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Aug 8, 2000

The Walecki Benefit Shows Santa Monica Civic Center Santa Monica, CA. Aug 8 & 9, 2000

This was a special set of shows, called Gathering of the Clan. It was a benefit to aid Fred Walecki who ran the top music store in LA in the late 60s thru the 90s, until he came down with some sort of throat cancer. He was a mentor and friend to many of the main SoCal musicians, and this was their way of repaying him.

Please note I have posted the first 2 discs of 4. If you have the other 2I would be interested in obtaining a copy.

1. Intro (Thomas E. Campbell, Executive Director-Guacamole Fund)
Randy Meisner & Friends
2. Take It Easy
3. Take It To The Limit

Colin Hay (Men At Work)
4. Company of Strangers
5. Day After Day

Warren Zevon (w/ Jackson Browne & Ry Cooder)
6. Fistful Of Rain
7. Johnny Strikes Up The Band

Jackson Browne (w/ Ry Cooder)
8. Next Voice You Hear Jeff Bridges
9. She Lay Her Whip Down

Jackson Browne w/Bonnie Raitt
10. Baby, How Long
11. Your Bright Baby Blues
12. My Opening Fairwell

DISC 2
Bonnie Raitt
1. Crazy Thing Called Love
2. Give It Up

Crosby, Nash Pevar & Raymond
3. Someday Soon
4. Dream For Him
5. Margarita
6. Deja Vu

Spinal Tap
7. Hell Hole
8. Flower People
9. Big Bottom
Chris Hillman w/ Herb Pederson
10. Old Crossroads
Crosby, Nash & Hillman
11. Turn Turn Turn

Disk 1

Disk 2

Notes Received w/this recording:

Night 1 8/8/00 First the show started about 15 minutes late due to long will call lines. So about 8:15 the first act hit the stage, and about 3 hours and 50 minutes later. Fred Walicki got up to say thanks using the voice decoder unit that allows him to speak. There was a 15 minute intrmission too.

First the general backup band had the Clapton 80s band thing happening w/ Wix on keyboards, Andy Fairweather-Low on giutar, and Albert Lee on guitar as well. Also Bernie Leadon was on stage most of the night as a backup musician. Didn't really get to be in the spotlight, which is surprising too. Woman bass player I'm unfamiliar with Jennifer Condos who was solid all night, and Ethan Johns was fine on drums too. The sound from the 5th row was not too good. Pretty muddy, and bass heavy especially early, and got a bit better as the show went on. I have no idea how the sound was for the rest of the hall.

Lots of highlights...... Meisner doing a few Eagles songs. Colin Hay (Men At Work) being quite the comedian (not a bad voice as well). Zevon and Browne working out on a couple of numbers, Jeff Bridges doing pretty well for himself on his number. A few nice duets of Jackson and Bonnie, with Ry Cooder going off! Bonnie being Bonnie.

CNPR opening the 2nd half wonderfully, some beautiful harmonies, and some comedic relief, especially when Nash said after a song he hadn't seen David in 4 months, and didn't know what was up with him, when someone in the crowd yelled "DAD"!, cracked everyone up. Also (as usual) great playing from Peev and James.

Spinal Tap brought a smile to everyone, especially on Big Bottoms, where they ALL played bass and added Frebo on tuba (Frebo sat in on a few Bonnie tunes as well). Hillman did nice bluegrass thing, before getting ready to intro Emmylou, when Cros and someone else walked on. Hillman was thrown for a loop, but changed course nicely, after saying one of the greatest singers in the world ( for Emmy), changed it to 2 of my favorite artists and singers, and then we saw the man in the shadows was Roger McGuinn.

The crowd reacted, and we got the 12 string intro to Tambourine Man, then Turn Turn Turn. Harmonies and playing were great. Emmylou came out did a couple of nice numbers including a new song of her forthcoming CD that was stunning. It was just her and Ethan Johns who drummed most of the night, but I guess he's a multi instrumentalist sort of guy, and he played acoustic. But the sound on his guitar was off, so you couldn't hear him at all, except for some backgground from the monitors. Too bad. Linda came out in the middle of Valerie, to a big hand, and showed off her pipes wonderfully. She was quite witty and charming, reading the lyrics (Jackson writes great lyrics, but LOTS of lyrics) on For a Dancer, before bringing out her niece to sing lovely harmonies on Heart Like A Wheel.

Then it was Henley's turn, and to be honest he's always been a guy I could take or leavve, but I was very impressed with his set, including the new number My Thanksgiving. The man does have a presence. Then it was time for the finale, and David Lindley's absence was further amplified when they did his signature tune Mercury Blues. Everyone got to sing a verse or chorus and/or play a lead on it. And to close it out they did a similar treatment of Stand By Me. All in all, a GREAT night and great fun was had by all. My only problem was the sound (at least where I sat, and am sitting there tonight again), and the few thoughts of what didn't happen, i.e. Henley, Leadon and Meisner doing something together, Henley and Linda doing Desperado, Jackson joining the Eagles and Byrds for Take It Easy,

Warren Zevon doing Exciteable Boy or Werewolves (woulda been great w/Lindley). Also no combo of Croz, Nash and Browne which I was expecting. Oh well... these and a few others are minor distractions to what was a great night. I've written the setlist below... its accurate except where I didn't know the exact song titles. If someone knows, please let me know.

Night 2. 8/9/00 Well, tonight was even better. First the sound though still bass heavy upfront, was MUCH better. Not great, but solid. It seemed that the musicians, having the first show under their belt, were both looser mentally, and tighter musically. The crowd was much more enthusiastic tonight, and I think they fed off each other. It was almost the same show, with a few changes, Meisner started it off with Take It Easy, then the setlist stayed the same till our boys did their set.

First off was Someday Soon, followed by Dream For Him (this version for me is the definitive one... man, I NEVER heard it sound so good). Then Croz says, we haven't done the next one since the Civil War,and Nash says.... and you're blaming me...?... Cros retorts immediately No... Boston Tea Party yes, Civil War... No.... and then they played...... Margarita. WOW, was this beautiful.

They finished the set with Deja Vu again. Both James and Peev's solos got HUGE ovations. Nash introduced Spinal Tap, and talked about being around for the beginning of the British Invasion, and that all these bands wouldn't have been as big without the influence of "The Loudest Band In Britain..... Spinal Tap", Nigel (Harry Shearer comes out and says "Who the fuck was that old geezer..?") They played a few different things.. Hellhole and... their first single that caused a ripple in the US, a ripple that failed to spread, and played Flower People, before closing with Big Bottoms (with special guest on the 4th bass... TIMOTHY SCHMIDT).

The crowd went wild over them tonight. McGuinn wasn't there tonight, so Nash joined Crosby (albeit a chorus or two into the song, cause he was off somewhere) on Turn Turn Turn, with Hillman singng lead and Leadon doing the 12 striing lead. Other wise song wise I think everything else was the same (could be wrong), but the overall performances, and reactions were better tonight, at least IMHO