The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear..I've seen that road before--Paul McCartney

Hi! It's time for a review of the Moody Blues at St. Michelle Winery in Woodinville. Drum roll. I mean, this is the first time I have seen the band in two years. The last one was cancelled, that they were supposed to do at the Paramount in Seattle. So this was the real treat. It was doubly so, as Nida commented: "We didn't have to drive to the Boonies, out to the Gorge. We didn't have to fight traffic in downtown Seattle." It was very wonderful to see them again. I sat and just soaked in Thursday night, like a parched sponge soaking water.

Of course the weather changed. It's been fantastic, every day sunny up to now, all summer, but for Thurday and Friday, grey haze threatened to mess things up. It cleared up in time for the shows, a little more magic, but we've had prettier weather. We actually had stars come out over the venue!

Both times going and once coming home, back to the ferry (Edmonds to Brem) I managed to get lost, or had to deal with some pretty heinous road construction. (Why the hell didn't they build them right to begin with??) Washington is the last Great Frontier, and they don't believe in marking directions with signs right, so I missed turn offs. Damn Cowboys. Bothell is a cowtown, and made me appreciate the place I live even more, as Bremerton is nestled in forest land. The ferry trips were really nice, always a treat to me, and watching the seagulls is fun too. Sometimes they skim off the water with like an inch between them and the surface. I swear that seagulls are angels, sometimes. It was long going though. I got home at 1:30 even though the shows were over by 9:30.

The Winery grounds were very very beautiful in and of themselves, once I found them. I had to detour to the Barking Frog Inn for directions; it turned out to be right across from St. Michelle (and the Barking Frog was a VERY nice place, like $300/night. No the Moodies did not stay there, I think they stayed at the guest house on the grounds. I think). In fact, the Barking Frog had movies on the green later that night, and it looked kinda fun; it must be a regular resort.

I smelled alyssum on the St. Michelle before I figured out what it was (I just kept following this wonderful perfume in the night!); we fed ducks which came to visit the line sitters (they looked very well fed!). The grounds had nooks and crannies filled with delicate little plants, and lush beds of wonderful flowering shrubs, and huge, old trees that were over 100 years old (more like 200). The place had been a farm at one time, and all the lands around it (now more wineries) had been part of the original spread.

Talking to some of the locals, they said that area had been very rural, but now it is very hard to even get to a store without taking your life in your hands, as the traffic and the people are nuts. Their new City Hall looks like a winery, and I got mistakenly lost in their parking lot too. It's a neat area, and I once drove by a driving range combined with weight room just down the road for where they played, so I guess that is where they went during the day.

From what I can tell, the Moody Blues sold out both nights. I think it's amazing, that Ringo's All Star Band is getting promoted a lot on the radio stations, but the Moody Blues, you hear not a peep about, and they sold out! Proves the point they made when they started out, if you just put out good music, they will definately come. Both shows, I got there about 1-1:30 in the afternoon, figuring I would at least check the place out. Line was forming even then, so I settled in with them. God is trying to get me a boyfriend, both times I wound up sitting next to very nice gentlemen about my age, both single, and both were very nice to talk to, all that time there. And I chickened out both times and didn't give them my phone. (One actually told me a stat, that like 25% of the adult population was single: I believe it). O well, they lived in far places of the Sound anyway. Thursday night it was Hugh, Friday night it was Garry, and it was amazing how similar they were. heheh Garry said he had a PhD in Cynicism! :) ["Whaddah ya wanna know?" he cracked!]

The first night, I felt a bit jealous of those who arrived with their wine baskets full of crunchy bread and yummy looking pasta salads. Most of them looked too sozzled to be enjoying good wine, frankly (in fact, as I was leaving the parking lot, someone leaned out a window and "ralphed" the first time I have ever seen that at a Moody concert). Many whipped out gorgous quilts too, to sit on. The second night I did the same. The wine was VERY good, but expensive. The Gewertzerminer was just right for sitting outside in the sun, on that gorgous lawn....but for the show, it was Chenin Blanc for me. It was a very good wine, no kidding, and I'm an experienced taster. On the way over Friday, I had started out with a picnic lunch, but the more I thought about it, the better it sounded, so I wheeled into QFC and got some Brie and a baguette. And got that Chenin Blanc for the show (eeek it was $18.00! What the hell, live a little!) Yep it was wonderful......the Brie and wine did their thing, and it was a real jolt to taste! I even shared some of it with friends! This place showed some class, unlike the tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, who charged for their tasting rooms. They gave some samples for free!

There was a tour you could take (they gave you more samples if you took that), and they have the kegs right there on site. They are not the old oak barrels like Sebastiani has, CSM has metal ones, but it smelled wonderful, and looked cool. I think my biggest giggle was looking at this tour group on Thursday, all these Beautiful People in suits and dressed up (I was in levis and t-shirt of course) tasting, and the gal at the counter was holding forth about how she eats dark chocolate with Merlot. I started snorting and had to walk away.....sorry, that's a waste of two good tastes if you ask me! LOL! I guess I'm a wine snob myself, after living in Mendocino County for so long. We also concluded that the grapes were probably brought in from elsewhere, as there was not that much growing out on the land itself.

Being there that early, of course we got to hear the sound checks. At least one roadie came out and played the 12 string, which is a pretty good idea, considering how Justin goes through strings on that guitar. Better the roadie break the new ones than Justin! The lawn people were all amused to see that the reserved seating, which was going for $100 (one person paid $250 for her second row seat from a scalper) were just cheap white plastic chairs. If you were happy to sit off to the side and got there early, you had very good seats, at lawn prices. The second night, I got wise, and was RIGHT down at the cornor of the stage near Ray, and had a wonderful view, grinned at the band all night, and they grinned back. (They are such sweethearts, really).

Little details: out back, they had only one truck for equipment, and for all I know, that was a grape truck or something. There was a Ryder truck too, which appeared to be full of Moody stuff (of course, they can't go back to U-Haul:) And there was one plain, slate-lavendar crew bus. It was a trimmed down show, but they had plenty of lights. The second day, before the show we saw a Lear jet go over (I thought of the Lone Ranger), and right before the second show, two fighter planes of the style favored by astronauts also did a fly over. Don't know if the events were related, but for sure the fly over of Canadian geese wasn't fan related! :). In other words, it was great sitting out doors like that. Vip booths in the back included Rolls Royce (among others) so that sounded like John Lodge had a hand in it. (It just looked like a bunch of overdressed people in tents, stuffing their faces....not sure what that proved, as we had more fun picnicing on the lawn. And I didn't see any Vips in the guest house either). One of the amps has "snakes" stenciled on the side of it, that was pretty funny.

Ok the show itself!!

Bernie report: I think it was Magwa who was ragging on her for taking too much focus. Maybe Bernie has toned it down too. Anyway I thought she was ok, and looked good with them frankly. I didn't see her doing all THAT much on the keyboards, I think Paul did most of it. But I do have to confess, I wasn't watching Bernie THAT much, there were other things to look at :) (like Justin, drummers, and John's butt, in that order). Her shoes were actually open toed flat "pantuffles" (there, look that one up! hehe), and yes she kicked them off, which was fine with me. I will complain about her a bit though. During IJASIARRB, Bernie was supposed to be doing high notes. She can't sing worth beans, as she sounded like a cross between a wailing cat, and "Chung Lee in Streetfighter" (I had to ask Stephan on that one, it's a video game) ...you know, the woman who wails when you give her a knockout punch? Sorry, Bernie was totally off harmony on her wailing. If they want her for stage dressing, that's cool, but she should be quiet if she can't sing on key.

I came to the conclusion that the lighting tech is in love with Bernie, as she definately has more lighting work on her than the others. I think that's funny...and may be why someone was griping that she took too much attention. Lighting is a very powerful thing.

Quick fashion report: A LOT of black!

Bernie had a really neat tunic top on, and I wish I had one like it! Very cool, split sleeves. John and Bernie wore leather pants both days, the second night I was close enough to see a very neat keystone pattern on Bernie's drawers. John's pants fit him just fine, in fact, toward the end, after John had meandered over to our side of the stage, he turned to walk away, and I about fell over gibbering, his butt looked so damn good in those pants. Whew. Too bad I was out of film for that. Is that man built or what? (Ah but it's just a lust thing.....). Maggie Clarke has a really neat picture of the back of his jacket he wore in New York at CBS....all embroidered and with a dragon on it....dang I never get to see these things!

Bernie is not a Young Thing like I thought she was...... looks to be in her early to mid 30's close up. She sure is cute though. Nice gal. Just can't sing.

Justin wore some grey pants, and looked very thin. I think he's the one who can't eat before the show. What with the cracking voice on Thursday and his thinness, it was making my maternal self worry, but Friday put all that to one side......his voice was incredible! Justin's voice was going on Thursday, no doubts about it. On ILS, his voice began to crack, and I sat there saying "Oh no, Justin don't lose it!" and he punched on through whatever was hanging him up. I also heard him change from upper to lower register at one time, and the lower was fine. (We all have two sets of vocal chords, and it takes real talent to be able to control which set you use. Justin can do that.....I was impressed).

Justin's fret work: the second night was WONDERFul as a guitarist, I actually caught myself leaning back and doing air guitar, trying to pick up Justin's chords. Then he'd "lose" me hehe it was pretty fun. I think it was "Tuesday Afternoon", we were watching him switch from the two fingered pick style he has, to bringing that pick out of the back three fingers (where he clutches it) and using it then. It was faster than a speeding bullet! That takes a lot of hand control and coordination. I was doing a really neat trick Thursday night, as Justin looked so peaked.....close your eyes and listen to Justin's melody line, rather than look at him. A whole different person "talking" with that guitar. Very interesting effect. Justin changed guitars a lot, it was not a problem or distraction (it has been at other shows) and the different texturing of the guitar tones was really nice. The Olssen was amped very nicely.

John has lost weight since I saw him last, and it looks damn good! He even looked a bit devilish a few times over there, twiddling his bass. He is such a ham, and the girls over on that side loved it!

Ray looked ok, but those tennis shoes kinda blew my mind. Damn he looked like an old man in them! Damn Capricorns! They are BORN old men I think. (My Mum is 73, and she has more life in her than Ray does, I think!). Ray's voice was really great all the way through, so that was good. I've heard him be flat, and he was not this time, at all; he was in WONDERFUL voice. We actually got Ray to flap his arms for LOM at the end.

Graeme never did stop smiling, except during "Nights". Ray never did smile, until the second night when during Justin's announcement of "The Actor" he did some sort of "pulling" motion, the audience and Justin saw him about the same time, JH cocked his head, smiling, and through some giggles, Justin said "Oh, not that time..." heheh I don't think I'll elaborate, but it was pretty funny. Ray got a big giggle out of that. The first night John and Justin were connecting a lot, and the second night, Ray and John were connecting (they really get to laughing when they do those "ohms"). Graeme and Gordon were talking up behind during one black out. So they all communicate really well.

The sound was kinda messed up the first part of the first night, FML was really flat without Bias. It would have been nice too, to hear the James Olssen better, as the picking in FML was really nice. In fact, the entire first night was really boring until Justin finally got into it with "The Actor". And that was wonderful.

"English Sunset" the first night was kinda a dud....it just did not take off. The second night, it might have been that I was in back of the speakers, but the drums were 'way too loud the first night; possibly the sound techs fixed it the second night. Justin was too stiff the first night too, and refused to do more than a token "back and forth" with John toward the end of the song. The second night, it REALLY ripped, Justin got into it, was grinning and everything, and was wonderful, some very visceral bass. That is a hot song, I'd like to choreograph it someday. The drums were really loud both nights on this song, Justin looked annoyed, and frankly I thought Graeme was grinning just a little too much for decency.

"Words you say to Me" is almost too slow for the non-orchestral show. I like the song, and I know it's good for John, but it slowed things down. Ray's flute was faded out the second night :( (Paul plays rhythm guitar on this one). People got up to pee....but then again, they pee'd all night! Sitting at the cornor like we were, it was a steady stream of people with really weak bladders, parading in front of us and ruining nice camera shots. I counted 10 people alone passing in between me and Justin*, during "Nights" which is the manditory, signature song of the Moodies, yet people went to pee during it. Girls paraded by, holding hands. People stood like cows in front of us, not going to their seats; the Moodies play solid for two hours, without peeing, and I didn't have to go. What is with not evacuating bladders before going to shows? Rude drunks. You're not at home in front of the telly, this is live theater!

"Gemini Dream" really worked for me both nights....that's a nice song, and they can probably do that one in their sleep!

"Slidezone"...Justin didn't sing during this Thursday, saving voice his I guess. Someone made a crack about "this being theme song for Mt. Rainer" hehe. I hope not!

"The Actor" like I say, Justin finally got into it on Thursday with this. The back up harmonies vocally were really great on this, it was very enjoyable. I think was the one where I became aware of how wonderful the drums were working together on this song, it's not just a "whang bang" song, it's one that has to be finessed....the way this worked out with everyone, flutes, vocals, and two drums, was really incredible.

Isn't Life Strange: Ray was lit in purple and I think this is where the background was done 4 different ways, very cool. Like I say it was "there it goes" with Justin's voice Thursday, then he got it going again, and I saw him grab and massage his throat quickly once. (It was quick, and many probably missed it).

TOSOL--a few glowsticks.....I found my wonderful toy, a light up pen that works well for notes during the show too. So I glowsticked a bit during this, and a few other wands popped up. Mostly on-liners I think. Nida had some fun toys, that spun like prayer wheels, and had words on them....and a blue strobe wand that she used in this song. Very fun stuff.

I did the CQ thing for Graeme's poem, tapping the blue stick in the CQ rhythm, and even tried to hold up a lighter once for it (I really do like his poem). That was the second night, and the security people came over and made me stop.....hell I've never heard of a "no open flame" policy.....where did that come from? What kind of concert can't you hold up a lighter? Oh well. Graeme and Ray started laughing about that time, hope it wasn't at me, they could see the whole thing. I felt pretty sheepish.

Justin and John have added (since I saw them last) a thing where they sway together during the bridge of "Nights" I thought it was rather nice. I finally figured out, everyone doing that standing ovation for "Nights" is yes for the song, but it's also the "7th inning stretch" people just have to get up after sitting that long. Graeme gets up and stretches it out, and they all get up and stretch too, you notice....the entire band.

LOM: Bernie took a break, the others sorta stayed on stage. I thought the new electric piano was GREAT, it was much better than what Bias used to do during this, Paul is concert level with his piano work, no doubt about it. "Big Piano" Mike Pinder used to call it. I was howling with excitment after Thursdays rendetion of this, it was so good, and such a pleasant surprise after the horrible lead up we had been given on line about this. I thought it had an oriental flair to it, and the back lighting was an oriental design too, off old kimono patterns. This was very well done, and the phrase "take the audience on a little journey" came to mind for me.

Very cute thing happened, an older guy came down with his daughter, who was about 5-6, and was trying to tell her who Dr. Leary was, and the Moody Blues. It was kinda cool. They squirmed into the cornor with us. The funny thing is, she was a lot more interested in my light up pen that she was in the old hippies on stage, ehehe. (Did I say that? Sigh....I'm cleaning out my wardrobe, as I am tired of looking like an old hippy!).

Lights: dammit, why don't they start the shows just a little later (like 8:00) in the summer? It would be ok, hell the shows were over with by 9:30 and that's nothing on a Friday! We totally lost all the wonderful lights for IKYOTS, which was sad.....I love those lights. The fog machine was pitiful, they didn't even get a decent mist up for the lights to hit.....maybe just a teensy bit for the back spots, as there were some rays shooting out later in the dark. Having said that, the sets were really nice. They hung three scrims, rather like long shower curtains, in the back off three electric pipes, and then apparently on the ground, backlit them for different colors at different moments. It was simple and very effective. Ray got four different lighting set ups for his solo moments; the lights showed a lot of imagination.

For the lighting boo boos they got from the light crew (totally missed Justin with a spot in Portland, were a bit low once on Justin here in Seattle, and missed one totally for Gordon during the finale this Friday) Bernie seemed to get her lights just fine. Those were some very grim looking roadies, frankly. And I could have run the lights better myself (and have). That's a "pay attention to detail" thing, they were pretty simple lights actually.

Merchandize: got the program, which was same from last year I think (I didn't have it, I missed a year!). Also got a wonderful polar fleece vest with Moody Blues on the logo, which made me feel like a goddess, it is very warm, and I felt very cozy coming home, wearing it. It was over-priced, but I love it anyway. (Paul had one on too :) Wasn't into the dolphin tee shirt.....I guess the "Deep" fans might like that one. Maybe they were expecting Dr. Lilly to attend a show.

I forget where it was Justin was talking about coming to the States the first time, and they played "with no pay" and then "for free" and then "for commodities" and then "for compensation" I forget exactly what it was, but it came out "for weed" and was pretty funny! (apparently Ray was sucking on his flute like it was a bong....Magwa caught that one). Yeah right, that was when Ray was flushing the boo down the loo, as if the Moodies got caught with weed, they could have been deported forever and never worked the States again! It got a laugh. Especially as everyone I talked to sounded like they had laid down the weed, a long time ago. I guess some haven't. We are very close to Canada after all! :)

Curtain call was wonderful, His Nibs (Justin) actually came over and grinned at us (well he waved to us all), and I yelled "don't stay away!" it really is wonderful they finally got around to touring our part of the country. Justin connects so well. He is an awesome guy. I didn't even get a wink from John when he was over on our side, and Ray just glared all night (but go figure, Nida's buddy Beth really liked Ray a LOT)...but Justin and I were grinning at each other all night! :) So we all see different things, and connect in different ways indeed.

After the Thursday show, I wandered by the guest house, and wow, there Justin was.....wolfing down dinner. (no I didn't see what, it was dark). Poor guy, I hope they had some good grits in there, those shows take a lot out of one. The second night, several band members were at the dinner table in the front room.....Justin was just sitting there, looking very quienscent (odd, for all the energy he puts out on stage, he seems very mild mannered off stage, after shows) and next to him was Graeme, holding forth about something. (no wives seen). Some of us kinda lurked around, peeking in....the security dude was really funny, talking about how they were messing up the house, and he was going to have to send the maids in (the guy was a soul brother, making it even funnier). Saw Gordon upstairs the first night...... grabbing a towel. They really probably felt like they were still on stage, with us peeping Toms outside their window, so I didn't linger. There were some really neat glass lamps in the guest house as well. We were thinking that they might have actually stayed there. It looked very homey. Actually lurking outside the guest house was preferable to fighting with the clowns in the parking lot; after a high energy show, bumpercars in parking lots is really no fun.

People I met: well, other than Gary and Hugh (very nice guys) I met Pat Gates, who appears to be a new person interested in the on line thing. Nida was with me, and is more in touch with the social thing now, so she spotted Maggie Clarke "magwa"....Maggie is really nice, "hard bitten" but in a nice way. She had some wonderful shots of the Moodies on the plaza in New York, and her photos really gave the whole thing more life than the videos. Yes if you are a photo nut, Maggie has some nice ones for sale. And with her was Besty Kishlansky of all people! (Besty is the one who puts prayer requests on Lost Chords). Besty is very meek, very nice gal. It's really good to put faces to people, as sometimes what they put on line can be annoying....but if you meet them in person, they make more sense. I'm not sure Internet is all that good a way to socialize, myself. Sue McCrimmon was there, and frankly I thought I had a better seat than she did, and she spent a lot more money. (I gave Sue a hug, she seems so fragile). Sue said "Hey everyone thought you were dead!" heheh yeah right.....miss the casinos and you drop off the Moody Map (not!). The "tres amigas", Jackie Fairholme, Donna, and Sue Linlow (?) dang can't remember their names right, but they were there too, and had on some great UK tees they had gotten over there in 2000. They are really nice, and were doing backstage stuff. I think the Moody Fairy was there the first night, the guy who used to hop through the shows in a kilt, doing an Highland fling. He was in a hippy vest and hat, and looked "more normal" maybe he was "doing" some less powerful drugs this time too. It was nice to see Nida again, and she said the Moodies were second only to going to see the Dali Lama when he was here.

I'm sorry all you men reading missed it, but the first night I was behind some drunks.....in front of me was a young lady, who kept bending over (you know how you lean forward when you are sitting down and sometimes your butt kinda shows a little?) well this girl leaned forward going for wine and food all night, and she had a butterfly tattooed across the small of her back, right over her butt! A big, pretty one! Some of these kids are very interesting indeed! hehe.

We saw a big bug fluttering around the second night, and were hoping it would go over and harass Justin, so we could see him jump (ok so we're sick dogs) anyway, our karma came back on us, as about the time John did "Words you Say", Amber had a fit with a bug chasing HER. She does not like bugs at all. Glad I didn't put on perfume! I saw a lot of people with bare feet, and sandles, and then saw wasps, and sure hope the two never met up!

The second night was definately better, as I didn't have to put up with anyone in front of me, stoners waving their arms and so forth. Drunks were cackling and talking and smooching on their blankets near me, waving their arms and wrecking my shots. That thing about "caberet" the band played in their youth kept coming back to me. It really is terrible, for audiences to be that rude. Why did they come to begin with if they are going to be obnoxious?

After the shows was scary if you were further back, as it was dark, and there were no spotlights to help you out. You fumbled in the dark for your things, a disaster if you were spread out! Luckily that light-up pen worked really well. The second night we were close and had stage light, so it was not so bad. That was the only thing they really need to fix at the venue. It was kinda dangerous! Some people were staggering around barefoot, and there were wine bottles and electrical cables lying around! The good news is, the security there was really really nice, no pushy people, they handled things very well, and nicely. I talked with several of them, good people. No Nazi's. They were even a little lax, I could easily have broached the backstage area had I wanted. There were apparently tunnels that led from the back of the stage to the guesthouse, and I think they ran through an old barranca complex....hard to explain, but I tried to go back and check it out (I used to play in things like that as a kid, which is why it got my attention) but they are old, concrete open-air tunnels, with old railings on them. Very interesting historical things there, I'll have to go back and explore some other day. It used to be the Hollywood farm 100 years ago I think.

The lawn was nice, barely damp except where the drunks had watered it with wine.

Going home the first night, I was sleeping in the line for the ferry, and someone honked a horn, bringing me up. Some smart alec kid yelled "Hey who the f**k did that waking us all up?" hehe it was pretty funny. Then everyone fell asleep in their cars on the ferry ride, and the crew actually turned down the lights, and then walked along tapping our cars as we pulled into the dock. heheh.

"I'm frightened for your children that the life that we are living is in vain" I'm so glad that Justin's words are really not true. It was Pat I was talking too the first night, that was saying "My kids say our generation is what is wrong with the world"......they don't understand how much things have really changed, and how horribly straight the world was before our generation broke it out a bit. Nida, her friend and I started talking about guns of all things, in line for the ferry, and we were all on the same wavelength, though we are different political parties. I still have faith in this generation. (I just think we need to teach people to hold their water better.....it's the same in classrooms. They all have to pee right in the middle of class. Go figure).

I had so much fun, and I really hope the tour never becomes "just work" for the band. I watched a passenger airliner come over with his approach lights on during IKYOTS; it was a metaphor for me. I've been going through some weird personal stuff lately....seems the story of my life. But it occured to me, that going over and over to these shows over the past 11 years, and the fact that the band is still touring, is a matter of faith to some of us, that it will "still work". I really needed the break and the "get away" I did for these shows, to get my mind off stupid situations in my life. Things I am taking far too seriously. Like John says, it has to be a matter of faith, that even when you are down and tired, and feel terrible like the sun will never shine again. Then the clouds eventually clear up, and the stars even come out and shine. St. Michelle I really considered not going to the second show, but did anyway as I had the ticket. Glad I did....as the second show was much better than the first! Glad the fact that I could not get good tickets off line was rendered moot by my just putting in some time and effort. Helpers showed up along the way, and people were kind to watch my things while I ran frantically to the store for a roll of film (I thought I had and didn't). People are really good, for the most part.

So everyone, thank you for reading my modest little review. Give out the website if you want your friends to read it, but I'm not quite done editing yet, maybe in a week it would be time to print if that is your thing. Have a good tour where-ever you are, and say it with love.

Post note: as per Magwa on Lost Chords, a staff member "said sold out was 4200, and they had squeezed in "a few more"" Maggie did a very awesome review on Lost Chords, which I clipped and will forward to anyone who doesn't get it. (In fact, I have clipped them all, if you want a disc of them at the end of the year). Maggie is nice, but she has no ear for vocals, as Justin's voice was DEFINATELY going on Thursday (stress or soreness, who knows what). Thankfully he got some rest or whatever he needed for Friday, as he was awesome the next night!

* mulitply that by 4 exits from reserved seating, makes it 40, counting the other exits from reserved seating, then divide by 320, the reserved count as per Magwa.....that is one 1/8th of the Reserved people, having to pee during "Nights"! Grrrrr. Maybe they need to put that Intermission back in for the weak bladders!