St. Louis and Nashville
I'm going to start filling in some of the blanks from my point of view of what's going on out here on the road. Johnny B's stuff pretty much highlights what's going on so once in a while I'll throw in my 2 cents. I had to make a pretty hard choice this week. It all started a couple of weeks ago in Philly between cheesesteaks. We saw the Al Gore movie "An Inconvenient Truth" (and you should too!). The movie put into perspective things everybody thinks and worries about concerning our weather and specifically global warming. We like to stay out of politics but this is beyond politics and Al Gore's message really hit home. In fact the next week when we were in Detroit, it was really strange to see snow falling onto flowers still in the ground. I know Steven is into this as well, so I called him right up and said you've gotta see this movie and my second call was to our video director to get in touch with Al Gore's people so we could put this information up on our screen before the show. They responded and were happy to supply us with video content and really cool "Stop Global Warming" wristbands. Seriously, everybody else in the band was all for it. So jump ahead to last week in St. Louis when John set up for me and my family to have lunch with Chuck Berry and some of his family. For those of you who may or may not know Chuck's record "Berry's on Top" was the first record I ever owned and like 80,000 other guitar players his riffs were the first I ever learned. Needless to say it was a dream come true. Then we find out Chuck's 80th birthday was in 3 days and he was going to play in the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill. We were invited to come if we could make it. As it turned out it was travel day and we had to drive right through St. Louis to get to our next stop in Nashville. So Billie and I said "what's the question, let's go to the party!" so we shook hands and said we'll see you Wednesday. So now it's Tuesday night in KC and we are stuffed full of ribs and Steven comes up and says "we've been invited to Al Gore's house for dinner in Nashville, are you gonna come?" And here's the dilemma; do we have dinner with the honorable Al Gore or attend the 80th birthday party of the father of Rock and Roll? Well, a handshake is a handshake and I let the music do the talking. We walked into Chuck's dressing room, he was sitting down listening to the Cardinals on the radio, guitar in hand and he still looked larger than life. I felt like a 17 year old kid and it hit me all at once I'm actually gonna hear him play. Then his son Butch (the guitar player in his band) came up and said "we are gonna ask you up about the 3rd or 4th song." Do you want a strat or a Les Paul? Next thing I know I'm getting pulled out of the audience and up on stage and I got to play those famous licks behind the man himself on "Rock and Roll Music" and "Round and Round." I haven't been the same since and I know I never will. Like I said to Butch "I know it was Chuck's birthday but I'm the one that got the gift."
After the show we boarded our land schooner and headed off to to Music City. A little background here. Last year when we were living in Vermont. Me, Billie and Steven saw a documentary film called "The Refugee All Stars." It's about a group of musicians who kept their band together while living in exile from their home country of Sierra Leone. The film's story was so moving it left an indelible mark on us all. I could really relate to their love of music. I knew I had to become involved with them somehow. Later in the year a chance came for Billie and I to sponsor a concert with the All Stars in Woodstock VT. We jumped at the chance and got to see them play. They had everybody dancing. This is the music and the dream of playing it that kept them alive for 8 to 10 years in the refugee camps. It's rare to see so much heart and honesty in music. Fast forward to tonight in Nashville.
Photo: Camille Akers
The gods of the road smiled down on us again! Lo! They are playing in a theatre a mile from our hotel. They had just flown in from Africa the day before and had come directly to the Aerosmith show at Starwood. It was the first American rock show they had ever seen. So the next night Joey, Steven and I with all of our gang went into the theatre and watched them raise the roof. For the second time in a week, I was blessed to be asked onstage. Their music is reggae based and I have never played with that kind of band before but I was transported to another place and the notes just flew. They then asked Steven to come up and we jammed on a medley of Bob Marley's "War" and "Get Up Stand Up." True transcendence. This is where the blues came from... this is where I live and breathe. I feel like a true musical pirate able to pick up chests of musical debloons and bring it to the Aerosmith stage.
Writing this by the midnight oil on our headlong journey to Virginia Beach. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I'll talk to ya next time...
Joe
PS. To find out more on the Refugee All Stars go to Refugeeallstars.org. Do yourself a favor and check it out!
