NYC REVIEW

Kenny Wayne Shepherd



The amazing Billy Cox

Move Over, Rover. Let Jimi Take Over.
By NATE CHINEN
The Experience Hendrix Tour, which rolled into the Hammerstein
Ballroom on Tuesday, borrows its name from the Jimi Hendrix
Experience, and from that band's epochal first album, "Are You
Experienced."

It also shares a name with Experience Hendrix, the company that
manages the legendary guitarist's estate, run by some members of the
Hendrix family (but as copious legal records will show, not all of
them).

What's in a name? The tour, which features the surviving members of
the Jimi Hendrix Experience along with a battery of impressive stand-
ins on guitar, lives up to its billing in terms of song choice,
style and execution. But as a command and a promise, "Experience
Hendrix" can't help falling short, if only because of the Post Options Labels for this post:
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irrevocable absence at its core. There are more truthful, less sexy
imperatives for what this package ultimately entails: venerate,
validate and commemorate, for starters.

That's not to say there was a shortage of thrills on Tuesday night,
especially for the guitar nerds in the house. During the first half
Eric Johnson confirmed his reputation for technical wizardry on back-
to-back versions of "Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced,"
precisely etching some phrases and artfully smearing others. In a
rewarding contrast, he also teamed up with the Memphis blues
guitarist Eric Gales for "May This Be Love," a dreamlike ballad
based on a melodic drone.

Mr. Gales opened the show with "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady," two
classics just similar enough to warrant separation from each other.
But he did them justice, reworking the melodies to suit his deep and
roomy voice. The predatory tempo of "Foxy Lady" worked well for him,
and he indulged in some Hendrixesque tricks: swiping an arm along
the neck of his guitar, soloing with the instrument balanced behind
his head.

Billy Cox, who played bass with the second iteration of the Jimi
Hendrix Experience, joined Mr. Gales and later intermittently
returned. As for Mitch Mitchell, the influential original drummer
with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, he drifted on and off the stage,
but in a secondary capacity, as an accent or accessory. The
principal drummer for most of the show was Chris Layton, a
resourceful and indefatigable presence.

Among the evening's more faithful evocations were a subdued "Little
Wing," featuring David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, and a
sprawling "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," featuring the raucous
blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Even better along these lines,
though, was Jonny Lang, working in tandem with Aerosmith's Brad
Whitford on a powerhouse version of "Fire." Though hardly the most
dazzling guitarist on the bill, Mr. Lang was among the better
singers, and he threw himself headlong into the songs: he got
equally strong results out of "Spanish Castle Magic" and "The Wind
Cries Mary."

Still, it was a pair of elder bluesmen who brought the show to its
logical conclusion. Hubert Sumlin, an acknowledged influence on
Hendrix, infused "Killing Floor" with spindly commentary, working
with and against the groove. And Buddy Guy, in a track suit and a
fedora, set out to mop the floor with everyone who had preceded him.
There was not a speck of deference in his playing: not on his own
slow-drag tune, "Out in the Woods," and not even on "Red House," a
blues song written by Hendrix. But his defiant charisma felt true to
the spirit of the moment, and so did his scary authority. His was
the kind of experience that counts.

Experience Hendrix continues at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia on
Thursday, and at the Fox Theater in Detroit on Saturday;
experiencehendrixtour.com.

NYC Tammy and Ang Here We Come!

NYC Tammy And Ang Here We Come!



John Lennon's apartment courtyard



We Stopped For Dinner Next To The Venue


Getting Ready For The Show And We Are So Early!!





I was so excited to get to New York City to see Tammy and Angela ...two of my close friends from Ca. They were in NY for Ang's birthday and we were going to the show together.
We left CT around 11 and headed for NY. the mileage isn't that far, but maneuvering a tour bus through NY in another story! It took forever! We finally got to our hotel and were met at the bus door by Bobby...our personal quality control manager. When you are tired and in a hurry all you want is to get to the room and not hear the whole story about what a wonderful choice you have made. Bobby takes us up and we find we all have separate apartments and they are really cute. He then wants to have us to look at each bathroom that he has personally and proudly inspected for our convince. He tells us about all the best grocery shopping and as soon as we have the babies settled Haylie is off to the market. While she is away I start checking the immaculate kitchen to see what we have in terms of pans and silverware and I find the cleanest neatest drawers I have ever opened. I decided Bobby really loved his job and maybe I had been a bit too hard on him and his zealous attitude in the beginning. I decided Bobby was definitely an eagle.

The girls arrived with two Friends who had also flown to NY to share in the birthday celebration. I had never met them, but a friend of the girls is also a friend of mine. I met Mia and Nikki and they came in to see the babies before leaving.
Great surprise the girls have a driver and an SUV. WHAT A LUXURY!!!
We get to the crowded venue and pull out the golden ticket and we are in!

We all have the next day off, so we decide to take a subway AND a walk through Central Park to the girls GORGEOUS apartment. It was a wonderful day!!

another review
Posted by: "Ms. Andrea" andreajanelle@hotmail.com jlangrox
Date: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:47 am ((PDT))

Here's another review from the Hendrix tour... notice anything wrong
with the article?





At Palace In Waterbury, The Night Was Jimi's
By JACK CORAGGIO | Special to The Courant
October 21, 2008
If Jimi Hendrix looked down at the Palace Theater in Waterbury on
Sunday night and saw the spectacular "Experience Hendrix" tribute
concert being held in his honor it's almost certain he would have
thought the entire show fantastically surreal.

And he'd have been right.

It was one of those shows that makes the younger generations of
Hendrix fans rue the post-Jimi decade in which they were born, be it
the 1970s, '80s or even '90s. Because if the three-hour, 23-song set,
performed by a battalion of some of the greatest rock and blues
artists alive today, is any indicator of what it was like to see the
man perform, then all the stories that came back from Woodstock and
the Isle of Wight are true: Jimi Hendrix was a musical demigod.

But the weight of his own id-shattering music probably isn't what
would've blown Hendrix's mind so much as seeing two of his biggest
influences, blues legends Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy, stand side by
side as they pulled the exaggerated sounds of Hendrix's
lingering "Red House" out of their respective guitars.



Then Hendrix likely would have, um, experienced a certain tinge of
nostalgia, seeing two of his former band mates, drummer Mitch
Mitchell and latter-era bassist Billy Cox, once again hold rhythm on
some of their biggest hits, such as openers "Purple Haze," "Stone
Free" and "Angel."

And he probably would've welled up with pride upon seeing the
considerable impact his music has had on the landscape of
contemporary blues-rock artists. Like when former guitar prodigy
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, only 27, brought the crowd to its feet with his
take on the guitar solo vehicle "Voodoo Chile."

Or when the evening was wrapping up, and Guy (who was having the time
of his life on stage) and 31-year-old guitarist Jonny Lang faced off
in a friendly call-and-respond, old vs. new duel on closer "Hey Joe."

In total, almost 20 musicians put on their best Hendrix imitations.
This cast also included Brad Whitford of Aerosmith and guitar giants
Eric Johnson and Eric Gales. Guy had the license to play some of his
own material, such as "Skin Deep," an Aaron Neville-style blues
ballad preaching racial harmony. Other than that, the night belonged
to Jimi.

What an experience.

Read the Signs!

READ THE SIGN'S!

Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
Hubert Sumlin (He was Jimi Hendrix's early influence)
and Jonny at the Providence, RI Show



From the side stage at Providence, RI


I love this old window


Local building


From the bus


I just realised it's very important to read the little notes that hotels seem to clutter around the room. They bother me because I hate messes and I usually gather them up, and put them away when I am setting up my room.
My point here is that Haylie came in my room and saw my used towels on the floor, under the vanity area. She asked if I had read my note regarding towels? Of course I hadn't read the note, and I was shocked to find out what the note said:
If you want clean towels replaced, make sure all you dirty towels are placed in the BATHTUB.
All others will be folded and put back on the racks.
*Trust me I will always read the signs before I put them away!

Other than the towel adventure, I am wonderful and having a great time, yet I am homesick. I miss Ashley and Otis and Home. I miss my dear friends, I miss church I miss The Stand on Monday nights and I miss my DVR. I miss many things, so that is just a small list.
I am in Waterbury, CT tonight and leaving tomorrow morning for NY. As you might have guessed Buses are not welcome anywhere in NYC, nor at the hotel. The plan is that we have to have everything ready to go out the door the minute the bus pulls in front of the hotel. It's like a fire drill, Jon jumps out and opens the bay under the bus and pulls out the stroller. We load the stroller, pass down the babies, grab our own stuff and the bus pulls out. That may not sound like much work, but trust me it is!!

I did laundry yesterday here at the hotel. I have never done laundry at a hotel and I don't think it ever crossed my mind that hotels had laundry facilities. I met Hector, a pastry chef from West Texas, in the laundry mat...we plan to share recipes.

Today there was no show, so we decided to go to the mall. It's funny that most malls look the same, so it kind of makes you feel like you are home when you step into one. Today I walked in the Brass Creek Mall and it looked just like Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks with the stores rearranged, and a lower floor, which we don't have at our mall.
I am so excited because we are going to be seeing some very dear friends in NY. tomorrow night at the show. Tammy and Angela are in NY for Ang's birthday. Also Haylie's best friend from elementary school, Jennifer. It will be so wonderful to see everyone!

The Golden Ticket

THE GOLDEN TICKET

All Access Laminates are the golden ticket into a show, without one you can go nowhere. With one of these little pieces of plastic, you all of a sudden have power to get past any of the scary security guards. You can go backstage, you can eat and you can visit with anyone as long as you flash that pass. It's like the "easy button" you see on the Staples commercials.
Sure wish it worked in real life. I'd love to go to Disneyland and flash my laminate and the person running the ride would say, oh you have All Access, go ahead to the front of the line!

Hello Sam Gato!!!

Sam and Saylor


Sam and Saylor


Scotty


My dear friend Sam lives in Boston and we had planned to see the show together. As you know things don't always go as you planned and of course that happened tonight.
The venue wasn't equipped to hold all our buses, so we were left at the hotel parking lot. That is Haylie the babies and I...not Jonny. Sam and a friend were going to the show, but they drove out to see us before the show started.
It was so wonderful to see Sam again and meet his friend Scotty. Sam's Mom made homemade blueberry cake for us, with berries from her backyard. Oh my gosh it was WONDERFUL!!!!
I will so blessed to have such wonderful friends who come out to see us while we are traveling...Thanks Sam!!!!

First Reviews Are Out!!

Blazing guitars give fans the Hendrix experience at the Palace

By MICHAEL HUBER, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, October 18, 2008

ALBANY — Jimi Hendrix played to a nearly packed house at the Palace
Theatre in Albany Thursday night.

OK. I know Hendrix has been dead for 38 years, and while he wasn't at
the Palace, his music and his legacy were in full force. "Experience
Hendrix" brought an ever-changing roster of musicians to perform his
iconic music, in all its sonic magic and distortion.

Eric Gales, who played straight-up renditions of "Purple Haze"
and "Foxey Lady," and Eric Johnson, who captured the virtuosity
of "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced," and the other
guitarists had to find a comfort zone in playing their signature
styles while also paying homage to Hendrix.

The most exciting performances came from Jonny Lang, 27, who blazed
through "Fire," with Aerosmith's Brad Whitford, and Kenny Wayne
Shepherd, 31, who brought the crowd to its feet with his extended
solo on "Voodoo Child."

The most nostalgic moment wasn't when 77-year-old Hubert Sumlin, an
early influence on Hendrix, traded solos with Buddy Guy; it was when
Hendrix bandmates — drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox —
joined Guy for "Red House" and "Hey Joe."

It's impossible to consider rock music without the considerable
influence of Hendrix. You hope the young guns backstage were
listening and learning, and ready to carry on Jimi's legacy.

The Times Union covered the concert with a Twitter feed, short items
sent to the Web immediately from the hall. Excerpts from
http://twitter.com/albanytuarts follow:

Show starts with the tick-tock of signature riff of "Purple Haze"
played on Gales's Gibson Les Paul, strung upside down like Hendrix.

"Foxy Lady" with the first behind the back guitar solo.

They give Johnson both "Axis: bold as love" and "are you experienced"
makes sense he plays these more technically challenging songs.

Johnny Lang and Aerosmith's Brad Whitford rip through "Fire." My
cover band played that song at every one of our gigs. All 5 of them!

Concert factoid: trucker cap-wearing Brad Whitford is really really
short!

Buddy Guy, in a blue track suit topped with a fedora, joined by
Hubert Sumlin, in a comfy gray suit and matching fedora.

"Red House" with Whitford and Guy on guitars, Cox on bass and vocals
and Mitchell. Close as I'll ever be to a Hendrix concert.


Music review

"EXPERIENCE HENDRIX"

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany

Crowd: Sold out and hollering for more

Albany, NY : Old friends and fabulous weather

Albany, NY
Me with Kendra



Jim and Kendra
Albany, NY



The lovely dining room





We got into Albany and parked for the night. What a gorgeous place to wake up too!!
One of my dearest friends, Kendra Dew, (http://kendradew.com/main.html)originally from Michigan, was driving there to meet us. She actually got married two years ago and had moved to Vermont, so we haven't seen each other in almost three years. Also, we had not had the pleasure of meeting her new husband.
They arrived about 2PM and it was wonderful!! We talked, laughed, ate, had a photo shoot with Haylie and the babies... I forgot to mention that Kendra is an unbelievable photographer, who was instrumental in Haylie and Ashley's early days of acting and modeling. Her new husband Jim is also a very talented photographer, I will try and find his website to add later.
The old theater in Albany was just beautiful and restored to perfection. Again the place was sold out and there was so much excitement from the waiting crowds of fans.
We had dinner in the basement of the old theater, and it was there that certainly couldn't hid the many years that it had been standing. It seems funny to me that that millions of dollars are spent on restoration of places like this, yet the entire artist area is old, with frayed wires taped in all directions and just a mess. Still it was so exciting to be there.
I took Kendra and Jim to the side of the stage to watch the opening of the show. Eric Gales opened with Purple Haze and the crowd went wild. As fun as it was to watch within 20' of the performers from the sidelines, I think you lose so much of the sound and not being part of the synergy when sitting in the audience.
Later we returned to see Jonny, but this time we watched from the balcony. We had no seats, but again in this venue they allowed us to stand about anywhere we desired.

The day and evening were so wonderful, but the goodbyes were so hard!!!
Bye Kendra and Jim and thanks so much for driving such a distance to see us!!
Back on the road heading for Providence, RI.

The Town's shut down, but there will be music!

The Town's Shut Down, But There Will Be Music!


The Official Jimi Hendrix/ Gibson Guitar
Bus






A water slide in the parking lot!





The first show is nearing the end, to a sold-out crowd. The venue is amazing and there isn't a bad seat in the place. They have hundreds of assigned seats, but they also let you stand which, I think is a great thing. So many venues are so strict about keeping the walkways clear. If you happen to stop, you'd think you were out on a basketball court and you were receiving a penalty.
This is the first show of the tour and you would be surprised at the small amount of time each musician is given to rehearse. It just shows that these musicians are the :
"real deal", and not like so many performers that are out there today. You have to be good to have less than an hour to rehearse before a show of this caliber!
Eric Johnson played before Jonny and he is a ridiculous guitar player!!
Jonny came out next with: Fire, Wind Cries Mary and Spanish Castle Magic. The crowd was screaming and on their feet for his entrance...he's my favorite as well, in case you don't already know that! LOL
Kenny Wayne Shepard came out after Jonny and he was fabulous.
I had to miss the rest of the show because I wanted to come out to the bus and watch what was left of the debates. I do find it hard to listen to the debates and write this blog, so I guess I should end right now.
We are all so excited because our dear friend Kendra Dew and her husband of two years are driving from Vermont tomorrow to meet us in Albany, NY. We haven't seen her is so many years and we have never met her almost new husband. She is also bringing her camera to do a special photo shot on the babies!!!
Back again tomorrow.

Hampton Beach, NH

Hampton Beach, NH

It's Beautiful Here!





We got to the hotel in NH this morning and the minute I stepped off the bus I was in heaven!! The brisk wind hit my face and I was so happy to finally be able to wear a coat in the daytime. The ocean was across the street from the hotel and the town looked like like Amity in a scene out of Jaws.
We checked into the hotel and then walked to the venue. All the quaint little store fronts that faced the ocean were either locked or boarded up for the winter. It's funny to think that there are places that actually close up for an entire season. Do they still pay the same amount of rent...I wonder?
We got to the venue and I can't tell you the excitement I felt. The musicians were just starting to rehearse and the sound was amazing! Jonny says this is one of his favorite places to play. I could just feel the history when I walked inside.
I took lots of pictures of the almost deserted venue which will be in full swing tomorrow.

Boston, we will be back!

111 Chop House


Dennis and Peach


Raimy on the bus


Frank and Peach


Peach getting ready for bed

Tonight is the eve of the Hendrix tour!! We leave in the morning for Hampton Beach, NH and Jonny will start rehearsing with the band and meeting all the guys on the tour.
Earlier we went to dinner with our dear friend Frank who lives here in Boston. He showed up in his SUV with two brand new car seats for the babies...what a class act!!
He then took us to one of his favorite restaurants called 111 Chop House. It was DELICIOUS!!! Actually the executive chef is the brother-in-law of our road manager, Greg.
Not much more to report tonight...sleep tight!

You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School

If you know me well, then you have heard me say this numerous times:
YOU CAN'T SEND A DUCK TO EAGLE SCHOOL
It is my favorite analogy of customer service.

What it means is that you can't teach someone to want to serve; you can't teach people to smile; you can't teach personality...but you can hire people who have these qualities and teach them about your product or company.
If your companies mission is to climb trees, which would you rather do: Hire a squirrel or train a horse?
Attitude isn't everything, but it's pretty dare close.
You wonder why I am writing this tonight?? It all has to do with the lack of service and rude staff in the hotel, where we are staying tonight. I feel if they can't try to accommodate people staying here, then they shouldn't be in business. Your staff represents your entire company and in my opinion they need to take that responsibility seriously.
I'm just venting here, but I do believe if someone from the corporate office payed a visit to this place, there would be quite a few desk clerks looking for a new job.
No pictures tonight because this has been a very hard day, but I am looking forward to a wonderful day tomorrow!

We're in Baltimore

Going out for a walk


The Spanx Convention was in town



Haylie wanted Taco Bell, Dennis wanted KFC
They found them both in one location


Oh, A Waffle House



Me with Emily and Ted on the Cracker Barrel porch


Ted and Emily's front porch


We actually got a bit further last night that we thought and ended up in Dunn, North Carolina. Our driver got a room and we spent the night in The Hampton Inn parking lot. I have found that most parking lots look pretty much the same, regardless of the city.
Today we made it to Baltimore and our driver stopped to sleep. We will be here until 1:30AM, and then driving all night. It's so much better for all of to be asleep during the drive and stopped during the day to explore new places.
Right now we are parked next to a Cracker Barrel. I didn't eat there today, because I guess the excitement of the Cracker Barrel has dimmed a bit for me. I did go to the gift shop and I found some wonderful table decorations. They were part of the Halloween collection, but I can use them all year round as much as I entertain when at home.
While sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch of the Cracker Barrel, I met a wonderful couple by the name of Ted and Emily. They live nearby and we walked over to their home this evening. Ted is a retired Navy Seal and Emily sells Cookie Lee Jewelry in her spare time. It's funny that you can find friends anywhere, if you just look.

We waved Goodbye to the Wonderful World of Disney

Do you think we can put this under the bus??



I miss my beautiful OTIS REDDING!!!!



Tammy, Lola, Anvil and me...
YOU ARE MISSED TAM AND LOLA!



Haylie and the babies



Leilani and Jonathan...I MISS YOU!!!



Today we waved goodbye not only to the Wonderful World of Disney, but also to the big red bus, the crew, the band and Jonny. The guys left for AZ to finish Jonny's tour.
We added a couple of passengers and we are headed for Boston.
Passengers you ask? Yes, our road manager Greg's wife Leslie, and their 3 1/2 year old daughter Trin. They live in Boston and took a Disney Vacation while the band was in Florida.
We left the hotel around 1:30 and we just had dinner at a Cracker Barrel in Savannah, Georgia. Larry, our driver is planing to stop in Brawley, S. Carolina tonight.
I am missing all friends so badly!!! If you are reading this you know who you are! LOL
I wish Ashley could be with us, but she is working on The Mentalist, this week.
We are all sitting is the moving bus on our computers...I LOVE MY NEW COMPUTER!!!

I don't have many pictures from today, so I will be adding a few random shots.

Epcot and Wild Animal Park

Twin Buses

Proud Grandma!

Cousin It's Wife

Epcot Venue

Me with Haylie and the precious babies

We are still in Florida and it is very hot here! Jon did three shows at Epcot yesterday and he will do three again today. The babies loved being able to watch Daddy on stage. We also saw a very strange fan, as you will see the picture. She was sitting in back of me at the show yesterday. All of a sudden I turned back around and she had all her hair over her face, with her glasses over her hair, like cousin it of the Adams Family. I grabbed my camera because I didn't want to miss this one!

The heat about killed us and I honestly don't know how Jon can sing in such temperatures. Haylie the babies and I decided to walk around Epcot and wait for the third set to be finished. I somehow got separated from them and a huge rain started. It was like buckets of water. I couldn't find Haylie and the concert was over, so I decided to make a run for the buses. That was a mistake! LOL By the time I ran the equivalent of about four long blocks I was drenched to my underwear and my makeup was running down my neck...not a pretty site! I was most concerned about saving my phone and camera. Thankfully I had extra clothes on the bus to change into. Haylie had taken shelter in a store,and was able to keep the babies pretty dry. They all made it back to the bus in about an hour.
It was so wonderful to get back to my hotel room and in my comfy fluffy bed.
We will be back on the bus tomorrow.