Well, well , well

Remind me the next time I go on vacation, not to eat the Pizza they bring into the VIP lounge at 3:15 AM. Or was it hot dog that preceded it?

We return home from Warren Haynes' 25th annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC. We visited our farm, saw our grandbaby (cute as hell!). Some of us took a ride on a John Deere B-350 dozer backwards across our creek ( no bridge yet) (boots too short for a splash). Driving from Chicago to Asheville and back is a wonderfully cathartic experience. I love my adopted home town and the music was just amazing. I am going to list all the people I can remember and thank them for giving up their time to play for a charitable event that benefits the Western Carolina Habitat for Humanity. Those three words are really telling. Habitat for Humanity have built 23 homes for people over the years- people who really had nothing and now they walk through a door and into a Habitat- a home. Money goes for assistance and food drives and clothing for those who are less fortunate than many others. Warren Haynes is a wonderful man. God bless the whole damn event and the people who give to help others. And they don't vote to cut off Food Stamps or Unemployment benefits. They play good music and inspire everybody to be be better people. That is a gift that money cannot buy. So--
 I give thanks!!
And sincere apologies to anyone I missed. I will mention in future posts if I did.

WARREN HAYNES AND GOVT. MULE   Warren, and Steph, don't know what to say but thanks. I'm not alone.
KEB MO
GREG ALLMAN*
PHIL LESH* QUINTET
JOHN SCOFIELD UBER JAM
AQUARIUM RESCUE UNIT
WIDESPREAD PANIC
GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS
MICHAEL FRANTI
O.A.R. 
JIMMY HERRING
AUDLEY FREED
JEFF SIPE
COUNT M'BUTU
CRAIG SORRELLS
BILL EVANS
RON HOLLOWAY
DR. DAN MATRAZZO
IKE STUBBLEFIELD
JAY BOWMAN
KEVIN KINNEY
RON JOHNSON
OTEIL BURBRIDGE
RANDALL BRAMBLETT
MARC QUINONES
MIKE BARNES
ROOSEVELT COLLIER
DOORS
EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS
THE BROADCAST
TROUBLE
The volunteers and CID Entertainment.

*Two organ transplant guys, still bringing the happy to many people. They were down and out but they got the gift of life. Please consider signing up. You'll smile down from heaven.

This post is about the music of the weekend in North Carolina. On the same night 400 miles away, in Pittsburgh, my dear friends, THE CAUSE were playing a second night of commemoration of the the Grateful Dead's 1980 acoustic/electric sets they recorded at NYC's Radio City Music Hall and San Francisco's Warfield Theatre. The Cause is a hard working band and my dear friends and so while music is the message they deserve a special mention too.
ERIC "PAPPY" WEINGRAD
DAVID " PROFESSOR" TAUBERG
MIKE SOUTH
MIKE "TOUR PRO" TONY 

Lots of other stuff going on and it will get mentioned. But a fond farewell to Peter O'Toole, Tom "Billy Jack" Laughlin and Joan Fontaine.

See you tomorrow.