She came here from Memphis...

I can't recall a better time I've had in Memphis than this one. St. Patrick's Day. Music and shiz going on. So stoked I was able to play tour guide with some new people around town. This was everyone's day off, band and followers included. Which was a sweet reprieve from driving all over God's green earth.

Highlight of the entire night/day: watching some random dude do Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath at a karaoke dive on Beale, complete with flute parts and everything. Yes, he brought his own flute. This dude meant business.

I was way too ambitious with my drinking plans, and pushed the envelope way too far. Which meant that I didn't end the night with my usual ritual of ending up on the roof of the Peabody admiring the river and Autozone Park. I ended up facedown on my bed back at the hotel, dreaming/hallucinating that some guy at said karaoke bar had done a song and played an accordion. Oy vey. How was I ever gonna explain this one to myself in the morning?

That said, the next day I spent a good majority of the morning/afternoon driving back home to take care of a few things that I'd let slip past me before I left for Nashville. Got back soon enough, and got ready for the show.

I knew Minglewood Hall was bad news the first time I ever laid eyes on it. The place is set up so wiggity-whack, and there were too many things going on at once for it to be conducive to a good show. The last time I was there was for their grand opening/Old Crow Medicine Show/Felice Brothers. I remember only the beginning of the show, as I had had only *A* beer, the rest of the night was a blank. I spent the next three days recovering from leg cramps and a hazy memory, took myself to the doctor and had a drug test done. Somebody had dosed my drink. I do, however, remember the cheeseburger I had on the way home. It was decent at best.

Moving on....
Whit and I decided not to wait in line for the GA section. I knew it was gonna be crowded and hot, and we spent only the first few songs somewhere in the middle of the crowd. The venue was serving food, as well as 4 or 5 different lines for beer. There were random sections of seats set up around the place, and even a section of tables and chairs for folks to sit at. What the fuck was going on in this place? I'm pretty certain a good half of the crowd spent the entire show outside smoking, as I came up for air once to go outside and smoke during the set break and had to shoulder my way in between people to make it to the balcony railing for a decent breath of fresh air. 16 songs and a mere hour and a half later, it was all over and done with. I've been to a shit ton of shows in Memphis, and while the crowds for decent sized acts teeter between model-like indifference and just downright rude behavior, this crowd took the cake for the most appallingly bad crowd I've ever been a part of. People were pissed for sure coming out of the show, but I found myself not being able to blame the band. I'd have probably done the same thing if I was in their position. They should have been playing somewhere set up for their kind of show. This was a friggin' three ring circus. This show wasn't even a drop in the bucket compared to when the boys were here in '07 doing their blue cave runs. That show was stellar, included Carolina Rain, and a super-attentive, thoughtful audience.

Setlist via Brandon (thesweetillusions.blogspot.com) and RAA.

Minglewood Hall
03/18/09:

SETLIST
On Stage: 8:38 pm
1. Let it Ride
2. Two
3. Mockingbird
4. Goodnight Rose
5. Fix It
6. Peaceful Valley
7. Evergreen
8. Grand Island (NC)
9. Beautiful Sorta
10. Blue Hotel

Set Break approx 9:40 pm
On Stage 9:53 pm

11. Everybody Knows
12. Come Pick Me Up
13. Freeway to the Canyon (NC)
14. Natural Ghost
15. Shakedown
16. Easy Plateau
17. Magick

Off Stage 10:26 pm

A better day was a'comin'...