Hey guys!
Okay, first of all, to drumaddix, John (JoesMechanic) and Zak, I'm TOTALLY sorry I didn't get a chance to hang with you guys! I spent a good HOUR stuck on a damn broken-down Ferry between Alameda and Oakland on Saturday afternoon, so I was a little fried and ended up having to go back to the hotel to decompress a bit before the show. I looked around for anyone I could recognize after the show, but after the "incident" I just decided to head back to the hotel. I REALLY would've liked to hook up with you guys, though. It's always nice to find some kindred spirits!
Now, on to my Vinnie Experience!! As many of you may know, I was there for ALL FOUR nights, for the second set each night. The early part of Saturday's performance was a great indication of the rest of the weekend. All 5 guys had an INCREDIBLE time onstage and were all very very happy to have been involved with the project.
I actually hung out after the show Friday night to try to at least shake Vinnie's hand and tell him how much I appreciated his influence. He was talking to some other folks when I approached, so I just kinda hung back and waited my turn. When he was finished with the people he was talking to, the club had pretty much cleared out and a few of the other guys had already headed back to the hotel and bid farewell to Vinnie for the evening. Rather than saying hi and edging toward the Green Room, Vinnie (who was standing onstage at this time) actually walked over and SAT DOWN on the edge of the stage and proceeded to engage me in a coversation not unlike that of a couple of old friends.
Over the course of that evening and next few nights, I spoke with Vinnie a few times and he remembered my name every time I saw him after Friday night and actually missed me on Saturday when I didn't hang around to chat with him after the show. (I figured I'd give him some space, since he had a fairly rough end of the evening.)
All of the times I talked to him over the weekend, I found him to be incredibly gracious, personable, and genuine. Several times during our conversations, I gave him his window out in case he was looking for one ("...I'm sorry, Vinne, I won't take any more of your time, you probably want to take off...") and each time he dismissed it and continued to chat with me as if there was nowhere else he'd rather be.
It's often risky to meet your biggest influence, or someone you know only by their art, since your view of them can be terrifically skewed by an in-person meeting. My conversations with Vinnie, however, left me with an even higher opinion of Vinnie the man, and the shows left me with a similarly increased view of Vinnie the musician. The way he and the other guys onstage interacted was mind-boggling, especially considering their limited amount of time for preperation, and each set was organic and ever-changing, and never static.
I shall do my best to post a few of the pics I managed to snap (I cleared it with Bill Evans beforehand, and STILL got some static from the bouncer!!). Again, sorry I didn't get a chance to chat with any of my fellow HOD'ers when I was out, but judging by this experience, I might have to do it again someday soon!!
Pete
P.S. I won't divulge my entire conversation(s) with Vinnie, as I felt he was being open and candid with me and I'd hate to break any confidence I was afforded with him, but I CAN offer a little nugget for everyone: He was flying to Chicago TODAY to record a PBS special with George Duke, Marcus Miller, and Lee Ritenour!! Keep an eye on those TV listings!!
Okay, here are the pics:
(Sorry, they're all from pretty much the same angle and are kinda blurry...still haven't figured out the damn Digital Camera in low light, yet...)
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/peterb....beg=3&.src=ph
(And no wisecracks about the Minnesota boy's sunburn!! It's a long freakin' walk from the USS Hornet to the Alameda Ferry Dock!)
Fantastic review Canarsie!
"Star struck" truly is the perfect caption for those pictures. To me it sounds as though you had a great time. You are right in not sharing the conversations you had with Vinnie. Those memories are yours only and you will remember them all your life. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Pete,
Thanks for the post and the pictures!
Are you in the NAV?
Andy
Thanks for the comments, I truly did have a great time! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!
Um...in the words of Denzel in "Philadelphia", "talk to me like I'm 5 here.." What's a "NAV"???
Oh and for the record, when I realized that most if not all of the HOD'ers were at the Saturday show, I worried a bit about how the show would be viewed after the Cameraman Incident. I should've known you would all understand Vinnie's perspective and post positive reviews accordingly! It reminded me why I came to this board in the first place!!
Pete,
You had mentioned that you walked from the USS Hornet.
NAV = Navy
Andy
Cool post Canarsie,
I'm very sad we didn't get a chance to hook up at the gig, but it seems it went well for you anyhow. Howd you like all the brutha's and their pimped out rides on parade?? [img]wink.gif[/img]
I can totally relate to your ferry experience. It seems like everywhere we tried driving to, we got lost because we took a wrong turn here or there. I saw the pic of the golden gate, we got to see it too when taking the bay cruise. The San Francisco weather was to die for (sunny and 70 degrees) especially coming back to 105 degrees in good ol Chatsworth, the capitol of porn.
I had e-mailed Vince about you and everyone from HOD showing up in hopes that he would come out and spend some time with all of us. It's a cool thing when you get to hang with him and he opens up. He's a very honest and intellectual fellow. I really like the way he mentally processes stuff, regardless of what the topic is at hand. Needless to say, it comes out in his drumming too!!
Glad you had a good time and you'll certainly be welcome in my neck of the woods anytime.
HOD ROCKS!! [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
Great reviews and pictures! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us, who could not attend. I'm looking forward to getting the next Jing Chi CD.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cheap foam ear plug inserts, like the kind target practice / gun-range goer's use... [img]wink.gif[/img]Originally posted by Zak Morton:
Ah those trains, lol.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">COOL...let's indeed keep our collective eye's open 4 that...PBS special with George Duke, Marcus Miller, and Lee Ritenour!! Keep an eye on those TV listings!!
"The best musicans are theives that never get caught."
-Buddy Rich
...[the BR quote...I've been 'caught' a couple of times...but only mainly by other drummers...] /;cp
...so has Gregg...*ka-BLUSHda*...*ahem,* kazeundheit, bless me... [img]wink.gif[/img]
VC used his white Gretsch kit with Chick when he did double-drum duties with Dave W, in Saratoga NY at the summer Friehofer's Jazz Fest '03. The 2 mounted toms were on the BD & the 2 FTs were on legs, just like the MDF 2000 DVD w Karizma.
He was a pleasure to talk with after the Lincoln Center show in NYC 2 days b4. Very affable & genuinely listening...amazing, for such a music 'star.' ;c) [img]cool.gif[/img]
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 27, 2005 02:59 PM: Message edited by: got_a_match_grip? ]</font>
Oh yeah!! I got another nugget from Jimmy Haslip himself: new Jing Chi CD next year!! (Not that it's been written, recorded, or mixed yet, but with those guys it probably only takes an afternoon to put it together!!)
Sorry Andy, I'm still a little goofed up from the sunburn!! I'm not a Navy man, I'm really just a big WWII and Apollo buff. Since the Hornet was both a WWII Carrier AND the recovery vessel for both Apollo 11 and 12, it was a must-visit for me!! (Next time I'll take a cab, though!!)
John, my ears are STILL ringing not only from the parade-o-subwoofers, but also from the omnipresent TRAINS that went by every 5 minutes!!! Made sleeping damn near impossible, since my hotel was only 2 blocks down..... Next time I'll stay in San Fran!!
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