s World Peace Poem, Hindu Gumbo, Mondo Garaj*, Poodle Factory*, Thursday**
ENCORE: Tommorrow Never Knows
NOTES: *w/Eric McFadden on Guitar, **w/Marc Edwards on Vocals; This was Eric Levy’s birthday show.
LINEUP: Kai Eckhardt(bass), Fareed Haque(guitar), Alan Hertz(drums)Eric Levy(keys)

Cachaito Lopez
September 20, 2001, YOSHI’S, Oakland, CA (THU)

Bass player (and his band) from Buena Vista Social Club
In celebration of Mike’s 29th birthday.

Burning Spear
September 14, 2001, Maritime Hall, San Francisco, CA (FRI)

WEB SITE: Burning Spear Tour Dates

Alpha Blonde
September 6, 2001, Maritime Hall, San Francisco, CA (THU)

Vagina Monologues
September 2, 2001, 450 Post Street, San Francisco, CA (SUN)

This was the day of the 40 pound salmon at Shanon and Sean’s house. We left the party, saw the show, and went back to the party.

Soukous Stars — Afribbean Festival
August 26, 2001, Guadalupe River Park, San Jose, CA (SUN)

OPENING:Fancha, Paris Combo, Hurricane Gilbert & Majestic with the Millennium Kids, Blue Ventures

Papa Wemba & Viva la Musica
August 2, 2001, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA (THU)