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Winter Tour 2005 Temecula, CA Pechanga Casino Showroom Friday, January 28 On the Road With MaggieMay... My eyes are filled with tears of gratitude to The Moody Blues: not for their music, which I revere, not for their performances, which fill me with sublime joy, not even for the warmth, love and companionship which surrounds me in the arms of the generous and enlightened fan community. It’s for one reason that I sing hosannas. The Moody Blues got me the hell out of the Indiana winter! It’s 15 degrees in Indiana today and it’s 60 here. I can’t thank them enough. The prospect of touring California is certainly better than our trip to Traverse City Michigan in the dead of winter. Yes, this was a MUCH better winter tour choice! SueC and I had a tiring but uneventful journey from Indianapolis to San Diego on Tuesday. We shed our jackets as we left the airport and cajoled the Budget Car Rental bus driver into hefting our bags onto the transfer bus. 
Our small SUV was bumped up to something big enough to carry
us AND the entire Band and their luggage. I had wheedled Darling Hubby’s
GPS for our trip and SueC took over the task of prepping it. We had
become experts at Never-Lost on the last Florida tour but had failed to
figure out Gabe’s Magellen our last time out. DH had lectured me on
Sylvia’s care and feeding and I felt confident I/we knew what we were doing.Apparently, we didn’t. SueC did *all* the right things, plugged the GPS in and programmed in our destination. The screen came to life and SueC gasped. I looked over and saw that the trip from San Diego to Temecula was calculated at a mere 2161 miles. It was going to be a longer drive than we had expected. SueC shrugged. She was prepared for the trip and had printed out directions. We were going to be ok! She handed me the printout for out first driving leg and confidently pulled out of the rental car parking lot. She turned right and I scanned the intersections for our first turn. West Palm Drive did not appear in the .1 mile the directions indicated and we were on an onramp onto a freeway that wasn’t on our directions. Sigh We were screwed! I don’t *know* San Diego. However, I DO know Sea World. I whipped out the local map our herniated bus driver had offered and at the same time became aware that there are a dozen Budget Car Rental locations in San Diego, and we weren’t at the one we had THOUGHT we were at. A 15N sign appeared and we made for it. It was SO much better than ending up in Tijuana. Traffic was heavy but moving and we were passed through by the Border Patrol. Evidently the California authorities are willing to tolerate temporary visitors (as opposed to the permanent kind) from the great state of Indiana. It’s quite a pretty drive north from San Diego. The scenery is completely different from the farms and rolling wooded hills that I’m used to. Large rock strewn hills dominate the landscape and nary a cow or a soybean is seen. SueC and I waved at Lily and Sam as we passed Escondido and it wasn’t long before the heralded exit for Temecula came into view. Though SueC had missed the Pechanga concerts of 2003, I had been there and our passage looked familiar. Within 15 minutes we were handing the car keys to the casino valet. Then things began to get strange. Our bellman was quite cordial though a bit puzzled by our amount of luggage. We emptied the SUV, but I considered my tennies and decided I wouldn’t need them during our stay. This quite concerned our bellman. He stood looking at the cavernous trunk space and finally said “are you SURE you don’t want to take them? They look lonely!” I sharply glanced at his face and the truth was written there – he was completely sincere. I wasn’t going to drag one more ounce of stuff in than we had to and told the young fellow that he had my permission to visit them during our stay. I’ve often found that Native Americans think differently about things than I do. I am absolutely certain that no soul inhabits my sole and my tennies are not pining for my return. The front desk staff was pleasant and welcoming and check-in was efficient, but again, odd. I wasn’t terribly surprised when the clerk asked to see ID, but I was very surprised when they wanted to see SueC’s too. It was a small thing, but something we hadn’t run into before. I had given a small gratuity to our first bellman (the one with sympathy for my shoes) and was surprised to turn from the desk and see him waiting. He had evidently taken a liking to us! He escorted us to our room (large and very nice) and busily pulled out luggage racks for our serious bags and introduced us to the various services in the room (including FREE high speed internet – YES!!!) I wasn’t surprised when he left to get ice, but I was surprised when he went to the phone and ordered bathrobes. I was stunned when he turned to us, smiled and said “would you like me to make you a pot of coffee?” My jaw dropped (I hope not noticeably), SueC’s jaw dropped then snapped shut as she replied, “Have at it!” That hotel gesture was an international first. I have to say, I LOVE Indian casinos/hotels. Our experience has been that the Native American staff don’t seem to know what is usual and so go out of their way to do EVERYTHING for you. It’s an attitude that I can live with. It had been a long time since I had played the slots and SueC and I ventured into the quiet of midweek in the casino. I couldn’t remember where the players’ club was located and approached a casino security guard to inquire. He didn’t direct us, but escorted us to the players’ club, took us past several people waiting in line and instructed one of the workers to take care of us. Jaws were again dropped and SueC and I again wondered what the heck was going on. SueC suggested that perhaps Kathy Bates was expected and laughed heartily. It’s surprising how even a three hour time change can mess you up, tire you out and confuse you. Perhaps I’m particularly susceptible to it. I believe in getting on the new time as quickly as possible, and I made SueC promise to keep me up until midnight. She made it to 11pm and I was left on my own. I was heavy-lidded and yawning; it didn’t look like I would make it. I thought I might hook up the computer and check my email. HAHA I tried several times to make it work, gave up and decided to try dial-up. Apparently AOL dial-up does not exist in Temecula! To my amazement, there was an IT fellow available at 11:45pm who had me hooked up and ready to go in 5 minutes. I followed his involved instructions, but have no idea what I did. It involved a lot of right-clicking. It was just another thing on the list to recommend the Pechanga Casino and Hotel. : ) SueC has developed a strange new craving: Wal-Mart flavored water. I understand such cravings, having many of my own and I want her to be happy. I’ve found happy people are MUCH nicer to be with than unhappy people. Wal-Mart is not my favorite place in the world. It’s not the store itself, nor is it the staff. It’s the other customers. In my part of the world, the usual Wal-Mart clientele is unwashed, unshaven, uneducated and uncouth and generally in dire need of major dental work. I’m barely out of my car when I start to hear the theme from Deliverance, a banjo fatefully twanging in my ears. Each trip fills me with dread. I suppose my fear is that my delicate veneer of civilization will melt away from the left-over vapor of Jack Daniels and bean dip and I’ll emerge clothed in baggy and torn overalls, my hair teased and dirty blonde, chewing gum with my three teeth and lustily singing country songs as I clog. For SueC, I’d do almost anything, and though filled with foreboding, I agreed to go. I spent the time in public service, reading aloud the can labels to all in need, and pointing out the section containing the de-lousing medications to various hillbilly families scratching their heads. It was the least I could do! (Ed:  )
Of course, the Temecula Wal-Mart was nice, in fact the Town of Temecula
is clean, new and growing. I’m not kidding when I say it’s new – it
was officially founded in 1989. The population is estimated at 77,460
but it’s obvious they expect new residents; housing developments are being
built on every corner. Sigh Is bigger, better? I hope that
the surrounding hills stay home to peyote and coyote. The Mediterranean
climate is similar to Napa Valley and our circular drive through the area
caused us to pass a dozen wineries. Tiring of viewing fields of “sticks”,
we doubled back through town and visited the historic Old Town area.
We were pretty bummed that the rootbeer shop was closed, but enjoyed a
very tasty mocha cappuccino (so Old West) next to one of Old Town’s numerous
antique shops. I’m sorry to say that we never found The House of Jerky.
Darling Hubby will be so disappointed. It was a short trip from Old
Town back to the Pechanga Casino.On my initial visit to Pechanga Casino I was drawn to The Great Oak – the symbol of the Pechanga Tribe. This visit I’m considering the Tribe’s history. (Visit Pechanga History for more information) The Pechanga Tribe have lived in the Temecula Valley for ten thousand years, the place of the union of the Sky (father) and the Earth (mother). In 1869, a group of Temecula Valley ranchers petitioned the District Court in San Francisco for a Decree of Ejection of Indians living on the land in Temecula Valley; the petition was granted in 1873. In 1875, a posse began three days of evictions. Their possessions were thrown into wagons and they walked behind. One tribal member born soon after the eviction recounted the story – “they just dumped them there”. The name “Pechanga” follows from the tribe’s indecent relocation at the hands of the group of sheep ranchers. From the Pechanga website: “A spring located 2 miles upstream in a canyon provided them with water; the spring we have always called Pechaa'a (from pechaq = to drip). This spring is the namesake for Pechaa'anga or Pechaanga, which means "at Pechaa'a, at the place where water drips." It seems appropriate that fountains of sliding water grace the lobby of the Pechanga Casino – like the spring which named the Tribe. The way the casino was built, is maintained and staffed shows pride, pride that couldn’t be taken away by sheep ranchers. There’s a lot to be learned here that doesn’t have a thing to do with blackjack. 
Something caught my eye as SueC pulled our Wal-Mart water toting SUV
into the valet area of the hotel. I looked once, looked twice and
said to SueC, “Sue, is that a WINDMILL in the parking lot?” We looked
at it standing incongruously there. I couldn’t figure it out!
It looked exactly like the old windmills many Indiana farmers had (I presume
for water pumps) seen commonly in my childhood. I had to know what
it was about. I saw a bellman standing at the front desk idle, and
asked him if that *was* a windmill standing out there. “Yes”, he said,
“it’s a windmill”. I asked him what was the story – I had to know.
He eyed me and said “do you want to know the Indian version or the white
mans’ version?” Dean was trouble, I could see that. I said to
give me the SHORT version. Dean considered briefly and said the windmill
didn’t work. It had always been there and it would always BE there.
The Tribe felt that was important. I paused, and tried to grasp what
he was telling me. I then asked him to tell me the Indian version.
He repeated EXACTLY the same thing and winked. I walked away thinking
that I would never understand Native American thinking, but I liked the
way it felt. Wednesday night was our reunion with a couple of good friends and a chance to greet several others we know and like. Those are always happy times. Thursday began the great gathering of fans from every corner of the country – from Florida to Washington, from Boston, MA to Appleton, Wisconsin. It appears as if Pechanga has taken the place of Las Vegas in 2005. Vegas has been the one place where fans from all over would flock to, but since Vegas is being missed this tour, Pechanga and Lake Tahoe will take its place. Pechanga is the only stop with two concerts and a number of fans decided to visit here for the first time. The day was spent in happy greeting, catching up and new introductions. One group saw Dennis Quaid (for free) in one of the nightclub/lounges and had a great time, others spent time listening to blues in the rooftop Eagles’ Nest. While the Band spent the evening rehearsing, SueC and I spent it catching up with friends in the 24 hour cafe. Rehearsing is THEIR job, socializing over coffee is ours. Heheheh It’s a great life! Friday saw a tear in my eye as I encouraged the last drop of Bailey’s into my cup of coffee. SueC cheered as she later found an unopened four-pack hidden in her bag. It proved to be an excellent morning spent in civilized and intelligent (of course!) political discussion. I won’t say that SueC (one of the sweetest and kindest gals you could ever hope to meet) is to the right of Atilla the Hun, but I won’t say she isn’t, either. She’s a staunch Republican and while we agree on MANY things, I’m definitely a little to the left. I have infiltrated the Republican Party and my mission is to be a shining light for moderate thinking. So far, I’ve failed. LOL Hunger finally intervened and we ventured out into the world. A kind invitation was offered by Rayna and Steve and we joined them at their table for lunch. They’re a lovely couple and they once embarrassed me beyond belief by asking ME for my autograph. SueC and I went off for more coffee and retired to the circular bar of the night before, spending an afternoon as free women – no clothes to wash or fold, no dinners to prepare, no bills to pay or children to advise. Touring is the ultimate escape and THAT my friend is why we embrace it. 
The afternoon of the first concert of the tour is a special time.
You spend weeks and months thinking about it, imagining it, hearing it
inside your mind and it seems like it will never get here. The afternoon
of the first concert the minutes tick by SO slowly! You drink and
chat and check your watch a hundred times and the clock hand never seems
to move. You feel anxious, impatient and excited. All at once,
it’s TIME to go to the showroom. The time is now, the place is here.
It’s time to hear your favorite music in the world. It’s time to hear
The Moody Blues!(Ed: no concert photos, sorry) THE VENUE While the Pechanga Casino is not quite the showplace that Mohegan Sun is, its showroom is a HECK of a lot nicer. The 1215 seat showroom is unique (or a little odd, depending on the way you look at it). The pleasant lobby has a couple bars and the merchandise stand is set up there. There’s a painting over the entry doors that is reminiscent of a Moodies’ album cover. The wavy patterned carpet is the same; apparently I’m not as prone to motion sickness as I was the last time I was at Pechanga. Entry to the showroom is through two doors, one on each side of the lobby. You walk thru a corridor that brings you out at the juncture of the steep back seating and the floor. The floor is slightly declined to the stage, floor seating is separated into three sections. Separated from the orchestra seating is the pit and it’s the strangest and stupidest pit I’ve ever seen. The front row pit (row AA) has a total of SIX seats separated by full seat width in two sets of three. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Shrug Maybe it’s a feng shui thing. There are two rows of pit, but the seats are labeled row BB (center seats) and row CC for the seats farther to the sides. It could have been designed much better. The orchestra section has a significant curve and the first row orchestra swings around so that the end seats are actually closer to the stage than the pit seats. While the sides of the floor are carpeted, most of the floor is concrete. The area of the pit appears to be some kind of black sub-flooring material. The stage is about 6 feet from the front row pit and is 3 and ½ feet high. The boots onstage at Pechanga are easily admired (meaning the stage isn’t so high that you can’t see their feet). It’s a good sized stage, both wide and deep and the microphones are pushed back but not too far. Four small front fill speakers are spaced along the very front of the stage and a large stack of speakers is on either side, with a curved flying set overhead. The Moodies standard stage setup was on the stage, ready to go. The only other unique feature at Pechanga was the attractive row of sconces on the side walls. Each one looked like a set of three flowers, each with a tulip-like design. There was no other noticeable adornment in the showroom. A large 8x8 (at least) video screen flanked each side of the stage. I had recalled from my first visit that Pechanga did not allow photography. Others had called Pechanga before the concert and confirmed that photography was not allowed and that cameras could be confiscated and the offender removed from the showroom. Still one can ALWAYS hope and SueC asked our seater if photography was allowed. She replied no photography and no flashes were allowed. We have no idea what she meant. I didn’t notice anyone giving it a try. While there was plenty of security around, there were no purse searches at the door. Trust is a beautiful thing! THE FASHION REPORT JL – Black long-slvd shirt with small pleats on the bib, black jeans with leather pockets, boots GE – New dark gray/blue short sleeved shirt with palm trees and an ombre effect to solid dark shoulders, black slacks, black shoes JH – White oxford long-slvd shirt with blues stripes (each stripe made of 4 thin pin stripes), blue jeans with bleached/faded knees and thighs, black jacket, studded boots Bernie- New red top (very sexy!), black slacks Norda – Black strapless top, black riding skirt with ruffle, boots Paul – Cream colored oxford shirt, black slacks Gordon- Cream colored knit shirt, black slacks Bernie’s new red top was hotter than (per Bobby Bradshaw) a “two-pecker billy goat in a herd of one year olds”. I think that’s pretty damn hot, Bernie! LOL The lowcut top is a bright satin material, the *skirt* below the empire waist appeared to be red chiffon. Very nice! Norda’s hair may be a little longer than in the UK – looks great. Lots of nice hair on the stage at Pechanga! THE CONCERT The Moodies choose to alter the setlist in 2005 but not in a significant way. Winter Tour 2005 Setlist Lovely to See You Tuesday Afternoon Lean on Me The Actor Slide Zone English Sunset Talking Out of Turn I Know You’re Out There Somewhere The Story in Your Eyes Your Wildest Dream Isn’t Life Strange The Other Side of Life December Snow Higher & Higher Are You Sitting Comfortably? I’m Just a Singer in a Rock ‘n Roll Band Nights in White Satin Question SeeSaw Gemini Dream was cut from the concert and and Voices in the Sky was replaced by The Actor. No new songs were put in; English Sunset was moved from the 3rd slot. I thought the flow was not as good as the prior setlist, but it wasn’t a significant change. Shrug Whatever! The setlist was performed without an intermission; a common practice in casinos. The first concert of the Winter 2005 tour had a clean start and no major problems or errors were noticed during the concert. I’ve searched for an adjective to describe the overall effect and while it was a *good* concert, it felt lethargic. Not a whole lot of energy up on the stage! The famous Moodies light show was excellent, as always. The moving triangular screens effectively employed in the UK were not seen at Pechanga, but a large white screen backdrop provided plenty of movement and color interest. The December boy was used again for December Snow. I’m hesitant to address the sound, after all, the sound is determined at the soundboard near the back of the floor and optimized for that spot (as it has to be). Sound in the front row can vary wildly. Even though the there were front fill speakers and the stage was low enough to provide some sound, vocals were almost non-existent, and sounded muted. Electric guitars sounded great as did the drums, but I had to lean forward out of my chair and STRAIN to hear the Olsen on The Actor. Justin’s vocals suffered more than John’s and while part of that could be attributed to the front row sound in general, part had to be the condition of his voice. It was definitely not at full force. Justin’s lead vocals were whispy, feathery and sustained notes were not done with power and were cut short. Actually, that proved to be very effective on The Actor – almost an alternative interpretation. I pray for good heath for The Moodies lead singer; he was not 100% Friday night and was seen rubbing his throat. There was very little patter – but what the heck! What was said couldn’t be heard anyway. Sigh I guess I’ll have to go back to London to hear Justin tell endearing stories about the early days of rock ‘n roll. Sniff Graeme’s new palm tree shirt is fab and we got a good look at it during Higher and Higher. He said he was feeling the Christmas weight and didn’t look quite as light on his feet during his Irish dancing segment. A few more performances of H&H and he’ll be back at his fighting weight. All in all, it was a good, serviceable concert, pretty solid, clean but without power or passion. One hopes for better. The hot news around Pechanga and confirmed today by JL in his member’s chat (I’m a bonded member for life) is that the summer tour with YES is off. Caput. Ain’t happening. JL said there will be some kind of Moodies summer tour. Merchandise news was limited – no new tourbook for this tour. The guitar tshirts (very cool) are offered with the new 2005 venues. Hal’s hot new item is a pewter, heart-shaped keychain with The Moody Blues on one side and Say it With Love on the other. The perfect gift for Valentines Day, Hal says, but I can’t imagine that my husband would really want one. (Ed: for those not able to make it to the concerts, Hal also has the keychain at MoodyMall.) MaggieMay We’re here, the time is right To rock ‘n roll, right thru the night. |
Temecula |
