1/5/1998

'Twas the first jam of 1998 and it proved to be very lucky. Fill with fortune and positive Karma. It all worked out so well. A quick change in schedule to Monday due to Kevin's courtside Knick tickets on Wednesday. Just for the record they lost to the sad Washington Wizards tonight and Kevin shouldn't expect much more.  A good hot dog should be the best effort in the Garden on Wednesday Night. Anyway the switch to Monday was executed flawlessly on Sunday night and the plans just rolled from there.

The Karma was right.  The Monday jam meant Kevin's friend Donny Hutchinson could hang with us as he finalized another business trip.  He and Johnny seeked out the attendance of the old Boston Garden because Johnny knew it from years of seeing that sold out figure next to the Celtic box scores.   He is a Freakboy Savant.  Besides Donny, and a quick kind hello at the end of the night by Rich, there we no other guests.   Brotman wasn't there and isn't expected for several weeks.

I got there early.  It was a no traffic Monday night.  I took the Lincoln Tunnel, due to Pulaski problems, and it was a pleasure.  I drove 5 mph through the Easy Pass and was on may way.  Cut off about 5 buses to get the right turn onto 40th and I bee-lined it for that kind parking lot.  I was there about 5:40 but the left turn into the parking lot took 5 minutes due to the hustle and bustle of people jostling back and forth making their way westbound to the commuting hubs of the big city.  In any event, it was amazing how a steady flow of people traffic precluded me from making a swift entrance into the lot.  Looking back on it, the wait was great.   The heisenberg principle.

For the first night of the year, I hope the music foretells the times to come.  We just rock like I still can't believe.  It keeps getting better and better.  I say it again and again, but our progression doesn't cease to astound me. 

After the Hanukkah party I set up the room differently so this was the first time in the new digs.  We are now turned facing out with the PA facing in.   The speakers are close to us and at ear level.  It made for an easy time to tweak, not only the PA, but also our guitars.  The sound in the room was great.

The drumming was great.  Their new green carpet really helped since it matches the other carpet perfectly.

• The first set was really long.  China->Rider openers will do that.  It was good, but looking back on it, China Cat may have been the low point of the night , and it was good.  That is how well we played.  I thought the jam and the Rider were very good.  Larry B. took a 3 round first lead of the Rider.   Even the ending vocal thing of the Rider grooved.
• As usual, Cassidy was just amazing.  Kevin suggest the subtle beginning of the Cassidy jam and we complied in a smoothly, easy ascent toward a perfect executed and powerful whip.  I can't say enough about the Cassidy.  If I didn't have to work tomorrow I could go on spitting out glowing remarks about the Cassidy but I cannot,  time is just not there.  Fortunately the tape is there to confirm and I'm sure it's good.
• I mean what are we not going to play great Minglewoods and Candymans?   Or is it Candymen?  In any case, we are Deadstein and we rock.
•   I can't say we have always rocked on a Mama/Mex, but we did tonight.  It just moved and grooved and danced to the music.  Oh, babe.  We really have come a long way on there Mexicali songs.  Even the transition was fairly smooth.  The Mexicali never once floundered.
• Stagger Lee was fair, we have done better.  Food arrive and that was that.

• The food Dine-O-Mat actually sucked and Johnny's early declaration of being the best Dine-O-Mat ever was way off course.  The was an overall rancid flavor to everything.  There were lots of BLTs ordered and there were lots of bad BLTs.  My Popeye salad had some disgusting greenish/yellow goop on it that didn't mix with the spoiled seven seas dressing.  How does a place like that spoil dressing?   I have had dressing in my refrigerator longer that that place has been in business and it is still good.  What gives?  Onion rings, fries, big cheese steaks, Kevin's burger, lime rickies, soda and ice topped of the feast of yuck.
• Fortunately, I got there early and snuck into Bens for a couple of hot dogs and fries which I ate with Scott in his office.  They were pretty good
• There were a few left over Hanukkah snacks including nuts, chips, cookies and beer.