Today on My 3 Songs I gave away tickets to see Ringo and the All Starr Band in Eugene on Sunday.  The winner, David, said that he had just seen McCartney, and he was so happy to now be able to take his 16 year old son to see Ringo!  That right there made me warm all over.  First that he has raised his son right, because he also said that his kid was a Beatlemaniac, and also that he had traveled to see McCartney on his tour. 

Then to really seal my affection for him forever, David said he was “on his way to give blood in the KGON/Red Cross Let it Bleed Blood Drive” when he was listening to My 3 Songs, pulled over and made the call to win the tickets.  There’s so many reasons to love this guy in that statement.  He was listening to me.  He knew how to play the game.  He was on his way to his appointment to give blood during our blood drive.  He knew the answer and pulled over to be safe while he called to try and win the tickets.  My heart soars like an eagle.

Hey, I love just about everyone I’ve ever met who listens to KGON because you are amazing, loyal, intelligent and wonderful folks, but listener David just earned some extra stripes today.  Oh, and he couldn’t wait to get his KGON “Let It Bleed” shirt!

Join in the effort!  Make your appointment to GIVE BLOOD this week!  Here’s the link to find out more about it. 

Dear Deputy Sanchez, 

Thank you so much for returning my call today. As you requested, here is the full, and somewhat long-winded, story about the theft I just reported. 

On Friday, June 11^th, I attended the Tom Petty concert at the Gorge Amphitheater. I returned to my tent in the Gorge campground around 11:30pm Friday night to find the following items missing and presumed stolen: 

• One black and white striped large bag full of very cute summer clothes.
• One green and pink brocade makeup and toiletries bag, the cheap stuff, it wasn’t even Mac!
• One Verizon cell phone, piece of crap anyway. Keep it.
• One T-Mobile cell phone- can provide serial number.
• One black iPod 4GB- can provide serial number.
• $150 cash- tucked inside the makeup case, should have been locked up in my purse in the truck, I know.
• One pair of black and white men’s Nike tennis shoes, size 11.
• One fancy Coleman lantern.

We obviously should not have had the electronics or cash in the tent and anyone that stupid deserves to get robbed. You may be surprised to hear that the thing I want back the most is my bag full of clothes. Seriously, what is this thief going to do with a bunch of girls clothing? Sell it? And who would even buy used underwear?

And could there be anything worse than having to wear the same underwear and clothing for three days of camping and concerts because some jerk stole your suitcase? The humanity!

Both my tent and my friend’s tent had been rifled through. In my tent, one bag had been dumped out and only the good stuff stolen, phones & iPod, but my entire bag and makeup case were gone. In the other tent, one backpack had been dumped out but nothing was missing, the other bag remained completely untouched, wallet, keys, phone, cash, ipod, etc, undisturbed.

The following morning, we reported the theft to campground security, who instructed us to check back throughout the weekend to see if anything had been turned in. Nothing was ever turned in and we never heard another word from campground personnel. Jerks. We also found a pile of clothes and other such items dumped right outside our tent, presumably someone else’s stolen items, which we turned in to security. We were also informed that numerous other people had also been robbed that night. Awesome.

On July 15th, after hearing on the local news about two different men who had just been arrested for theft,  I called the Portland Police. I admit I was rather excited at the idea I might get to see my stuff again! The PPD told me to file a police report in the county where the theft had occurred. With a case number, I can now hopefully view the recovered items and see if I can locate my beloved, adorable summer clothing. And maybe my super-expensive Oil of Olay face cream, because no self-respecting woman wants wrinkles.

Alas, as I work for a radio station (I’m totally bragging), I can’t avoid the venue any longer and must return to the area on Sunday, August 8^th for the Van Morrison concert (I’m bragging again). I certainly won’t be camping overnight as the area is obviously rife with hooligans and not safe for females.

Please feel free to contact me at either of the numbers below should you have any questions. Email is fine as well; it comes directly to my Blackberry. Seeing as I suffer from severe insomnia, you can reach me 24 hours a day. I’m not kidding.

Thank you so much for your time.

PS- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers remain my favorite band ever, although the Saturday night show wasn’t nearly as fun as I was in deep mourning, not to mention I had been wearing the same underwear for two full days at that point. Did I mention that it was 90 degrees that weekend?

Best,
Amy

Set list from a few of the shows they have already done. Next Saturday is going to be huge! I can’t wait!

It was “Girl’s Night Out” with Gloria and I going to see Leon Russell at the Mt. Tabor Theater on Hawthorne last night.  We missed the opening band, and just as we walked in, Leon ripped into “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” into “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”  Different than the way we are used to hearing it from the Concert for Bangladesh (August 1st, 1971) and a great way to begin the night.  This was a different band than I’ve seen him with before.  The last couple of times he’s been to Portland with Commander Cody, I missed those shows.  Heard they were great though.

The last time I saw him, was at the Roseland Grill.  It was packed, and we had to stand through the show, and he had his son, Teddy Jack and daughter, Sugaree Noel with him.  He also didn’t say much to the audience at that show.  Teddy Jack opened with an acoustic set, and he’s a very good writer and singer.  I bought his CD and he signed it for me that night.

But last night, Leon chatted with the audience after about 20 minutes of one song right into another.  He also told the story about meeting Gram Parsons in L.A.  Gram was wearing his beloved Nudie Suit, and told Leon that he should do a version of The Rolling Stones song “Wild Horses” which he also did last night.  I could just sit and listen to the man dole out the memories of his life.

He also talked about touring with Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and Gloria told me how she saw that show in Boston.  Delaney & Bonnie, Rita Coolidge and many other amazing musicians.  I’m still jealous about that.  What a show that must have been.

Leon started his career working as a musician at the ripe old age of 14 in the bars of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He’s played with just about everyone you could imagine George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton, JJ Cale, The Band, Ringo Starr, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many MANY more.  Click here to link to Leon’s website.

One of my favorite lines of his, is “I love you in a place where there’s no space and time.”  Thanks for the music, Leon.  Thanks for still touring like you were just starting out 14 years old, and playing with kids who weren’t even born when the “Mad Dogs” tour or “Bangladesh” concert took place.  Next time you come to Portland, if you can, please bring Teddy Jack with you.

Oh, and just so I can RANT one more time about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Leon Russell is not in there.  Abba is, and Leon is not.  Run D.M.C. is in there and Leon is not.  Someone explain this to me, in a manner I can understand.  It makes no sense, is wrong and bad and I’m sure there’s artists who have been inducted who wonder the same thing.

I’ve always loved the prank that Bart Simpson would pull on Moe…calling the bar and asking for a name that sounds hilarious when said out loud.  Like Amanda Hugenkiss.  I found a whole website with a list of those.  Click here and you’ll link to it.

Product names can be a disaster as well.  Especially if they are an export and someone didn’t check before labeling and sending.  Click here for 65 badly named products.

Then of course there’s just bad names, and they have been passed down for centuries.  Like one in my family…Butts.  Yeah.  I’m glad that was 3 generations before me.  Not that it’s a horrible thing, but the teasing you get as a kid is already more than a person needs to bear on the playground.  I’ve imagined all kinds of first names and initials to go with that last name that could have happened, very innocently, but that would have been so very very wrong.  I don’t have to spell it out for you, do I?

I went to school with a Sandy Beech.  Knew someone who named their child Peter Holder.  My friend, Franny Hogg, changed her middle name so that it truly was Frances A. Hogg.  She was quite proud of that name.  I went to an oral surgeon named Dr. Slaughter.  My mom knew a Dr. Fink when we lived in Louisiana.  I’m sure you have run across someone who has an interesting name and occupation to go with it.  Here’s a list of names that fit occupations that appeared in the column “Dear Abby.”  You’ll see that my Dr. Slaughter wasn’t the only doctor with that name.

Just to give you one more thing to look at, the Huffington Post has a bunch of bad realtor signs, and most have to do with the name of the person.  Click here for the link.

Enjoy!

If you haven’t already heard about Sammy’s upcoming birthday bash at the Cabo Wabo Cantina, I thought I’d pass along the news .  I got this email today about the event, the way the tickets will be sold, etc.  Here you go:

Now while I’d love to go, I have run out of time for the year and need to do other things with the vacation time I do have, so if you go and attend the birthday bash, take lots of pictures, and call me when you come back.  Oh, and don’t dance on the tables in Cabo Wabo.  We almost got thrown out for doing just that.  Gee, I thought it was a great Mexican tradition.  Apparently not everywhere.

A co-worker once asked me if I had any tattoos.  She was stunned when I told her no.  Her reasoning was that anyone who had worked in rock radio for 35 years just HAD to have at least one tattoo.  Nope.  None.

It’s not that I don’t admire body ink on others.  I do.  If it’s something really wonderful and beautiful and you feel compelled to have that art permanently added to your skin, then by all means, have at it.  I know people who are tattoo artists, and others who have designed their own tattoos…using their own art pieces.  Now that’s a cool statement.  Of course there’s the practice of adding names of loved ones you want to honor permanently written on your heart, or whatever body part serves you best. 

I love art, and artists of all kinds, but I’ve never been tattooed because of several reasons.  First, I avoid pain.  I’ve had enough dances with the doctors and such in my life, that I just don’t have any reason to look for pain with adding colors to my skin.  That leads to my second reason…I bruise like a banana, thus adding colors to my skin all the time without wanting to.  The third reason is that I can’t think of ONE THING that would be a statement that I would want to have indelibly stamped on my body for the rest of my life.  I’m sort of a chameleon in that respect (and a chameleon tattoo that would actually change colors would be cool as it gets…but I don’t think that exists…yet).  Change is part of growth, and what serves me now may not in the future.  I realize that you can have body art re-worked, but go back to my number one reason, and I stop right there.   

There was one time when I was way over my alcohol limit and an illustrated friend of mine almost talked me into getting an iris flower tattoo on my arm.  I asked if it would hurt as much as it did when I got my ears pierced and she said “more, and longer” like it was a good thing.  That stopped every possible reason for me to want a tattoo. 

I guess this makes me completely uncool and nerdy as all get out, but I do have some pretty gnarly scars.  That’s all I need really, and if I hadn’t had to get them for medical reasons, I wouldn’t have them either. 

So, I invite you to send me any and all pictures of your ultra cool tattoos that I will enjoy looking at, but will never have applied to my person. 

I also found this website of tattoos that should have never happened.  Be warned, it shows body parts and art that are offensive to those who are of a more delicate nature.  To the rest of you, enjoy!

I also had to include this picture of Jack Nicholson from The Shining that someone had tattooed on themselves.  It’s just so…..scary!  In so many ways.

Oh, and let me know when that chameleon tattoo that actually changes colors is available.

Looks like that Rolling Stones are retiring article was a rumor afterall. Thank the sweet lord. I want to see them at least two more times. Even if they are all 80 years old and propped up with puppet strings and reek of embalming fluid, I would still go.

My review went just super last Friday, thank you for asking. I even got a lesson from Mr. Burns on how to answer every future review question using five words or less. I’m going to need to work on that one, but luckily every email communication I have with Mr. Burns is a lesson in itself. He is easily the most monosyllabic person I have ever met. His answers or comments to my email questions are often “yes” or “fine” or “ha” on the rare occasion he actually finds something I’ve said amusing. Emphasis on rare. I do love me some Mr. Burns!

Lastly, some winner just came in to pick up tickets and he was totally hot! No mullet, full sleeves on his shirt and everything! So I totally go out of my way to say hi and congrats on winning, to which he replied, “Thanks. My wife and I are really looking forward to the show.” Figures he’s married. DAMMIT!

I wonder what the man who has everything, and has done everything, does for his birthday… Maybe he works.  Mick Jagger’s doing another project with Martin Scorsese, the amazing award winning director who did a killer job on the concert documentary of The Rolling Stones called “Shine a Light.”  We saw it on the IMAX screen and it was fantastic!

The new project is a dramatic mini series for HBO tentatively called “The History of Music” which will follow two friends through 40 years in the music business.  I wonder if Mick will be acting in the show, or if he’s just a money man and creative mind behind the project.  I guess we’ll be finding out in the weeks to come.

Amy blogged about The Stones upcoming world tour to commemorate their 50th anniversary.  It kicks off in 2011, and goes through 2012, when the world is supposed to end or something.  I wonder what they had to do to get Charlie Watts to agree to touring again?  Before the last tour, he said he wouldn’t do another one.  Money talks.

Meanwhile, happy 67th birthday, Mick.  I can’t believe that man is 67.  Dead sexy, and he still moves like a feline on stage.  He defies time.  I think there must be a picture of Mick somewhere in one of his mansions that is getting  old and ugly, like in the Oscar Wilde book “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”  I love this quote from the book:  “How sad it is that I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful.  But this picture will remain always young.  It will never be older than this particular day of June…If it were only the other way.  If it were I who was to be always young and the picture that was to grow old!  For that-for that- I would give everything!  Yes, there is nothing in the whole world that I would not give!  I would give my soul for that!” 

Does “Sympathy for the Devil” come to mind when you read that passage? 

Happy Birthday Mick!  Stay well and beautiful and keep rockin’ because Portland would sure love to see you in the Rose Garden again!!

Let’s hope this is a vicious rumor meant to make me angry and sad. I better not tell my mother, she might have a breakdown.

According to AOL.com, Reports Suggest the Rolling Stones Will Retire After World Tour in 2012

Reports circulating in the UK press suggest the inevitable might actually finally become reality — the Rolling Stones may be about to retire.

UK newspaper the Sun reports that the band — who were formed in 1962 and are soon to celebrate their 50th anniversary — are set to hang up their weather-worn boots after a world tour, which is set to kick off in 2011.

That sound you hear is me quietly weeping in my office.