Big Wooly Mammoth

i was at his show in ottawa last night. very much enjoyed it. (last time is saw bowie was in 83 at the CNE and I really didn't like that show? i didn't keep a set list. but I can say that he played changes, modern love, and the motel which he said he had not played in a long time. 5 song encore. show ended at 11:30ish. about 2 hrs 45 minutes long.

polyphonic spree - very cool. only saw last 10 minutes which was unfortunate. never seen anything quite like it.

got section 124 row f. thats the opposite corner 9th row. not too bad, but tix went really fast. still might score tix with mail order. so we might have extra tix.

re the room - send me an email at alan_diener@rogers.com

where'd ya hear that tix were available at that TM outlet? I just called and they said i had to call albany TM or do it on-line.

oh - it looks like we have an extra room at the ramada inn in downtwon albany for the night of the show. the room is already paid for, but i can get a refund minus $10 if i cancel it. it was about $79 US. if ya need a room lemme know...

posted on the band's web site last night:

Message from Mikey's family

We want to thank all of Mikey's fans and friends for their love and support during this difficult time. Your letters, emails, and acts of kindness and thoughtfulness have helped us through a time that seemed almost impossible to endure. It gave strength and happiness to Michael to know how much he was loved. We know you grieve also and our hearts go out to you.

So many of you have said that you were touched by his kindness, sensitivity, and humility. Michael was always aware that it was you, the fans, who allowed him to do what he loved. He was deeply grateful for having the opportunity to make people happy with his music, and for being a part of Widespread Panic. He continued playing after discovering his illness because music was his life and being on stage during the spring and summer tours was the most normal thing he could have done with the rest of his life.

Michael would be absolutely devastated if the band did not continue as Widespread Panic. He, and all of them, have worked for 20 years to make it what it is today. They have a history, a legacy, and a loyal fan following that will stick with them through this transition.

We wish the best for the entire Widespread Panic family - the band, the music and the fans - and look forward to great shows for many more years. As Mikey would say, "We hope to see you there."

Just as the page reloaded so that I could post this, Dying Man began to come out of the speakers - DAMN. (fwiw, they didn't play this song after Mikey was diagnosed)......this is real hard, and I can only compare it to the day Jerry died. Neither man was (WAS!) a relative, but their deaths and the resulting emotions are ones I have only felt when I did lose my father and my mother. For Mikey (as was Jerry) was a part of my life. I knew this was coming, and shed many tears. but that didn't stop the tears from flowing today or right now as i type this.

I was lucky enough to meet Mikey on two occassions. And shared a puff with him both those times. We were like minded, I guess! We both ended up in that part of the room. No pretensions about him.

Life is real. it ebbs and flows. As I experience this intense sorrow today, I am preparing for the birth of my second child, which should be happening any day now.

RIP Mikey.

Beams to the Houser family>>>>>>>>>>>>

you might find some useful info on cessation therapies and more on the health effects to scare you at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/index.html

I'll be there tonight with my wife and 4 yr old daughter. We'll have our portable chairs - red with maple leafs on them. drop by and say hi. I am so looking forward to it. I just wish that emmylou was given the extra time that colin linden is getting in the opening slot. she is indeed brilliant. hopefully it warms up a bit (after waiting for the weather to cool down for the last week!).

i just posted inthe WSP 7/7 topic that Houser was either resting up and will play tonght in KC or that he has flown home. He WAS at red rocks btw. George McConnel on guitar and Randall Bramblett on sax have been playing with the band. McConnel on most nights has joined for just a few tunes. they both played the entire show in Milwaukee.

i'll be there with the wife and daughter. we'll prolly be in our portable red chairs w/ maple leafs on them. say hi

If your on the fence hop on over cause this is an awesome line up. (and the rest of the festival aint too shabby. tops on my list for this weekend are the kudzu kings, JJ Cale and STEVE EARLE! if you've never seen steve do yourself a favour and go on sunday night. and if youve never heard of JJ cale you may know some of his songs - after midnight, cocaine, travelling light, ride me high...)

enjoy the show. I haven't seen panic since last fall in new orleans, and I'm still hoping to see them there again this year. Houser missed the Iowa show on Wednesday night. I've heard (1) that he was resting up and will be playing in KC tonite (2) that he had flown home. no official news. but George McConnel and Randall Bramblett played the entire show. Reality is setting in that I may never get to see Mikey play again. Beams to him and his family>>>>>>>

I rememeber seeing Robert Gordon's name around in the early '80s. rockabilly would be correct. the shakers were (are?) a hamilton band from the early '80s. friends of teenage head. in fact dave rave from the shakers joined teenage head at some point in time and is in the current version of the band. I spent a friday night in 1979 hanging out with dave rave on yonge street after being introduced to him by a girl named Kitty who was a girlfriend of one of the guys in teenage head and worked at a record store on yonge. (hanging out in record stores on yonge street was a regular friday night ocurrance for me in 1979 as 14 yr old)

oh ya, was there a "the wheel" tease in there near the end?

they played from 9 (i didnt get there till 9:30) until 10:30. these guys are the shit. and as they said - only in ottawa would pple show up in that weather.

you got in free? when i showed up (at 9:30 taboot) they wanted to see my ticket (i have a tulipass).

they said they'd be back in the fall at barrymores.

so - who's going to bruce cockburn tonight? if the weather isnt too crappy I'll be there with my wife and daughter (there were actually little kids at last nights show)

another band that i'd love to see up here is the Big Wu. they are from Minneapolis and I saw them grow from crowds of 15 to 500 in less than 2 years while I was living in Omaha. In the apst year they've played the Higher Ground twice, I think. I was thinking that it would make sense for bands like that to play burlington, VT and then make there way to ottawa, toronto and then back down to the states. these guys are the shit!

seth yavacone band - never heard any of their stuff but I've heard good things about them. I just downloaded last months hsow at the higher ground but have yet to listen. and fwiw, I know the guys at Furry Thug Productions (they manage SYB) and can put in a good word.

i called a liitle while ago - they said the shows go on rain or shine. where's your place? what time you gonna leave for the show?

check out the tulipcam. goto http://www.ottawa.cbc.ca/index.jsp and there is a link at the top of the page. it's focused on the stage right now. current temp is 7.5 degrees with a WIND CHILL of -3.9! I'll have the long johns on tonight IN MAY!

(tonights low is 1 with wet snow in the forecast. tomorrows high is 3. guess I won't be bringing my 4 yr old daughter to see Bruce Cockburn.)

i'll be there tonite. who else is going? roll call.....

according to the festival web site one ton is on at 8:00 (in the tent) and the new deal go on at 9:00.

what kind of seats are they?

I called and got through to an operator at 9:58. I figures that was a good thing. I tell her that I want tickets for Phil Lesh at the Molson Amphitheatre. The woman did not fully comprehend english though. (I couldn’t quite make out her accent. It sounded sort of French, but not French Canadian.) She kept saying back to me “Rush.” I tell her the date. She tells me there is no listing on that date. So I spelled it out L-E-S-H. And she insists that I’m saying “Rush.” I spell out P-H-I-L (space) L-E-S-H. (At this point I’m wondering if I’d be better off hanging up and trying my luck with a new operator) To no avail. She then tells me that there is no such show under “Lesh.” even though I keep telling her that since the bands name is “Phil Lesh and Friends,” entering only the last name will not work. It was like a comedy act. She finally gives in and pulls up the tickets.

I got good seats. Section 102, row M. But friends who called and got through at 10, got row D and row F. Given when I called in, I figure I should have had similar seats. 13th row is not at all bad, but hey 4th row is better, and there is an aisle after the first 5 or 6 rows.

I called back later to complain. I first need to speak with an operator and request that they connect me to a supervisor. Guess who I get? She asks what the problem is and I tell her that for the service charges I paid, I expect an operator who can understand one of the countries official languages. She insists the problem was that she had never heard of Phil Lesh. Um, okay, but that shouldn’t have caused what happened. The Supervisor apologizes and tells me that all operators should know what events are going on sale each day and she’ll speak with her. I tell her that doesn’t help me and ask to speak with her supervisor. She comes back on the line shortly thereafter and tells me that they will be refunding my service charges (well, most of them anyways). never seen that happen before.

this was my the first BNB show for myself and the guys I went with. we all loved the show. too bad this was the farewell tour..... the opening band was interesting - Crush - 1970's pop/rock, loverboy, trooper type music. They are tight though.

i'd love to be there but will be in toronto this weekend. I'll make a local appearance again soon :-)

Festival Japan is actually quite good. I've eaten there several times since we moved to Ottawa last summer. Suisha Gardens is good, but not as good as festival Japan. It's a bit cheaper with larger pieces of suchi, but given the choice I'd pick Festival Japan. I end up at Suisha quite a bit for lunch as my office is at Slater and Metcalfe. Another good place is Bento Sushi which is a tiny take out place (although they have a few tables) on Rideau, just before the bridge when it turns into Montreal, in between Mukut Indian restaurant (also quite good) and Smoke Signals (a head shop).

...you can get pretty good suchi in Ottawa. spend a year in Omaha before complaining about bad suchi. Ottawa is an awesome restaurant town actually.

so - are the usual suspects gonna be at the show tonight? I'm still deciding whether or not to go. Not sure if I have the energy. Late nights aren't as easy as they used to be as I approach 40 (did I really just say that? well I've got 3 years and 10 days left!) I've been wanting to see BNB after hearing all the raves. and this will be one of my last chances (I may be in T.O. for the april 5th show).

down from the mountain also includes emmylou harris, allison Kraus and colin linden to name a few. bluesfest will be an awesome way to see them. I'm hoping that we'll get some additional performances on the side stages from some of the artists. I can second that Dylan rumour. also from a credible source. I had forgotten all about it until I just read it (I initially heard it a couple of months ago)

(and hi - I havent been around here in a while, or had a chance to get out - just way too busy...hope to meet up again soon with the kind folks I met at the new deal show)