Wanted to share a quick review of Vince playing in my home town.

I was the Assoc Producer, because someone has to associate with the producer :), for this show. I was able to see the band and crew from a backstage vantage point. First off, what a band. If you didn't know, Willie Weeks, yes of George Harrison & Eric Clapton fame, is now playing bass for Vince. What a great guy. He was the first guy off of the bus. By the way, Vince travels with the band. No separate Prevost for him. Willie comes walking in the stage door to ask directions. I put out my hand and said "Welcome to our little town, Mr Weeks". He said "How do you know who I am" and laughed. I took him to the stage and asked him for a picture after sound check was complete, which he was cool with. He actually tracked me down later in the day for the picture.

Next off the bus, I thought, was Paul Franklin, pedal steel player extraordinaire. I told our photographer to grab her camera. It wasn't Mr Franklin at all, it was Vince. Strolling around, very low key. I just assumed that he did not travel in the "band bus". He was fantastic. I know he is a big Duane fan so I gave him a copy of the Delaney & Bonnie radio broadcast with Duane on it.
Not sure if he had ever heard it. He was thrilled, or so he said. I said, I know you are a Duane fan. He said, "yes I am and I'm also a D & B fan, Bekka, their daughter, toured with me for 10 years".

Then I had a chance to meet Paul Franklin. What an amazing player and gentleman. I've been intrigued by the pedal steel since the age of 10 when my father took me to see my Uncle Larry's band play on a hay wagon at the county fair. His band had a steel player. I had never seen one. I
couldn't take my eye off the guy playing it then, and still can't. Everyone in our crew was so impressed with Paul's playing style and the sound he could get out of his "Franklin" pedal steel guitar. I asked for a picture and he jumped right up and said "sure!".

I don't get to see all of the show due to responsibly with the crew, etc... but I do get to set in on the sound check. We have produced Willie, Merle, etc.... so I've seen some great ones. This one took the cake. They started with a reggae jam that ended up being "The Hard They Come...". Vince got down on some reggae guitar riffs. Next was "Sweet Dreams. Now remember, we are in the Patsy Cline Theater. It was spectacular. He did two more songs for sound check. Once it was over and the lights came up I looked around and all of our loaders, riggers, sound and light folks were also in the theater watching the sound check. To a person, they were shaking their collective heads saying, "That was probably the best sound check we have ever seen".

This is getting long. Suffice to say the show was a huge success and everyone in the audience went away very happy. Played a 2 hour show, which is impressive. The people that work for Vince are just as nice and low key as he is. They were a joy to work with. I need to book the Time Jumpers for our next show.