My dear friend Chris came down from Seattle for the weekend.  We have been pals since we both worked at KFMY in Eugene.  She’s originally from Ohio and picked Eugene on a map because it was half way between Seattle and San Francisco and had a grad program at a cool university.  I had been in Eugene for a little over a year before I met Chris and had already gone to the U of O and left for Lane Community College where I was told that they had this great “hands-on” program in radio and it was more about getting a job than a degree.  I was all over it.  Thank you Jeff Young again and again!

So, Chris comes to Eugene for her grad program, and gets a job at the same station where I was doing mornings, and we became instant soul sisters in music.  We saw Bruce Springsteen together at the Portland Paramount in 1975 and went backstage together to meet him at the Portland Memorial Coliseum in 1980.  I think she still has that signed poster.  I had him sign my business card…PROOF I had actually met the man.  I also still have the picture my friend Diane took from the front row at the 1980 concert, because Front Row Lorenzo stayed in line for a day or so and got the tickets for us.  That’s the kind of thing we used to make our interns do for us.  He could tell stories for days about the things we asked of him.  He’s still working in music, so we didn’t ruin him…or maybe we did.  I think he’s forgiven us.

Anyway, when I first heard of the Dylan Mellencamp show, I emailed Chris, who lives in Seattle, and we made plans to go to the show.  Then I looked at the schedule for the week and almost passed out just thinking of what was going on.  Monday-Nugent, Tuesday-Chicago, Thursday-Crowded House, Friday-Doobies or ZZ Top, Saturday and Sunday-Dylan and Mellencamp.  REALLY???  I made the decision to pick 3…so I went for the Edgefield shows.

Then the unthinkable happened, my weird medical shit started acting up and I had to miss Chicago….AGAIN!  I did however enjoy Amy’s rant at the people who do not know concert etiquitte.  I feel like I was there vicariously.  Yeah, I was sidelined by a little “office surgery” on Tuesday afternoon and did NOT feel like sitting on the lawn or anywhere else other than my own home.  Oh well.  I made a quick recovery and was ready for the weekend.  Damn bugs won’t get me down.

We headed to Edgefield on Friday afternoon and while it was a typical slow moving eastern trip on 84 between I-5 and 205, it wasn’t the HELL that I-5 south to the Fair was.  Yes!  We got to the venue and had VIP passes, but having been in that section before, I thought the food was basically finger food and drinks…so we went to eat at the Power Station on the grounds.   Their burgers are amazing, and I highly recommend the sweet potato fries!  I must stop this mad eating frenzy…after Labor Day, and Concert Dave’s “Meatfest.”  When we arrived at the VIP tent, SURPRISE….they had burgers and sausages!  News to me. Oh well, they didn’t serve the sweet potato fries, so I felt okay about the meal beforehand.  Our Sales Manager, Joel was there early (good boy) and we sat and talked with him.  Radio people love stories.  Hope we didn’t bore you, Joel!

The Doobies were wonderful as usual!  They started the set with one of my faves, “Take Me In Your Arms” which I had played earlier in the day on Connect the Classics.  I’m sure they did that just for me.  It is a “soaring” song!  Their harmonies were as lovely as they were last year when they came to the area 3 times.  I just can’t get enough Doobies!  This is the band who did the song “Ukiah” and I lived in that little Northern California town for half of my first grade school year.  They will always have my heart because of that alone.  Wonderful set, cool venue, beautiful evening, and my friend Chris, with me seeing her first Edgefield show.  The whole evening rocked. 

Day TWO!  We were going to head to Bi-Mart to buy the cool sand chairs that we saw people sitting in at the Doobies show, and Marty informed us that our KGON Sand Chairs were in our attic.  Since I have been up there only once, I have no idea what lurks above my head in my house.  It’s not that I’m scared of spiders or clutter, I hate going up the ladder in the garage to get to that space.  Marty got the chairs down, the problem was solved.  We brought beach towels, sand chairs, layers of clothing, and books.  We were ready for the show at Edgefield. 

It was all GA seating, which means that the minute they open the doors, you head for the “real estate” that you want.  We just made sure we were just about on the hill where it flattens out a bit.  I guess we could have gone for the bowl, but I wasn’t up for standing for the whole show, and that is what the bowl is about.  Notice to people who want to stand for the whole show: find others of your kind and go there.

The posse arrived.  Amy the KGON’sider,  Concert Dave, and Taper Jeff joined us. There was an opening duo.  Yeah, I was sort of shocked too.  In fact, I was a little miffed later thinking about it, because I could have used more MELLENCAMP!  If the duo had not gone on, JM could have done R.O.C.K in the U.S.A., Jack and Diane, Play Gutiar, I Need a Lover, Justice and Independence ‘85, and Get a Leg Up.  Of course I’m not complaining, because the set was wonderful.  Here’s John Mellencamp’s setlist courtesy of Taper Jeff:

“Little Pink Houses”
“Paper in Fire”
“No Better Than This”
“Check It Out”
“Save Some Time To Dream”
“Cherry Bomb” (acoustic)
“Don’t Need This Body”
“Small Town” (sing along)
“Rain on the Scarecrow”
“Troubled Land”
”If I Die Sudden”
“Crumblin’ Down”
“Authority Song”
 

Then Bob Dylan and his band took the stage.  When he was at the Coliseum in October, it was a wonderful show, (Click here and find my earlier concert review of that show) and you could tell Bob was happy to get Charlie Sexton back in the band.  At this show, he did a very similar set, but the band was rockin’ it HARD!  Once you get past the fact that his voice has changed (the man does around 100 shows a year for the last 50 or so years…do the math) and just groove into the fact that this IS THE LEGENDARY POET OF OUR GENERATION, the musical experience is very good.  Chris started dancing with wild abandon and all was well with the world.  I was happy because he did “Ballad of a Thin Man” again which is just one of those songs that gets to me!  Here’s Dylan’s setlist:

“Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”
“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”
“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”
“Just Like a Woman”
“Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”
“Tangled Up in Blue”
“The Levee’s Gonna Break”
“Simple Twist of Fate”
“Highway 61 Revisited”
“Workingman’s Blues #2”
“Thunder on the Mountain”
“Ballad of a Thin Man”
“Jolene”
“Like a Rolling Stone”

On the way back to my house, Chris mentioned how fun it was to dance at the Dylan show.  So, I thought that we needed to make one more stop on the way home.  Dub DeBrie would be playing at the C.I. in Tualatin, and maybe we could make the last set.  Walked in, and it was the last song before their break.  Chris again danced with wild abandon.  Great stuff!  It was cool to see other musicians, Gary Ferraro, Melody Guy, and Doug Rowell enjoying the music and the company of friends.  I love this town!

I tossed around the idea of returning to Edgefield for the second night of Mellencamp and Dylan, but ideas and reality didn’t match.  I called Amy, who had been in line since 9am (she’s HARD CORE!) and told her to give my tickets to someone else to enjoy the evening.  It was a weekend to remember, that’s for sure. 

It also made me incredibly grateful for so many things:  For a friend that I’ve known for 35 years who I’ve never had a fight with and who understands the rock and roll passion in spades.  For a career at my favorite station in the world and affords me the chance to experience so many incredible nights of music.  For co-workers and friends who are like-minded and so cool to hang with on a beautiful evening at Edgefield.  For being a medical miracle and healing well enough after Tuesday to make it a pleasant weekend.  For having a husband that just totally understands my need to rock out with my friends.  To have the blessing of incredible local musicians playing close when I wasn’t ready for the party to end!

Rock on!

And not by tickets, hookers! Because I got here before 9am so I could RUN to the front when the doors opened at 5pm! So its almost opening act showtime and I couldn’t be mor excited! What’s funny is that usually I’m worried about armpit deoderant flakes and today, I’m wearing my totally awesome Little Pink Houses concert tshirt that I bought last night for $35 and I more worried about if I have sweat marks now. And I’m trying to listen to all the people (men!) Around me with all their stories and expertism (is that even the word I was looking for?) Oh wait- NO- its expertise! About every show they seen from here to Petty to Cougar, to Dylan and back the opener for Mellencamp is almost on and, just like yesterday and today, I couldn’t be mpre excited for this show. And I already saw it last night. Its GOOD to be alive today!

Amy OUT!

In an earlier blog, I groused about the fact that seasonal items are not around when you actually need them.  I have now gone to “specialty” stores who are supposed to have camping stuff and they have PLENTY of the folding chairs in a bag and stadium seats.  Those are not what I am looking for.  Although when I am looking for those later when football season is actually in full swing, I’m sure I won’t find them. 

No matter.  I’m going to Edgefield for two shows this weekend.  Tonight, The Doobie Brothers…Tomorrow, Dylan and Mellencamp! 

Let me know what concert you went to and how it was! 

Have patience in the traffic on your way.

Iris

Let’s go over this again. It’s been a few weeks since Steve Miller’s concert on the lawn at Edgefield, so here’s some things to remember:

•Only low-profile lawn chairs (not exceeding 8 inches from the ground and no higher than 27 inches total from the ground to the top of the chair) are allowed.
•High-profile and standard-size lawn chairs are not permitted.

•You may also bring blankets and beach towels to sit on. (Iris’ note on this little gem….YOU WILL NOT BE SLEEPING THERE. Only reserve enough room for the actual amount of butts that will be in that area and some path room for people to get in and out of there with beer or food. You do not need a tent sized space of real estate for just two of you. Seriously. Plus, if someone comes and politely asks if you can just move your blanket over a bit, don’t be greedy. MOVE! Get to know your neighbors. You may end up dancing with them, or sharing a beverage or two.

Here’s some more answers that I got off the Edgefield site:
Q: Can I bring in bottled water?
A: Yes, as long as it is in sealed plastic bottles.

Q: Can I bring in a picnic?
A: No outside food and beverages (with the exception of bottled water and pizza purchased at Edgefield) may be brought into the venue. Food and beverages including burritos, yakisoba, pizza and more are available for purchase, along with soda, bottled water, McMenamins handcrafted ales, wines and spirits and more.

Q: Can I bring my dog?
A: Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on the property or in the concert venue.  (I think service dogs are fine, but no pets.  This is a concert, not a dog park.  I love dogs, but this is no place for them unless they are in service.)

Q: Can I leave the concert area after I’ve saved my spot?
A: No, re-entry is not allowed.

Q: Can I bring my camera?
A: Disposable cameras are usually allowed, but it varies by performer(s). It is often unknown until the day of the show whether or not cameras are allowed. If you bring a camera, you may be asked to take it back to your car if it has been determined that no cameras are allowed. (Iris’ note-It depends on the artist.  If they want NO pictures, the staff, who otherwise is totally cool with just about anything, will be on you like white on rice.  Trust me.  Ask Amy the KGON’sider)

Q: What is Reserved Seating?
A: This is a reserved seating area directly in front of the stage. These ticket holders are assigned their own seats so they do not have to stake out a spot on the lawn.

Q: Can I bring my kids? Do kids get in free?
A: Guests of all ages are welcome to attend these shows. Concertgoers 2 years of age or younger are allowed in free of charge. Guests over the age of 2 must have a ticket. (Iris’ note- PLEASE watch your little ones.  I’ve seen way too many get lost in the shuffle.  Also, it’s sweet to put the little kids on shoulders so they can see the show, but you know, they most likely won’t remember that moment, and if you are doing this in front of someone who is short, like me, that’s just rude.)

Q: Do you take credit or debit cards inside the venue?
A: No; however there are ATMs available both inside the Edgefield hotel and within the concert venue itself. (Iris’ note: There’s usually a line for this unless you get there really early!  Bring cash.  It’s better.)

Q: Where do I park?
A: Concertgoers can park in the East and West grass lots located south of Halsey St. on the McMenamins Edgefield property. There is staff posted at the entries and within the lots to assist you. Please note that the lots are uneven and may be difficult for those who are physically challenged. Guests are welcome to use the hotel turn-around to drop off those who are unable to walk from the parking area to the venue.

The paved lots directly in front of the Edgefield hotel are reserved for hotel and/or disabled guests, while lots in other areas of the Edgefield property are reserved for non-concertgoing guests.

Q: Is there a charge for parking?
A: Onsite parking is included in the cost of your ticket.

Okay, now you’re ready for the show.  Remember, it starts early.  Doors open at 5pm, music at 6…or whenever the artist is good and ready to start the show.  Don’t complain, they are doing what they have to do to give you a great show.  I’ve been backstage, and there’s all kinds of last minute things that happen and delay the start of the music. 

Have fun and enjoy the show.

Don’t drive under the influence…of anything that impairs your ability to command a vehicle…this means that you also shouldn’t drive after having a fight with your significant other because they were looking at some eye candy at the show and you are seeing nothing but that green monster of jealousy.  Being drunk on anger is not good for driving.

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News:
Parking at McMenamins Edgefield is limited; therefore, we encourage guests to carpool and arrive early!

Tickets:
Tickets available through Ticketmaster and the Crystal Ballroom

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This happened in Jones Beach on August 12, 2010. Prior to the “catwalk” incident. Joe Perry gets bonked on the head with Steven Tyler’s microphone stand. What next?

Just watch the video.  Those boys! 

Saturday night at Ridgefield’s Sleep Country Amphitheater was so much fun.  I expected to rock.  Hard.  I didn’t expect that the show we would be getting was the BEST show I’ve ever seen from the Scorpions.  Seriously!  I was so delighted from the first note to the final desperate applause for a second encore that we didn’t get, that I can’t even explain how it moved me.

My son, Alec and I are great concert buddies.  He grew up with Classic Rock, and has also turned me onto his music, so we both like all kinds of genres of concerts.  On the way to the concert, KGON played a rock block of Scorpions, and I got all misty while listening to “Wind of Change” thinking that this may be the last time I would see them in concert.  I know, weird to get actual tears in my eyes while thinking of a hard rockin’ show but it happened.

We got “in line” on the I-5 exit lane and it took about 30 minutes to get into the venue and park.  Not bad really when you consider that the Clark County Fair was also going on at the time.  So, there were people walking everywhere, and thank God for the people directing traffic and stopping people from walking in front of cars because they weren’t watching.  This happened on the way out of the venue.  I think there may have been beer involved.

Once inside I started looking for the KGON posse.  Spotted Amy, her friend Teresa, and sister April and went over to hang with them.  Then called Concert Dave who was working the KGON booth at the front of the venue.  He said that they were doing a drawing for box seats and that he would meet us in about 10 minutes.  When CD arrived, he had his nieces with him.  Imagine, if you will, a posse of four blonde beauties flanking Dave.  I can see why Uncle Dave likes to take the girls to shows.  They do attract attention.  Every one of them a beauty, inside and out.

Since it was a bit chilly, and there was a slight mist and breeze, we all headed for the coffee stand.  I’m pretty sure Amy & Alec also had the $9 beers, but that provided a certain warmth.  I’m always the DD, so no worries.

We got to the box seats that we had and KGON’s Jeff Mitchell, who interviewed Klaus before the tour started, was there with Brian Blair, who you may have heard filling in on the morning show every now and then, and most often he can be heard on our sister station 94-7.  Then Kyle from promotions joined us. Mark Vodka came by to say hello.  Yeah, we had a rockin’ little group around us.  We watched about 4 songs from Dokken and it was fun.  That’s pretty much it, fun.  The sound wasn’t great, and Alec made the comment that you could hear everyone talking during the set, that’s how low the sound was.  We were sitting right by the sound board, and they had a “good luck” gnome on the board, so I had to think that it just wasn’t turned up for Dokken.  Hey, it was the Scorps night, I said, so don’t worry….they will be LOUD!

Yes, they were LOUD…and PROUD…and BETTER THAN EVER.  This band is saying their “farewell” on a high note.  They are playing, singing, and bringing the show like I’ve never seen them do before.  It’s like there’s a commitment within the ranks to say thank you to the fans, and to let us remember them at their best.  This tour goes on until 2012, so we may see them come around the Northwest again.  I hope so!

Highlights of the show include the set…with the drum riser for the Kottak Attack which was laid down all night, thank you, James!   Rudy coming out with the “Blackout” mask and smoking guitar was pretty cool…and funny.  Love their sense of humor.  Ask Marty sometime about meeting the band.  They have a great sense of humor.  They also seemed to have some kind of power outage at the end of that song, but didn’t miss a thing because Kottak just kept the drums going and all was well.

I did lose my mind during “The Zoo” which is my FAVORITE Scorpions song of all time.  I love them all, but that one just gets me.  I think I actually screamed when the beginning signature beats started!

Another highlight was when our Marketing Maven, Amy the KGON’sider appeared on the big screen that they used during the show to feature various rockin’ members of the audience.  Amy had FRONT ROW TICKETS and I’m glad she did.  Being a cutie- pie blonde, the camera guy had her on the display several times during the show.  The first time she was on the screen, we were all screaming “AMY!”  But I didn’t get my camera out fast enough.  Thank God they kept featuring her so I could get a picture!  I think because Amy was rockin’ her ASS off, is a reason they kept showing her on the screen.  Not only cute, but obviously having a great time!  And she knew the words to the song.  Awesome!

So it was a great show, one I’ll never forget, and a wonderful farewell for the Scorps.  I do hope they make one more pass at the Northwest on the “Family Reunion” thing that they plan to do toward the end of the tour with UFO opening for them.  Just think.  UFO and Scorps.  Oh yeah!

We just don’t know when.  Next week, the dates should be announced, but I did have confirmation on the fact that Portland is on the list.  Click here to listen to the interview with Jason Bonham! 

If you want to see the pictures and all that, it’s here on the website.  Click here and enjoy.  I’ll post my pictures, especially the one of the KGON’sider on the BIG SCREEN, funny stories and more by tomorrow…I hope.  I have to get up really early to get to the station and talk to Jason Bonham, so it may be the day after that.  I just don’t know.  Anyway, it was fun, and this week is already running away from me.

For now, here’s the set list from Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Sleep Country Amphitheater:

• 1. Sting In The Tail
  2. Make It Real
  3. Bad Boys Running Wild
  4. The Zoo
  5. Coast To Coast  
  6. Loving You Sunday Morning
  7. The Best Is Yet To Come
  8. Wind Of Change
  9. Holiday
  10. Raised on Rock
  11. Tease Me Please Me
  12. Dynamite
  13. Kottak Attack-Drum Solo
  14. Blackout
  15. Six String Sting-Guitar Solo
  16. Big City Nights
  17. Encore: 
• 1. No One Like You (with Don Dokken)
  2. Rock You Like A Hurricane-Don Dokken was still running around the stage

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.