CostelloNews.com

FRI 20TH FEB. TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE TAMPA.FL.

Music:

Johnny Cash/ Unchained
TRAVEL: BAND: CREW: AFTER SHOW LOCAL ONLY DRIVE TO BOCA RATON 261 MLS. --------------------------------------------------- VENUE: TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 1010 NORTH MACINNES PL, TAMPA FL. 33602 --------------------------------------------------- We visited the AAA in St, Petersburg to get a quote for auto insurance. Jackson passed his driving license here in the States, a few weeks ago. He’d love to be mobile, but young men under 25 are in the worst bracket. The triple A is great, and one day when he gets driving his own car, I know he’ll want to join up. We also dropped by the main post office to get supplies for the “Windows” mail out. Our hotel is infested with marksmen, from our window they are clearly visible prowling the roof. The Vice President is here giving a speech at an afternoon reception. The atmosphere reminds me of the hotel we stayed in New York at the moment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Iraq Conflict. There was a United Nations meeting and the delegates were all guests of our hotel. Three armed security guards in each elevator, one sitting outside each elevator door, on all 48 floors. I.D. checks every turn of the corridor. Why in addition to all the inconvenience, do these people have to be so rude and as they say in these parts, macho? Today, two marksmen opposite our window, they see Jackson and myself looking out over their territory. We’re not dressed at all like regular Floridians, black overcoats for one thing. For a minute they are paying more attention to us than the banquet in the grounds below. The audience are very responsive, and it’s the slower, softer songs that get the warmest response, so something has changed around here. My memory of playing the southernmost state, is young people, spaced out on smoking weed, and drinking Budweiser or Rolling Rock with their entire faces painted in bright primary colors. And yes wasn’t our first Tampa Bay gig at the Jai Alai Stadium? One guy, obviously drunk, though missing the grease paint, misunderstanding E.C.’s wonderful improvised scat about the tightened hotel security, and pre election machinations, treads a noisy exit, but is quickly drowned out by the overwhelming appreciation of tonight’s An old St. Pete friend, Gator Dave, his wife Robin, and her sister April were my guests. Back-stage Gator Dave let the cat out of the bag to Milo, about my birthday tomorrow. Now I was trying to keep that a secret. One or so in the morning, Jackson and I sped the hired car over to Tampa airport to the 24 on 7 post office, and out went the first shipment of windows. Thanks Jackson, I couldn’t have done that without all your help. SAT 21ST FEB. MIZNER AMPHITHEATRE BOCA RATON FL. TRAVEL: BAND: CREW: DRIVE TO BOCA RATON DRIVE TO NASHVILLE 261 MLS. NASHVILLE 878 MLS. --------------------------------------------------- VENUE: MIZNER AMPHITHEATRE 590 PLAZA REAL BOCA RATON FL 33432 Our bus driver kindly offered to drop Jackson in St. Pete on his way up to Nashville, Sunday, which meant he could tag along to Boca Raton. Thanks Ron. On the drive E.C. played some DVD’s of T.V. shows from the sixties. Sam and Dave, a lot of Blues artists, Etta James. A show called “The Beat”. Some Ed Sullivan Shows. Wonderful to watch. We are staying in an extraordinary piece of American Architecture, the Boca Raton Beach Club and Resort. I wonder if it’s the same architect that built the Nationale in Havana? Same interior features, I’m sure. Without me knowing it, Muriel had prompted everyone about the significance of Feb 21. There was a birthday cake in my dressing room and a birthday card from all the team. We were playing outdoors, but the crowd made us feel we were inside a cosy theatre. After the first couple of songs E.C. leaned into the mic and before I knew what was happening the audience were singing, in beautiful harmonies, Happy Birthday. It was a swell thing. Jackson met a school friend somewhere in the audience, now that tells you what a small world this is. After the show we shared a glass in the ‘cloistered’ courtyard of the hotel. A relaxing close to the day. --------------------------------------------------- SUN 22ND FEB. FLY TO NASHVILLE TN. TRAVEL: BAND: CREW: FLY TO NASHVILLE DRIVING TO NASHVILLE --------------------------------------------------- Horrible Goodbye at the airport, but it’s a good thing to think of Jackson pulling up to his grandma’s house in that huge tour bus, later today. Long day of air travel. E.C. invited us out to a Japanese restaurant in the evening. Another soft shell crab experience, great. --------------------------------------------------- MON 23RD FEB. NASHVILLE TN. REHEARSE WITH THE BRODSKY,S TRAVEL: BAND: CREW: LOCAL ONLY --------------------------------------------------- VENUE: AT THE RYMAN TIME T.B.A (EARLY EVENING) Seems that bus driver Ron misunderstood the situation. He was supposed to collect the Brodsky Quartet in Montgomery Alabama and drive them to Nashville in time for our rehearsal. Instead, he had in mind to get them here in time for the gig tomorrow. The big silver bus is now in a mad dash to meet the schedule, the Brodsky’s are waiting outside their hotel, telephoning to know what happened. Our rehearsal is re-scheduled for late evening. I visited the Nashville downtown. Everything has a for-sale sign on it. Things are looking depressed, tourism is dramatically down around here. That’s not a good thing. I visited the Hatch Show Print Works on Broadway. They do all the cool looking posters for the Ryman Theatre. They created a famous poster for Elvis Presley, playing at the Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, early in his career. Visit the web site: http://www.hatchshowprint.com After the rehearsal E.C., the Brods, and myself have a good moment of banter in the hotel bar. TUES 24TH FEB.RYMAN AUDITORIUM NASHVILLE TN. TRAVEL: BAND: CREW: LOCAL ONLY AFTER SHOW DRIVE TO NEW YORK 903 MLS. --------------------------------------------------- VENUE: RYMAN AUDITORIUM 116 FIFTH AVE. NORTH NASHVILLE TN. 37219 --------------------------------------------------- I took a short walk over to the Baptist Hospital complex. They have a gymn and a swimming club, open to guests of our hotel. I had the pool all to myself, a long lap pool. Also a very efficient whirlpool, hot and turbulent, which relaxed me so much that I slept off most of the afternoon, waking in time for the soundcheck. The Ryman is the legendary home of the Grand Ole Opry. So many performers have graced these planks, there’s always an air of occasion when you get to play a place like this. The audience sit on church pews, I believe this was originally a mission house, turned theatre, and the acoustics are wonderful. The set, like the last time here, was around two hours in length, yet there were only a handful of songs that we played here last time. That’s amazing. The Brodsky Quartet played with great fire and energy, adding warmth to the North songs. Real Emotional Girl, the Randy Newman song, received their classical touch. E.C. and I performed Heart Shaped Bruise. During the God’s Comic scat, E.C. slammed the President for his decision to ban same sex ‘marriages’ in America. The audience clearly felt the same way. “What’s wrong with people expressing their love for each other”? E.C. was sporting some very pointed and shining silver boots, that didn’t escape one cowboy’s notice in the audience. In between songs this chap was shouting and hollering something about them boots. The atmosphere in the hall was a finely tuned balance between honky tonk and recital hall. A drum-less Pump It Up tipped that equilibrium and the gals took to their dancing feet. After the show, Emmy Lou Harris came back stage with her mum, and family. I also met up with Dave Jacques, double bass and tuba player with John Prine. I left the theatre feeling a strong high from the music and the folks there. The poster for the show, printed by the Hatch Print Company, rolled under my arm.