400 Bar

The opening guy (I forgot his name) from the 400 Bar last night. I didn't shoot the main event.

Though it made it hard to get up to drive to Chicago, I had to go to the 400 Bar to see Steve Wynn last night. I’ve always seemed to miss seeing him along the way. One Danny and Dusty show in 85 was all I managed. In the 90s while I was in California, he was playing Europe. When I moved to Arkansas, he started playing California again (at least infrequently). Finally, he played in a place I could get to. In fact, he’s playing in Chicago tonight—though I can’t make that show and get to the workshop tomorrow in time. When I was younger, I would have tried anyway. I’m getting too conservative, I suppose. It’s different when you’re supposed to be smart, not just present.

But the show was really worth it. The band hit a certain level on the third song (“Death Valley Rain,” as I recall) that most bands can’t reach until the end of their set. Once the level was struck, they stayed there. Linda Pitmon ranks among the best drummers I’ve ever seen. Too bad this band has just never seemed to reach a broad audience in the US. It’s their loss. And they even played the song I mentioned a few days ago, “The Deep End”

March 21, 2006 9:30 PM