my type of march madness......

Being the music lover that I am, this past March was a highlight that would be hard to top! Mike Marshall and Darol Anger rank in my musical book at the very top echelon, joined only by a few....Sam Bush, Richard Thompson, Doc Watson, to name the few. It's been frustrating at times, confusing to me as to why certain festivals have passed on booking them in the last couple of years; in my fantasy mind they'd be playing at EVERY festival that I'm going to...>g< But this past month helped to make up for this confusion, as I was treated to one amazing show after another.

It started off in Minneapolis on March 6, which happens to be my twin daughters' birthday and it's not the first time that I have celebrated their birthday with a super concert. Mike and his Big Trio played the Cedar Cultural Center, along with classical mandolinist Caterina Lichtenberg and accompianist Mirko Shrader. This duo hails from Germany and were simply amazing..she played a very old small kind of mandolin, using a feather for a pick! She and Mike had met at a mandolin show somewhere and the two of them have become good friends and musical partners. This duo was followed by mandolinist Peter Ostroushko and his accompianist for a quick set. Peter is a legendary Twin Cities musician...he's been entertaining folks in these parts for many years.

And then Mike and his Big trio took the stage and I almost immediately burst into tears....they blew me away damn near as soon as they started. The Big Trio consists of Mike and 16 year old violinist Alex Hargreaves and 22 year old bassist Paul Kowert, who according to Sam Bush would give Edgar Meyer a run for his bassist...
Mike specifically wrote the music for their cd with these two young phenoms in mind; he says in the liner notes that in all the thirty years of him playing with some of the world's top musicians that he'd rank these fellows up with any of them! Quite the statement....

And added bonus to that night was the fact that Lynn and I were able to turn her aunt and uncle onto some new music! David and Ingrid were also blown away...they are classical music fans and this type of new acoustic music fit their tastes well! It was really fun to watch them being awed...>g< The only sad part of that night was that I got no pictures....

Then...on the way down to Florida and the Suwannee Springfest, I was really lucky to be able to catch Darol and his Republic of Strings, at Eddie's Attic, in Atlanta! This is a superb venue...not only do they serve great food and beer and probably wine, but they also remind folks that this is a "listening room" and that everyone should turn off their cell phones and conversations except for those quick "hot damn.."s, or holy shit..."s or some such quick unavoidable comment. As good as Mike's Big Trio show was, Darol's was every bit as good!

His band consisted of Scott Nygaard on guitar, Lauren Lioux on fiddle and Mike Block on cello. (both Lauren and Mike are of that young generation of spectacular musicians that is just bursting at the seams it seems...) After the show I asked Darol about the young phenoms that he and Mike like to find and he smiled broadly and said: "yah, we like the young folks around for the heavy lifting...when a hard part comes around we just nod it off to them....>g<"




Then it was time for the Suwannee Springfest, where the big anticipation was to see Mike and Darol, along with the Swedish super-group, Vasen. Thanks to Maria, I had heard the collaboration on a cd...so I was excited to hear them live, and there was no disappointment! In fact, elation would be a good term for what I was feeling. I first heard Vasen during a morning "Meet Vasen" set in the Music Hall. They played for about 45 minutes and Mike and Darol joined them for the last 15. This was supposed to be followed by a mandolin seminar with Mike, but he gleefully announced that they all wanted to keep playing, so I and everyone else there was treated to a two hour magnificent mind-blowing concert!

Mike and Darol...




Vasen....



Olov Johansson and his nykelharpa....



Mike and Darol....



Vasen....



Mike and Darol....from the Meadow Stage Friday evening



The whole group...on the Meadow Stage



The next day the boys graced the Main (Ampitheater) Stage and the results were every bit as spectacular. I relish the Darol/Mike treat that was the month of March!

The coolest cat on the face of the planet...



And I'd especially like to thank my dear friend Maria Camillo, booking agent for Mike and Darol and a host of other fine musicians, for making this past month of musical magic possible! Let's do this again, soon, my friend....


Peace, David

my first trip of 2009....

Pickin' at the Springfest




Every year the first musical trip taken by "Dancin'Dave'sFestivalCamping" is to usually sunny Florida, for the Suwannee Springfest. I love this festival...the music is always hot, the weather is usually perfect festival weather, and I get to see many friends that I have made since starting to go to Florida festivals back in October of 1998. The Springfest's sister festival is the Magnoliafest, which is held in October at the same sweet venue and put on by the same two fine festival producers, Beth and Randy Judy. The Magfest in 1998 was actually the second festival that I went to as a businessman....

I've had some very eventful trips to Florida in the spring. Coming from northern Wisconsin, I invariably have had to dodge late season snowstorms, along with several serious truck and trailer breakdowns; added to this has been the premature birth of my first grandchild on the way to Springfest 2002, and a breakdown of my trailer on the way the year (2005) that my daughter Erica got married on the beach in Mexico Beach, Florida. (I was carrying the wedding dresses and the wedding beer in the trailer on that trip! >g<)("Is it ok with you, Father, if Mike and I get married on the beach in Florida the weekend before your first festival?") ("Why yes, Erica...that would be just FINE!!" >g<)

So---this year will prove again to be an eventful trip, for on the way I'll be stopping in Louisville, Kentucky, for the most anticipated concert that I can remember! The Bluegrass Hotel concert is happening on March 20 and the timing is perfect for me because that is the weekend I'll be leaving home and Louisville just happens to be not very far out of the way.....! This concert is a celebration of what came to be known in Louisville back in the 70s and 80s as the "bluegrass hotel", an old mansion that was bought by a young fellow who turned the place into a haven for the young musicians who were busy creating the new bluegrass genre called "newgrass". Musicians such as Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Tony Rice, John Cowan, etc....would jam into the night and the mornings, joined by a never-ending revolving door of young guys and bands, all intent on rockin' the musical world. And they did! The main band at the concert will consist of Sam and Tony and John, along with Curtis Burch, Dan Crary, and J.D. Crowe. There are many other special musical guests invited...it promises to quite the show! My sweet wife Lynn is able to join me for this concert...she'll ride down with me and then will fly home from Nashville the next day, while I continue on to Florida. You can check out the details of this concert at www.thebluegrasshotel.com

Then it's on to the Springfest, which happens in Live Oak, March 26-29, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. This year's lineup includes Richie Havens; Donna the Buffalo; the Emmitt Nershi Band; Peter Rowan; Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson; Darrell Scott; The Gourds; Darol Anger & Mike Marshall & Vasen; Jim Lauderdale; The Duhks; Tornado Rider; Scythian; David Gans, and many others. A fabulous lineup, to be sure! There are five stages, along with two campground pickin' stages, a Kids' Program, and lots of great food and craft vendors. Plus, of course, there is that northern Florida springtime weather that is such a treat.....

Verlon Thompson and Guy Clark




David Gans with Railroad Earth





And I'd love it if you'd join me! For details on my service, just check out my website....

Peace, David

Suwannee Springfest www.magmusic.com
"Dancin'Dave's..." www.dancindave.com

hutch....

As I've stated many times, I have been blessed with the best customers for my business that I could ask for. Many have become good friends...and I look forward to seeing my regular patrons every year; plus, it's always a gas to meet the new customers every year. And with all these folks, it's not hard for me to pick out the most interesting and entertaining patron of them all...!

Hutch was 78 years old when he contacted me back in the fall of 2003, and I knew from our very first phone conversation that I was dealing with a character who was going to keep me humored during our entire relationship! He was wanting to book me for the Magnoliafest that October and he first explained that he had never camped before...his style was five-star hotels. Plus, he hadn't been to a festival since Woodstock back in 1969! But...his much younger girlfriend was an experienced camper and he wanted to impress and treat her to a camping experience and a festival experience all at the same time...

During that first phone call he went on to tell me that during his full-time work career he worked for the largest entertainment agency in the country...I believe it was the William Morris agency, but my memory might be a little shaky on that. He still worked in the booking business...he still had a part-time swing band agency and he still kept in contact with all his old buddies in the business.

And could he tell a story! It was during this first conversation that he told me that in '69 he was at Woodstock when Jerry Garcia came up to him and said: "Hey man, they stole your booze..." (Hutch had a box backstage of his favorite high-quality booze...whatever that was)Jerry added: "But don't worry, man...try this!" It was the first time that Hutch tasted marijuana...and he liked it! He also told me that he was in Italy one time with Trini Lopez and his band when he got a call from a fellow booking agent who told him to get his butt to Germany quick...there's a band here that's tearing it up. Turned out to be the Beatles...>g< Other stories that followed later had names such as Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey rolling off his tongue.

So---how could I not be amused after that first phone conversation? In the next couple of weeks Hutch called more than several times and most of those calls were received by Lynn, and she was having a riot getting to know the man as well. (and the more she got to know him the more she wished that she could join me on that Magfest trip!) He was a bit apprehensive of sleeping in a tent, but was more than anxious to impress Kathy. Plus, this first camping experience of his also brought me another couple as a customer, who came to the festival just to witness Hutch....John is the director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida, and he and his wife are fine folks as well.

So my excitement of meeting the man was justified almost immediately after he showed up at the festival! He was very impressed with his setup, both with the quality of equipment and the location. (and I of course camped him near my own campsite, as I knew that this was going to be fun) He sidled up to me saying: "check this out..." In his hand he had a vial with some very high-quality pot in it...his plan was to enjoy the smoke and the booze he brought along and the music and basically the whole scene and he was ready to start the party!

At the Suwannee Music Park you can rent electric carts to get around, so Hutch's first project was to go off to rent one. The rest of the group was getting settled in, so off he went. We were just standing around visiting when he returned and he looked proud as peacock sitting on his cart, smiling as big as he could. Then, all of a sudden, the cart took off, full-tilt, right through the campsite! The tents were set up in a half circle and somehow he managed to avoid them on his left and the gazebos on his right. We all were stunned when this happened, speechless even. At the end of this flying through the campsite he ended up smashing directly into the front of Kathy's little red sports car, which was parked on the outside of camp! Everyone's first thought was that he had had a heart attack and that triggered the event, but when he turned around and looked at all of us with a shit-eating grin, there was a moment of pure relief, followed by uncontrollable laughter when we all realized that Hutch was just fine! He had tried to put the brake on, but instead had hit the accelerator and had panicked....but at least had enough sense of what was going on to be able to avoid hitting any of the tents. But he had to stop somewhere, and Kathy's bright red sports car was where he picked...>g< She was so relieved that she didn't even get mad...and Hutch showed a rare burst of humility after the incident!

For the rest of the festival he pretty much sat on his cart next to the road, watching the parade of festivarians stream by....and he could hear the Main Stage music from his spot. He did take the time to erect about a 12 foot tower made of tinker-toy-type material...he didn't have a good explanation as to why he wanted to do this, but I guess it was some kind of artistic statement he wanted to build. He wasn't allowed to drive the cart anymore and he was not offended by this at all...he would sit there with his little cigarette-looking one hitter, taking puffs of pot every now and then; he was very contented! He wasn't very impressed with most of the music and he kept asking me who the best act was going to be and I of course had an easy answer...Sam Bush. So during Sammy's set he made his way down to the stage with the rest of the group. When we all returned to camp after Sam's set I was very relieved but not really very surprised that Hutch was estatic about Sammy! (and I was able to send him a copy of Sam's show about a year later...)

Hutch and I kept in touch, but I never saw him again. He had a heart attack two years later and died, at the age of 80. John contacted me, telling me that they were going to have a memorial concert for Hutch at the Van Wezel...it happened on the Wednesday before the Magfest in 2005, so I was able to attend. John had booked Sam and Donna the Buffalo for this concert...Hutch was not impressed with Donna, but he sure was with Sammy, so it was a fine tribute to the man. I made it down to the concert and was able to catch Sam's set and then hang out with him and John and his wife and Kathy a bit after, before I had to go back to Magfest. We all had a few giggles remembering Hutch's first and only camping trip and I only wish that I had known him longer so that I could hear many more of his stories.

As I mentioned, the man was quite the character!

Peace, David

another reason why I love festivals....

Of course the music is the main reason I started attending festivals many years ago; I can never thank enough all of those wonderful musicians that choose to share their talents with the rest of us. But through the passage of these many years and these countless festivals another reason for me to love the experience of attendance has been the fact the I have found that I can meet the best people at a festival! Folks come to the festivals from all walks of life and all locales and many different views on life; and at the same time there is that one constant draw for everyone and that of course is the love of the music.

Today I was reliving a marvelous experience and I figured it was certainly worth a blog! Back in 2007 I had back to back sellout festivals....the first weekend was at the LEAF in North Carolina and the next weekend was in Florida at the Magnoliafest. And I needed help to pull that off! I did a little advertising and soon received an email from Sara, a dear friend, telling me that some friends of hers were going to be at the Magfest and that she was certain that they would love to help me and that also she was certain that I'd enjoy their company. I had no qualm about taking her advice and after contacting Dale and Laura, I felt relieved that my search for help was over.

The teardown at LEAF went smoothly, thanks to Lynne, another new friend/worker, and I headed down to Florida. I arrived and this fellow who I recognized walked up to me and introduced himself. We already knew each other, kind of....he and Laura had camped next to my regular patrons at Merlefest for a few years. We had only talked briefly; we never really had the time to get to know each other, as I was always super busy with my Merlefest setups.

So----after re-introducing me to his wife Laura, the first thing that they told me was that they wouldn't accept any pay! Oh... The second thing they said was: "are you hungry?" Mmm...this was goin' good! During the next two days Dale and Laura not only worked their butts off for me, but they also fed me. What a deal! (could I be any luckier...? >g<) We got all the setups set up in plenty of time, and became good friends in the process.

On Thursday the festival was about to start. I was hanging around my campsite when out from behind my trailer came bee-boppin' four women, dressed in red wigs that sported horns and they were all chanting something about "Dancin'Dave". The four were Laura, good friend Sara and another good friend Kerry, and one of their friends who I hadn't met before. And, they were all wearing t-shirts that read "Have You Slept With Dancin'Dave'sFestivalCamping.. Yet?" I absolutely cracked up, it was sooo hilarious! While I was busy cracking up Dale was busy filming the scene, and at the same time other friends had shown up...they were not in on the occurance, but their timing was impeccable! I was dumbfounded, to say the least...>g<



Turns out that Dale works at a screen-printing shop and he had took it upon himself to make up some Dancin'Dave t-shirts....there were four different models, consisting of around 20 shirts. He of course, in keeping with this theme, would not take any money for them. During the festival I handed a bunch of them out to friends, making sure that I saved a few for family back home. Then during the winter that year, a big package came delivered by UPS to my house one day...Dale had printed up yet another version, and this package included both t-shirts and sweatshirts. This was yet another crack-up...I laughed myself silly with this second surprise.

Since then I have actually made an order and Dale actually let me pay for the shirts. I have continued to give them to friends and family...and may even have some made up for sale someday. Folks seem to get a charge out of them, and I certainly do! I have even shared them with a couple of musical heroes/friends of mine....at Merlefest last spring I gave one to Jack Lawrence and at Magfest this past October I gave one to Sam Bush. And if I ever run into Barack I'll be sure to give him one as well....>g<

Gotta' love those festivals and those festivarians who hang out there!

The Teardown Crew: Dale, My, and yours truly..




Peace, David

monica and sean...part 2

So the four of us sure had fun during the ride back to Madison that night! Lots of giggles, to say the least, and lots of fatherly questions that were both semi-serious and not even close to being semi-serious. It turns out that Sean had never done this before; he's a bit shy and when I contacted Chris's mother and related the story she was amused by the thought of the rest of the band urging and prodding him to take the step! (he did have the great taste to pick out an outstandingly beautiful and talented young woman...I will give him that! >g<)

In the next couple of years Monica and Sean got together quite often...Monica would fly to several of Nickel Creek's gigs and went on a couple of bus trips with them as well. She got to go to some fabulous festivals...the Newport Folk Festival and the Austin City Limits Festival come to mind. She called me while walking around the Austin festival and she knew that her Daddy would be mighty jealous of where she was! When she came to Merlefest with me she warned me up front that she wouldn't be hanging around with me much on Friday.... Over the course of her hangin' out with Sean she got to meet many famous musicians; just the other day I mentioned Lyle Lovett for some reason and she told me: "he's a really nice guy..." Oh. The time I was the most jealous was when she got to see a Mark O'Connor concert that I would have LOVED to see! She was able to get Mark to sign the cd for me, though....>g<

Monica is not the kind of person that gets starstruck, in any sense of the word. She does appreciate folks with talent, as we all do, but would never put a person on a pedestal for only that reason. So it was very refreshing to hear that she really liked the members of the band and that they had no ego issues at all. She told me that she would get a charge out of Chris, for he took an extreme interest in everything that was goin' on around him. She also really liked Mark Schatz, who was playing bass with the group during this time. She told me that after the Newport Folk Festival they were all sitting around on the bus when Sara noticed a large group of people waiting around for the buses to take them back to the parking area. It was apparently a long wait so she exclaimed: "Let's go play for them." So the entire group grabbed their instruments, hopped off the bus and gave an impromptu concert for the folks waiting....which actually set the bus schedule off; the security folks had to shut the concert down because the people were not that interested in getting on the buses anymore! There was another time when they did the same thing for a bunch of folks who were stranded in the rain, waiting for it to let up.

And in the course of this time that Monica and Sean were seeing each other (I don't know how many times I heard: "we're NOT dating, Father...we're JUST friends..."), Nickel Creek won a Grammy, so I of course had visions of having a Grammy-winning guitar player son in law. (yet another >g<) It was a fun time, to be sure, and a great family source of humor and speculation.

And in the end I suppose that they were "just friends", for Monica met a man who she fell in love with. And while Jeff doesn't play a guitar, he is a wonderful husband, son in law, brother in law, etc....and for the last year and a half he's been a wonderful father! Monica and he became the parents of Malia Mae, my more than beautiful precious granddaughter and come June they will be parents again when my next more than beautiful and precious granddaughter Keeli Ann will be born! (Monica is an ultrasound tech, so she knows exactly whats' goin' on inside her!)

Monica and Jeff and Malia Mae





Malia Mae






Peace, David

monica and sean....

I first saw Nickel Creek at Merlefest in about 1995, I believe. I think that Chris Thile and Sara Watkins were around 14 years old and that Sara's brother Sean is either 3 or 4 years older. I do remember being mighty impressed with these youngsters! In the following years I became a big fan and had a blast watching and listening to them mature. I met them and their families personally in 1998 at the IBMA convention in Louisville, and always looked forward to seeing and hearing them at various festivals around the country.

During this time I had turned my family on to the Nickel Creek music. In December of 2001 I got a call from my lovely daughter in law Jenny, asking if Lynn and I would like to go to Milwaukee with her and my daughter Monica to see a Nickel Creek concert. It took a bit of talking for me to agree...it was a long drive and I had just seen them a couple of months before, but the girls were very excited about the concert, so away we went. On the way down there Jen was thinking outloud that I could get everyone backstage, seeing as how I knew the group. I told her that this probably could be arranged if the timing was right, but that I don't usually go way out of my way to do this....

So---the concert was held at a venue that usually caters to the heavy-metal kind of music/crowd! I even had to empty my pocket of my little Swiss army knife that is always present...they didn't want any stabbings in the place! And once you entered you couldn't leave and re-enter...this was not feeling good. The only chairs in the place were a few folding chairs on the perimeter of the big room...so Lynn and I took seats and Monica and Jenny established standing positions right in front of the stage. And the wait was horrible....the club was blasting heavy-metal music and there was no escaping the onslaught! About the time I thought I'd go completely bonkers Nickel Creek came out and the concert began...just in the nick of time. >g<

And they rocked the place! Hotter than hot....Lynn and I were actually on the outskirts of the crowd and actually had a great view and the sound was good besides. I didn't envy the girls being crushed at the front of the stage, but I suppose that "crushed" is an unaccurate term, for they were diggin' it.

After the music ended we all found each other, and the girls were estatic...it was a great concert! We were just standing around, feeling the excitement, when a fellow came up to Monica and said: "Sean would like to say "hi"..." She smiled and said: "Hi". He (Nickel Creek's road manager) went on to explain that Sean would really like to meet her and asked if that would be possible, and she said: "sure..." (and we all smiled...)

So we waited around for the band to come out and when they did they were quickly surrounded by folks wanting their autographs. Sean was intent on getting closer to Monica and it was fun to watch the looks on all the girls' faces who were trying to get his autograph when they realized that he was trying to get Monica's autograph! >g<

At this point Lynn and I wandered off to find the restrooms, which were closing quickly! It took awhile to navigate the place and by the time we got back to the music room Monica and Jenny and Sean had disappeared. Chris was still there talking with a fan and when he saw me he greeted me and I replied with: "I'm looking for my daughter...I think she's with Sean." Chris gave a funny little explanation that if she was with Sean she's in good hands, etc...he's a hoot. So, we did end up backstage and had a fun rest of the night...they had some great food and some great beer back there!

Anyhoo...what were the odds that Sean would pick out a girl from the crowd to meet that happened to be there with her Father?!

I'll have a part 2 of this story...later.

Peace, David

monica and tony.....

I of course will never forget that March evening in 1977 when the doctor said to me: "We have an emergency situation here; there's more than one baby and we don't know how many there are...get dressed!" There was a shock setting in as I donned the hospital robe and cap and as my wife Linda was being wheeled past me on the hospital bed she smiled and gave a little wave.

As it turned out there were only two little girls born that night....still a complete surprise to all involved, and I am still pretty relieved that there were only two for I do believe I had visions of an entire basketball team! Erica Rae and Monica Lee have been a joy and a treat in my life ever since that night...and since Monica was the second to be born she has been known in the family as being the "bonus baby".

During supper one night back when Monica was a teenager she asked me what time it was. I looked across the kitchen to the microwave, stated the time, and she replied: "You can see that?!" Of course the rest of us came back with: "You can't?" It was then that we knew that she needed to see the eye doctor! So she did, got fitted with glasses, and was very impressed by the fact that the doctor had helped her...that one person could do so much to help another. This feeling has stayed with her to this day and has also lead her to her vocation.

She started off her higher education at a four year college. One night at a party she met a couple of folks who were radiologists and she was impressed enough with them that she dropped out of college (much to the chagrin of her older brother Noel) and enrolled in a tech school. She still had that dream of helping people, and she told me that although radiographers are not highly paid, she didn't grow up "rich" so it was no big deal. (have I mentioned yet how much I love my daughter?)

After graduating as a radiographer Monica turned to ultrasound, applying at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for the ultrasound program. The clinic accepted only 100 applications and consequently only accepted 10 students....and of course Monica was accepted! (have I mentioned how intelligent she is? >g<) She finished the grueling 22 month program with a 4.0 grade point; and it was then that she discovered that there was an opportunity that made for an exciting few years....she became a "traveling ultrasound tech". Within a year of graduation she joined a company in which she was able to work in different parts of the country for either 6 months or a year...and she was making over a 6 figure salary! (so much for not being "rich"..>g<) Over the ensuing years she worked in Flagstaff, Arizona, Norfolk, Nebraska, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a few stints in Madison, Wisconsin. She would "go away" for a period of time but then come back to Wisconsin to be close to her family.

And a big treat for me was the fact that during this time she was able to join me at every festival at least once that I was going to with my business! She would specify in her contract with whatever hospital she was going to work for that she needed such and such dates off 'cause she was going to a festival with her daddy! Sometimes she was able to travel with me and sometimes she'd just fly to the festival...and we sure had a blast!

So---she took a job one time in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She had just arrived in town and had just got settled in her apartment when she called me and asked: "I should know Tony Trischka, shouldn't I?" "Of course...", I replied. "He's pretty good, right?" "Of course...you have heard lots of his music while growing up!" "Well...he's playing in a club just down the street on Friday night; should I go to see him?" "Of course...!"

I have been a fan of Tony Trischka's since the mid-70s. I first became aware of him while he was playing with his band "Skyline". I was just getting into the bluegrass music, and while I realized that this band was not strictly bluegrass, it was close enough for me! Since then I have been treated to lots of fine music because of the man...and I wasn't really surprised when I found that he was actually Bela Fleck's banjo teacher. Tony is a monster musician, as they say....

Anyhoo--I know a fellow who is a longtime friend of Tony's. I contacted him and he sent me Tony's email address. I wrote to Tony, explaining that Monica was brand new in "town" and knew no one, and would be coming to his show on Friday night. And, would he please dedicate a tune for her? He answered back, telling me that it would be his priviledge.

That night's concert was a solo concert in which Tony featured his "World Turning" project; a marvelous project in which he explores the history of the banjo. (Monica told me later that she learned much more about the banjo than she ever thought possible..>g<) During the show she was diggin' the crowd, checking them out, when she heard Tony dedicate the next tune to "Monica". Her first thought was that: "wow..there's another Monica in the room; cool". But then when he went on to say that this tune was sent to her from her Father, she immediately knew what was going on and her thought was: "How did he DO this?!" (she knows her father very well....>g<) After the show she got to meet Tony, thanking him for the evening....he told her that her Dad is a big fan of hers.

I have had the opportunity since to thank Tony in person for being so sweet...it's a treat to find that musical heroes of yours are also fine people.

Peace, David