| Saratoga Mountain Winery On The Road With MaggieMay... I was beat after the second Humphrey's concert, a feeling you sometimes get after the Band walks smilingly offstage and all the applause stops. The adrenline rush fades and bed sounds too good for anything. It was a shame, because there was a lot of delightful company to be had in San Diego, but when you're facing a long road, 
you need to pace yourself or bad things
will happen to you. I got to spend some time with the California Twins
and their lovely friends. They're both very bright, VERY funny women,
both of them! I've found them to be a TINY bit wicked too, in a manner
similar to myself and they *must* have become a small amount fond of me,
because they treat me almost as badly as SueC does! LOL
(Ed: Bite me! Hello, girls!) It's
great and I'm honored to have them as friends. Looking forward to bidding
on that tshirt on eBay, girls! I enjoyed my last morning at Humphrey's,
sipping coffee and admiring the boats. I'd like to go back there.
It was a great place to be even during "June Gloom!"The shuttle ride to the airport provided more interesting company. Two nice fellows in the music business shared my ride. One of them was the stage manager for Humphrey's. I asked him if Humphrey's might have the Moodies back and he said, absolutely! If they'll have us. : ) He gave me a DETAILED history of the stage and discussed the speakers and all the technical aspects (which flew over my head and out the window). When I asked him about the speakers, he narrowed his eyes at me and said "Was it YOU that undid the velcro flap to peer behind the curtain???" ACK! No sir, it wasn't ME! He laughed. He had gotten a call on it during the concert saying that one of the flaps was gaping open. I love talking to anyone in the music business - I'm curious about all phases of it and have a lot of questions, and really enjoy hearing any stories or tidbits that someone cares to share with me. To know all is to understand all. It's the puzzle I've spent the last few years working on. The stage manager told me that whenever he is working the lights, someone ALWAYS comes up to him and complains about the sound. He said he will turn a knob (doing nothing) and ask the person if that is better. He said they invariably say yes. LOL They were a couple of nice guys, and I hope their gig goes smoothly in Vegas. San Diego is a good airport to fly in and out of - it's reasonably small and the people are nice. Some airports are to be avoided at all costs, the worst, IMO, being LAX. I'm horrified when I have to face the prospect of going through there. I got stuck in the security line behind a know-it-all jerk who held things up by arguing when requested to take off his shoes and put them thru the x-ray. (wear nice socks, preferably dark, so you won't grind in dirt on white ones) Perhaps he put the pair on with the hole in the toe that day! Resistance is futile as every Star Trek fan knows. The young guy working the machine was very nice, but I began tapping my little socked foot in frustration. *My* Birkies were already in a container, ready to go. The flight to San Jose was longer than I expected, estimated by our pilot at an hour and 45 minutes. I had no idea it was that far from San Diego, after all, I had only paid $39 for it. Don't you just love Southwest! I really need to get out the California map from my luggage and brush up on west coast geography. I know San Fransciso is north, San Diego is south and everything else is in between, and that Visalia is as close to hell as I'd ever want to be! That's about all I know. It's a very far way from Indiana, both in miles and in culture. I smiled when I hit San Jose. I hadn't seen the sun since Pechanga! The San Jose airport has one major flaw. I hadn't been there before, but followed the signs promising Ground Transportation. I went thru the door so marked and found myself in a parking garage! No taxis! I was about to turn around to check the sign again when I spied a little office at the FAR end of the garage with a tiny little sign saying "Taxi Stand". Hell, the No Smoking sign on the office was bigger than that! Fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks and I dragged both me and my two pieces of luggage all the way to the far end of the huge garage, like a thirsty man crawling toward a Budweiser. I was grateful for my silent ride with an unspeaking Indian driver. The effort to converse would have been too much, and probably impossible. My Hindi is VERY limited. I don't like my hotel! Oh, it's all right, I guess...nice, even. It's very formal. I have a pleasant large room, but the city view leaves me cold. I'd much rather be on my balcony at Humphrey's overlooking the marina with a cup of hot coffee in my hand. One has to rely on room service here for that nectar of the gods, and it's tepid when it comes. (You would HATE this place, SueC! LOL She's the Coffee Queen. (Ed: In *that* case, I'm really glad I had to stay home! HAHA)) I called housekeeping to hopefully beg a little coffeemaker for my room, but they told me that guests had STOLEN all the coffeemakers. I couldn't keep from laughing hysterically, though the clerk was dead serious. Even though I PROMISED not to steal their coffeemaker, they wouldn't give one up. Been burnt, you see! I told the gal I had no room in my luggage for a coffeemaker, but she wouldn't budge. Well, they do make up a bit for that severe inconvenience by providing cool Diet Coke in an in-room refrigerator. The glass is half full. And they have high speed internet access! WooHoo! After falling on the bed, checking my email and having a little rest, I met another traveling fan for the worst drinks either of us had ever had in the hotel lounge. I feel like I'm at a rich person's house, but not at a FUN person's house. LOL A "fun" hotel would have great drinks! The little angel orders a different one each time, with hope against hope that the next one will be the ONE that the bartender excels at. No luck so far! The Margaritas are tolerable (too strong for me) but unremarkable. Every bartender should be required to serve an apprenticeship at my favorite hotel in the world (a hotel where one can see the Hollywood sign in the hills) and MASTER the Margarita. It should be a law! Make mine Patronne. I thought a bit of sunburn would be nice for the evening's concert. LOL The pool is very nice, not spectacular and no one offered to spritz me with Evian water. 
To get to the pool was problematic. I could
see it in front of me, but the glass doors refused to open! I tried
and tried. Finally, I stepped back for a hard look (MaggieMay will
*not* be defeated!) and realized there was a card slot next to the door.
Duh! The sun was warm and there was just enough ambient noise to keep
you company. I hankered to hear the real Singer, and fished out Hall
of Fame, and enjoyed that song on repeat. There's nothing like hearing
Ray plaintively calling out "SCORCHING the earth!" (BIG Sigh!)
He keeps the company of carp these days, and I hope he sings to them while
fishing. I bet they don't present him with stale Rothman Blues the
way SueC and I used to do, MUCH to his secret amusement. May his path
be bright, the sun shine down on him and Red to keep him company! He's
never far from *my* thoughts during a concert, and I hear him singing.
English Sunset misses him, and though it's still a wonderful song, and one
of my concert favorites, it's just not the same. (more self-pitying
sighs) It's funny...I heard him sing 72 times in 2002 and it wasn't
enough. It would never be enough.But! Life goes on and there's my joy to chase after, and it's still there to be had. Last night I followed it to the Saratoga Mountain Winery! THE VENUE I had heard great things about the Saratoga Mountain Winery, but couldn't picture it in my mind. The setting is SPECTACULAR. There's no other word for it. I would put it at #2 on my list of favorite venues (#1 is The Royal Albert Hall, of course) merely for the beautiful setting. 
It takes a little work to get to! LOL It's a freakin' quest.
This was the first time my driver Buttar (BU-tar, like guitar) had heard
of it and that along with my complete ignorance of the place and the language
barrier had me a great deal worried that I'd end up in...well, Visalia, for
example! LOL He asked the doorman, he looked it up in his taxi
directory and then set off with the intention of driving to Saratoga and
THEN seeing where we were. We stopped on the winding road out of Saratoga
(cute little town) where Buttar decided to try for a few more miles.
The drive out of Saratoga is BEAUTIFUL. The mountains rise up out of
the forest; it's just lovely. We found a driveway and an incomprehensible
sign, but it luckily said THE MOODY BLUES underneath and I shouted: THAT'S
IT!!! I thought we were there, but I was wrong. It was a long,
frightening drive up the mountain via a series of switchbacks complete with
sheer drops at the edge that filled me with terror. I'm from farmland!
Mountains are a fairly rare thing for me. I thought about coming DOWN
the mountain in the dark and turned green, but then again, the darkness *would*
hide the specter of imminent death. If I couldn't see it, I wouldn't
worry about it.The view! It's gorgeous and panoramic. Simply breathtaking! Buttar took me right to the walkway (the parking lot is a fair way from the venue proper entrance and I pity the fools who have to walk UP the mountainside when arriving late. 
My thighs hurt for them! It would be a killer.)
One walks down a long path with olive trees intermixed with the lovely view.
It's a pretty long way, but fairly level and pleasant. An ATV with
cart roared by below my path kicking up a fine dust that covered me and the
other people arriving early for the buffet. I felt the grit settle
on my face and on my WHITE linen shirt. The mediterranean buffet was
enjoyed on the deck under the late afternoon sun. The food was good
and plentiful, but the outdoor setting and the view of the hills and the
city miles away made it worth every penny. It was still warm with a
very light breeze. sigh So far, this tour has been one colored
by great beauty. The path opens up into a plaza area with food and drink available for those who aren't interested in a full meal. The concert bowl, as they refer to it, is on your right, a house available for private parties (one was going on when I got there) and the buffet and deck area are on your left. There's a paved path for those who dislike steps (and I'm one) on the far side of the concert bowl and it's a pleasant and easy walk down. I was already filled with admiration for the Mountain Winery but when I came out into the bowl, I was open-mouthed. It has to be the cutest place I've ever seen for a concert! It's worth the trip across America to go there. There's a flat area filled with chairs borrowed from Humphrey's: little, black (they were white at Humphrey's - the salt air must have resulted in a black verdigris), plastic, HARD and bound together with plastic twist ties. There's a large hill area of seating stage left, and a smaller stand of seating in back and stage right. What is incredibly attractive about the place is the stage. It's backdrop is an old, ivy-covered church. I've never seen anything like it; it's entirely unique! 
The stage itself is small and the musicians make their entrance through the
church door, which is center stage. I found this wonderfully amusing!
It's as if The Band comes onstage after being blessed by the Lord.
May it always be so!The church door is a large wooden piece with a fleur-de-lis over the entryway and 1852 carved above it. The only drawback to this quaint bit of history are the large letters spelling out PAUL MASSON over the door. A friend very cleverly said to me: It's where we go to w(h)ine to God. LOL!!! The stage in front of the chuch looks pretty damn small and is EXTREMELY shallow. Since it's also no more than a foot and a half high, it LITERALLY is "Moodies in Your Laps". I usually think this is the most wonderful thing in the world - to have the most lovely and talented men as close as it's possible to be without getting a room (not meaning to leave out Bernie and Norda but...well...) but since the stage is SO low, it seems that every time you look at a face, the bandmember is looking RIGHT at you. They didn't seem to be at all disconcerted, but I found I was a bit. It would probably help very shy people like me, if John or Justin would stick his tongue out at me to put me at ease. I found myself spending more time than usual watching the back ups (farther away), looking at guitars (they don't glance back) or just, um...looking at shoes last night. I'm farther off from center and think I'll be a lot more comfortable tonight. Oh, the woes of the front row! Don't you just feel so sorry for them. (Ed: Cry me a river!) The front row is around three and a half feet from the stage and the mikes are very close, so that at center, I think one would be at most 6 feet from Big Red. The back of the stage was different - Justin's Marshall amp had been moved behind other equipment, probably to squeeze the drum kits on. 
The guitar rack was stage left, just off the stage and you could
watch JohnB the guitar tech busily tuning up. I made the huge mistake
of considerately asking one of the stage guards about cameras and she nicely
told me that small ones were allowed, but NO digitals. My Leica was
sitting comfortably back in my hotel room and I missed ALL that lovely natural
light. It was definitely better to get the bad news beforehand than
to force one of the guards to make that request mid song, and if it's the
Band's wish, of course, I'll respect it. Especially since I *might*
have been caught. HAHA It's too bad - I think I might have gotten
some great photos. You'll have to blame the Band that there aren't
any to accompany this review. <snicker> Perhaps one of
them will quietly slip a photo pass under my door. You never know!The stage setup is unique, to say the least. Lights are on poles at the sides and behind the stage and look like old fashioned telephone poles found in the countryside. There were two flying speakers on poles at either side of the stage. THE FASHION REPORT GE - Flag shirt first half, Hula shirt (It's blue, btw) second, black slacks JL - Long slvd black Oxford style shirt, Leathers, boots, no change at half (I think) JH - Long slvd blue shirt (new this tour), long slvd Moodies tshirt underneath, black jeans Paul - Long-slvd untucked white shirt, black slacks Gordon - Leather shirt (nicely unbuttoned), white slacks Bernie - White outfit, belt Norda - grey/green slacks, camisole, dark red patterned jacket JH has obviously developed a certain fondness for the long-slvd concert tee. I had a good look at it last night and it *is* the black with the psychadelic print on the front. l can't figure out the new blue shirt - there's a bit of puckering on the button placket and I can't tell if it's made that way or if JH wads it up into a little ball producing that effect. Oh, to have 10 minutes to rummage in their wardrobes and have ALL my fashion questions answered! LOL Anyway, it looks "nice". It's a lot of material to tuck into those black jeans though, and he looks a little "rounder" for it. Let me emphasize, delightfully so! I've often wanted to feed that lean boy a good Indiana meal, say fried chicken, mashed potatos with chicken gravy, green beans and fried biscuits with applebutter; however, that thought has lately been replaced by the fantasy of watching Norda eat an entire cheesecake as we collectively cheer her on. I'm from Indiana! I can't help it! We have, and ARE corn-fed Durocs there. If you *know* what a Duroc is, then you know what I mean! LOL I'm keeping my eye on Miss Norda; I've decided that she's one you have to watch. I had barely recovered from the "nothing (apparently) on under the jacket" episode of the other night when I had a moment to check out what she was wearing LAST night. It was a very attractive stage outfit: hiphugger slacks, camisole and jacket. I didn't catch on at first, but I was watching her "flute dance" and it dawned on me that I was seeing...SKIN! LOL Yes, there was skin onstage with The Moody Blues, and not provided by the Jays! I think we may be able to call her Naughty Norda after all. There were at least, and I'm being conservative, three inches between the bottom of her camisole and her hiphuggers and I think I can say with assurance that she is not wearing...bellybutton jewelry. She could, but she isn't! The thing about hiphuggers, too, is well...they aren't secured at your waist and she does take in some deep breaths to play. I was afraid there might be an *incident* onstage! LOL All joking aside, Norda looked great, can pull it off with aplomb and brought some sexiness up there combined with class. I suspect there's some spirit within the sprite. ; ) Bernie was wearing a fab red belt with the white outfit, giving it an entirely different look. It was partially hidden by her keyboard and while I was straining to see what she had on she made a face at me. LOL Sorry, luv! I was just checking out your outfit! Bernie and Norda are taking over that side of the stage (thank God as it had been a lonely place last tour) and the Jays had better watch less they're upstaged by two women with looks, class and talent. They are definitely catching an eye in the crowd. THE CONCERT It was a great concert at The Mountain Winery! There was a good crowd, though when I first walked in it looked pretty empty. It was filled at the half. If you were late, you missed some great music! (losers!) The 2003 setlist was played in its entirety with a 20-minute intermission. The sound...well...um...(how to say this descriptively without being too pointed) let's go with awful. LOL The Jays sounded like they were singing in a high school gymnasium. Yep! That describes it pretty well. On the other hand, I was treated to GREAT sound coming from the stage for the guitars. You win some, you lose some. I don't know whether it would be even possible, but some front fill speakers BEHIND the stage might help. It's a problem inherent in the venue. It's too bad, because from what I could hear, they both sounded like they were in great voice. There was a lot of natural light, and seemed like an afternoon concert until the sun set, and when it went behind the mountains I suddenly felt COLD. I had to pull out my trusty Liverpool football scarf: You'll Never Walk Alone! LOL As I said, the art of the guitar was showcased tonight and oh my God! sigh It was fabulous! Neither of the Jays get enough credit for what they DO on guitar and bass. I particularly noticed Justin's intro for Slide Zone tonight. He has a real future as a guitar player! ; ) I love that part anyway, but I got it mid-chest in the front row at the Mountain Winery and got to FEEL it. ummmm Norda's flute part against it is such a exciting counterpoint to the smokey guitar, like chocolate with coffee, like an angel playing with fire. It doesn't get any better than that, or more dangerous. It takes you to places where you might not escape from. Or might not want to. I could see Graeme very well from my seat, and noticed him talking to Gordy in the measures leading up to the drum crescendo in IKYOTS. I always check out the boys on drums at that part in the song, but this time, I could read Mr Edge's LIPS as he was talking. LOL!!! No, I "can't" repeat what he said. Let's say, it did the trick and the drum crescendo blew the house down. I love that team of drummers and their interaction. It's got to be a special relationship, a brotherhood. It sure looks like that onstage. I *do* have some pictures of them together. They will never be published - I promised Gordon that. LOL The second half saw an energized Justin ready to have at it! He was bouncing at the opening chords of YWD and actually did what my seatmate described affectionately as his "bunny hop". It's always a great thing to see, and you know he is ON and ready to wow you. He didn't disappoint anyone this evening! Singer continues to change and is becoming the most exciting song of the tour because of that fact. I haven't identified a theme for the tour yet...it may be the Singer Tour. Mr Rock 'n Roll has brought back the "woos" formerly sung in tandem with our dear but departed and tonight he journeyed back over to the Rayside of the stage, and sang them with Norda and Bernie. It was FANTASTIC. I loved it. You go, John! It was so right. The humorous moment of the evening was provided by a fellow a couple rows back who shouted out (I think after Singer, but Partzheimers has sadly set in) I LOVE YOU JOHN! LOL Justin had a hilarious look on his face and I could read his mind on that one. Yep, Lucky John! Justin again introduced Norda Mullen after AYSC. The other backups were not introduced. No mention of "our dear friend and partner Ray" but that's ok! We're moving on, going forward and all that. Maybe it would only mean something to me, and *I* don't need it anymore. It just was an absolutely wonderful concert: a breathtakingly beautiful place, a seat that was a gift from God (that's how I get them) and a Band that can only be described as the nicest guys in the world, playing the most wonderful music in the world. Like it says in Bedtime Story, each doing what they do best. (though I *think* Justin was meaning something else in that) I caught a new friend, up on the side dancing during the concert. She waved happily at me and I gave her a thumbs up. I'd like to do that to The Moody Blues, too! Can't WAIT for another one...give it to me NOW. MaggieMay Won't you tell me, tell me, tell me Bedtime Stories... Photos on this page courtesy of MaggieMay |
Saratoga