weird weird weird weird weird

-> the elvis show at the avalon last night for me was a weird experience, tho not a bad one, i must say. but phil had a family emergency & couldn't be there!!! so manuel filled in (thank you, manuel!!!!). meantime i was nervous the whole show, since we hadn't rehearsed together at all & the songs weren't just straight 1-4-5's... manny did his set (super rockin'; killing that amp!), then i went & spoke to him at side stage (loud, where he parked) about the keys, the changes, but MAN! we'd practiced w/phil! & i was sad for phil, too... then this bako guy i hardly know shook my hand in a way that hurt it! that was effed up! the band & b wanted to go punch him in the gut, but we let it go & left it at "some people have problems..." the blasters sat around & waited & waited for phil (alvin, that is), & when he finally showed up, he was babbling & swearing a mile a minute - one of THOSE moods. he was nice to me & to everyone, but UP & disconnected (he walked right by manuel w/o even seeing him, for instance), & when he took the stage & did the calls from the beginning of rufus thomas's (elvis's) "tiger man" (which the blasters always do), the audience started calling back, which did NOT fit the timing; it is NOT a call-response song!... then art announced candye kane was gonna be there, but had gotten in a car accident! (she is ok, i found out this a.m.)...
-> the best parts were seeing art, the terrific house band, count smokula, skip edwards & lisa haley, barry holdship, the blasters, justin & sally jo curtis, ray campi (we always talk about school), jimmy angel, dave raven, paul body, just all the great & many talented folks who are always there, & friendly lisa & brian paxton, & hearing the great music (like rip masters' ripping piano! & strawberry alarm clock, whom i've never even heard, did a killer instro! & skip edward's piano & marty rifkin's steel playing!) amidst my nervous moments & the funny stuff people said. steve joseph gave me a mix cd & i bought the new one off carlos guitarlos, who always does this steam-rolling-cool version of "promised land" (tho i was surprised he had a word sheet!). when carlos got on stage, he strummed a chord & barked, "this amp's on the manny setting. what is that, manny, 20?" & when he was done, he strode offstage & told manuel, "man, there's a lotta white people out there!"
-> groovy rednecks, lightning willie (who looks like kinky friedman, w/a HUGE band!), then we were up. mark's friend brett walked up w/guitar in hand! - he & mark had practiced the songs that day! so i figured, heck, let him get up, too... we all got up there & did a good job, i could feel the audience's energy match ours, it felt really up & positive, & it was great to look back & see manuel & hear his rockin improv leads, & brett just did solid rhythm like i'd asked him to, & so helped it all really be grounded... but it wasn't my band, really; i just felt weird & sad for phil & oh well. we didn't mess up & the show went on & i was grateful for everyone's help... art said some real nice things when we were getting off stage; i wish i could've listened closer! but we needed to keep the show moving, so i shouted of my keyboard, "let's clear this elephant!" & manuel shouted, "i'm coming, i'm coming!" :) no one was there to help, so as we strong-armed it off the stage i said, "i had 2 guys at the beginning, but now they're gone," & the stagehand woman said, "that's men for you" :) when finally i was done & met back up w/b, he looked so obviously sick (we've been, of course), i felt really bad & realized we had to go right then, tho the show was not yet even over, so we missed a bunch of great acts, but really, we gotta have our health... thinking of phil & family, & thanks to art for having us, & to manuel, brett, rick & mark, & of course to b, & to you who read...