Guest Book

Happy birthday to Brother Red Dog! I'll never forget the first time I met you, at the H&H -- one of my finest memories as an Allman Brothers fan. It's difficult to sit back here in the real world and write about the magic of a Beacon weekend. LBMJ asked, is it about the music or the people? Well, the Beacon is a special case. First it's about the music -- why else would we be there? But seeing friends who come every year makes the annual Beacon run like an enormous famABBly reunion. Then throw in this Web site. Go ahead, throw it right in there. Now you've got a humongous cyber-community that transforms a truly amazing event into a gathering of miracles. Gushing? Yes. Sappy? Sure. But it happens every year. Someone should write a scholarly research paper about this phenomenon. Does anything like this happen anywhere else? Hundreds of strangers united by sheer joy? Although I am deeply involved as a Brothers fan, I am a relative newcomer to Hittin' the Web -- I joined the site only last June. But what I have found here is unique in my experience. The Beacon is very different from the typical concert experience. Because it's an annual extended run shared by a legion of Internet-connected fans, there are more parties and more reunions, you see. Can you imagine the Hospitality Sweeties or the Left Coast parties without Hittin' the Web? Who would know about them? Who would come? I wish there were more hours in the day. Despite a shocking paucity of sleep, I still couldn't find the time to do all I wanted. There are many friends I met for the first time and many other friends I wanted to meet but had no time. The music was incredible -- the best of any of the many Beacon shows I've seen. The fellowship was also incredible, as in beyond belief. By the way, although I had to leave on Sunday I heard about a beautiful woman and tremendous musician who caught some of the music. No, I don't mean my friend, the wonderful guitarist and singer Donna Hopkins. Yes, she was there for her second Beacon run and she is as big a fan as anyone. But at the Blue Note Monday to see the Derek Trucks Band, sitting at a table with Susan and Jason Crosby was multiple Grammy winner Norah Jones. Seems the lady is not only popular and talented -- she has exquisite musical taste as well ...