----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 12:15
AM
Subject: TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! (Long, But
From The Heart)
Well guys and gals, and far out, rocked to yer socks Doobie
pals, I've finally got recovered from airline travel hell, and got the auction
Email stuff done, and I can finally put down some thoughts and ramblings about
TOGA!
Man, it was just awesome from start to finish. Wednesday night was
like a dream... a dream I've been havin' since last June. Pete Grant and
Barry Aberle (of Harry, Barry, and Gary fame) rode up with me. Now Barry
knew what the view from the top was like, but Pete was goin' googly eyed at
what he saw. Pete will testify that I was sittin' in the bleachers
yellin' "I wanna hear motorcycles!".
Now the opening band deserves worthy mention. These guys were hot,
and Friday night, one of their singers came back the the Los GAtos Lodge, and
jammed with the band in the bar, and did a kickin' version of LTTM, that we
were all singin' along to. The name of the group is Venice, out of
Venice Beach, and they can be found at www.venicecentral.com. They
remind me a lot of both the Doobs and Firefall, with their tight, multi-part
vocal harmonies. After the show Friday, I was talking with the guy who
came down to The Lodge, and he said that he grew up on The Doobs, and that
when they got asked to open for them, for all three nights, at Montalvo,
it was dream come true. These guys are truly worthy of your attention -
trust me.
So anyway, at last Chubby roars, and TJ cranks out the opening notes of the
show. By now you all probably know that there are new tunes from the new
CD in the set, and I gotta tell ya, if there was any doubt about the guys
still havin' it or not, it was, and will be put to rest real fast. Just
like their manager Bruce's wines, they get more awesome with every passing
year.
The seats in the bleachers were awesome, and a great big thank you needs to
go out to Chris Snyder for working with Montalvo to get them for us, and at a
reduced price to boot!
The thursday social was a great time with many of the attendees getting to
meet Tiran for the first time. He is a very gracious, and easy going
guy, and enjoys mingling with us nutty fans.
Thursday night's show was awesome as usual, and after the show, as many of
us could hold our eyelids up gathered first on the patio, and then in the bar,
for conversation, and to listen to the guitarists in the group play Doobie
tunes. There was Dave Wasserstrom (who did a killer rendition of Slack
Key) and Steve Adams, Gary Banton adding some bass lines, and two or three
others who's names I didn't catch, all of whom were far better than I'll ever
be. After a couple of beers though, I did get into singing though.
Doobie Dan and I wailed on a couple of numbers including South City.
The convention on Friday was just as good as last year. The wild and
elusive TJ came and mingled with the fans, and because so many folks there had
never met any of the brothers before it was really cool. There were two
cakes, thanks to Chris Passanisi, to celebrate 30 years of Rockin' Down The
Highway, and the giant plastic trash can she brought to collect toys for the
DBFC Toy Drive was full by the end of the afternoon. Even The Brothers
brought several bags of toys to put in.
The auction... Well I'll let El Presidente announce the amount that
we raised (some of you know already), but suffice it to say that the NVF will
be able to operate for at least two months on the money we raised. Not
to shabby for a bunch of R&R groupies! It was a real feeding frenzy
during the bidding, and people dug deep into their pockets, savings accounts,
Master Card accounts, etc, to get their piece of Doobie history, and help the
Vets.
We were joined for the convention by Shad, and several Vets who are now
working with him, and who play some dynamite Doobie style tunes. I was
so busy that I don't remember all their names, or the name of the group, but I
do remember Carlton, and the two long talks I had with him, one at the
convention, and the other that night, after the show in the stands.
Folks, this man was a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam action.
When he got home, he was called a baby killer, and spit on, and thrown on the
trash heap by society. Drugs, alchohol, and uncontrolled anger landed
him in California's worst prison for 25 to life. Shad worked with
various politicians and such to get Carlton's sentence modified so that he
would be working with, and for, Shad and the NVF. Carlton now mans the
phones at the NVF, helping other Vets, is going to college, and has a 4.0 GPA,
and has a wonderful wife, and the most adorable little one in his life.
Talking to him after the show Friday, and meeting his family, and thinking
about my own wonderful wife, and precious little girl, it really came home to
me, the good that the NVF does. "They sure have saved this man who's
soul was in need" is entirely appropriate. Meeting him really touched
me, and made me realize that our contributions really do count, and touch real
people's lives.
To all who bid, those who won, and those who didn't, a big thank you for
helping. If our contributions save just one person, it's all worth
it. And as you listen to the lyrics to People Gotta Love Again, take
them to heart... Like Tommy said, "I'm glad all you people like that song...
We all like that song... It's the future people!"
Well after all the planning, and shipping stuff to Los Gatos, and setting
up, and bidding for folks, and being blown away by the bidding, it was time to
be rocked one more time. And rocked I was! The tunes were the
same, but the crowd and the Brothers were stoked for the Friday show. I
bet we registered on the earthquake sensors!
After the show we had the now expected runaround from the security folks
about where to gather for the after-show meet and greet. Now I ain't
gettin' down on the dudes in the black shirts, cause they were just doin' what
the boss man said. Anyway, finally Keith came and got the whole DBFC, and
brought them backsatage. Later as I was waitin' for Barry outside the
backstage door while he was scammin' a set list off the road manager, I
overheard two of the security dudes, who by now, knew we were more or less
cool, talkin' with a woman who was apparently some sort of mucky-muck at
Montalvo, about when Keith brought everyone down. She thought it was the
end of civilization as we know it, and the security guy says, he wasn't gonna
argue with a Brother. So I piped up, and pointed out that Keith and the
band wouldn't have let us back stage in the first place if we were a bunch of
animals. Then the lady observes that eveyone was respectful, and polite,
and let the guys finish eating dinner, and that no one touched the birthday
cake for one of the crew's wives that was set out. So score one for us
folks. We definitely were not what these folks are used to. A
couple more years of this, and maybe they'll wise up and let US run security
for The Brothers shows! Lord have mercy, now that would be a rockin
party!
So now it's time for the closing credits. I'll probably miss some
folks, but know that I appreciate you all. Laurin and Susie for all
their hard work, and blood, sweat, and tears, Linda, Ann and Helen for diving
in and helping with the auction, Chris Snyder for the seats, Chris Passanisi
for the cakes and running the DBFC Toy Drive, Rick Santangelo for shooting
video at the convention, and taking the dyno pics of Rick and Lori on stage,
Dave, Steve, Gary, and the other players, for the aftershow party tunes, Pete,
Barry, and the Bakers for the company ridin' back and forth, Harry, and his
wife Carol for the good company, Doobie Dan and his wife Pat for being
so cool, and schlepping a dozen guitars all over California, and all the fans
who came to Saratoga, and made the DBFC 2000 gathering so much fun.
And of course the biggest thank you has to go to The Brothers for making
all this possible. There may be some, but I don't know of any other band
that grants the access to the fans, and appreciates them, the way that
The Brothers do, that puts songs into the set list for the fans, or that puts
out so much energy and clearly enjoys it, than The Doobie Brothers. You
are all simply the best.
TJ said this was their 4th year playin' at Montalvo, and closed up the
Friday show sayin' "We love ya people, we'll see ya next year". The 3 shows by
The Brothers sold out faster than Montalvo has ever seen, so everybody start
savin' those pennies right now, cause you don't wanna miss TOGA 2001!!!
(3 !!! is the same as jumpin' in the air as you bang out the final chord of
LTTM - YEAH!)
Well that's it folks. You all probably fell asleep by now, but I had
to tell it from the heart. Remember to love your brothers and sisters,
Don't Be Afraid, and ROCK ON!
--
Hearin' Their Tunes Always Has A Way
Of Soothin' Out My Soul
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Cause Times Are
Hard And Work Is Slow,
But Their Music Keeps Me Whole
