Music and Memories

You find the damnedest things when you open an old photo box.

Y'know, like old ticket stubs.

From the 90s.

Those were some great shows, every single one of them. Let's start with the non-rock shows.

Five Guys Named Moe celebrated the music of Louis Jordan, the great jump blues sax player and bandleader. We saw that show at Ford's Theater, home of the most uncomfortable theater seats ever. (If you go to a show at Ford's, bring a cushion. Your butt will thank you.)

Defending the Caveman was a hilarious one-man show about the differences between men and women. Rob Becker had some great insights, going all the way back to primitive humankind. 

Firesign Theatre, oh Firesign Theatre! The wonderful, absurdist, brilliant Firesign Theatre, where I became a Bozoette. Now my son can truly say, "My mother was a Bozoette at school." (IYKYK.) The only problem with this show was that we were sitting behind a guy who recited the lines of the WHOLE SHOW with the members of the troupe. Gah!

Ah, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, my favorite jugglers. The juggling challenge, where the audience brought up things for the guys to juggle, was always fun, but I always enjoyed the musical juggling best, especially when they played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring on the vibraphone.

Messiah - and not just any Messiah. Messiah performed at the Washington National Cathedral. Inspiring. 

So. The rest - the bestest rock and roll and blues and folk and funk and oh my God.

We saw blues legends John Lee Hooker and Albert Collins and virtuoso acoustic finger-pickers Michael Fath and Al Pettaway. The Neville Brothers took us to Mardi Gras in New Orleans while Little Feat rolled right through the night. Jethro Tull rocked DAR Constitution Hall, even with Ian Anderson in a wheelchair because of a broken leg!!

But the Blues Music Festival made me think I'd died and gone to heaven. B.B. King? Little Feat? Dr. John? Yes, please. Pretty, pretty please. What a sensational concert! Little Feat was great on their own, but with B.B. and Mac? Wow.

I can't remember if I saved these tickets or if Joe saved them, but I'm sure glad one of us did.