Guest Book

Hey guys! Well, I'm sure Marley has already speedily reported back about Friday night's show, but here I come, plodding along to give my account...it was my very first Beacon show, or ABB show for that matter, and I LOVED it! I had a fabulous time, put a face to several folks I knew only as a screen name and avatar before, and, so I heard from the veteran concert-goers there, attended a truly high-quality show in comparison to others. I almost didn't make it, though... On Thursday evening, before Marley and I left for NY, I attended a fairly gigantic protest in Chicago. There had to have been 20,000 people there, and we shut down traffic on one of the main drags in the city, getting supportive honks and peace signs even from folks who were probably stuck in traffic for hours. Then things took a rather troublesome turn--about 2,000 of us were TRAPPED between two police lines and not allowed to leave, even though most people were just tired, hungry, had to go to the bathroom, and wanted to go home. Ridiculous, really, and not once had the police addressed the crowd beforehand to warn us to disperse--like they expected us to read their minds. People were getting arrested left and right, and I was periodically on the phone with Marley (who was home studying for an exam the next day), terrified that I would get arrested and miss my plane. Fortunately, I was allowed to leave, but not before being obligated to fork over my protest sign. So much for the bloody First Amendment! Then, a combination of a late exam, weather delays, and a lost bag caused Marley and I to miss several of the opening numbers. Once we got there though, it was all worth it. As I entered the smoky haze of the theatre, I was enveloped by the kind of all-encompassing sound that I'd only before experienced on Marley's speakers. All the stress of the previous 24 hours just melted away on waves of music and joyful dancing to the beat. I could see why this band has been beloved for so many years like it has been. We heard Dreams and Layla, as well as a few songs that included Gregg's horn players--that was quite a treat. I was very tickled to hear Oteil's scatting in the middle of Instrumental Illness--I hadn't realized he did that. Derek was great to watch...WHAT a player. It was a fantastic show, and afterwards I managed to get autographs from Warren, Gregg, and Butch on my ticket stub. I met TerriB and Scott, and Marley and I happened upon HopHead (a.k.a. Ron) in the diner near the theatre and ate and talked for a while. So all in all--yay! :dance: :bounce: :dance: Marley and I might get tickets for another show this week, so we'll see...now it's time for bed...night all! ~Emily