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Earth, Wind & Fire and Water, Lex Luthor & A Fresh Tie.

Hey,
just back from the Earth, Wind & Fire/Chicago double headlining bill at the Greek. The show used an interesting concept. Even though they were filming the whole night for a DVD, both bands came on stage together and ran through a couple of songs. Then they actually flipped a coin to see who would "headline" and who would "open." EW&F lost the toss and took the stage first. Their set was pure joy. Lots of exuberance from their wild bass player, Verdine White and stratospheric vocals from Phillip Bailey. Sadly no appearance from founder Maurice White (Although, I did see Maurice last month at a screening of Fahrenheit 9/11). The songlist included "Fantasy," "Reasons," "Got To Get You Into My Life," & "Let's Groove."

Intermission was spent in the VIP lounge (better known as the "Cheese Room"); chatted briefly with "Smallville's" Michael Rosenbaum. He plays Lex Luthor on the show and is a rabid Chicago fan. I also got a smile from Macy Gray while waiting at the bar. But, Macy was not pleased that the cheese trays and food were taken away just as she made her way to the buffet table. Hey, peoples from Canton gotta eat, too.

I have no idea who people think I am. It's kinda neat though to walk into a room and have everyone glance your way and whisper to friends or smile knowingly. I'm not (so) narcissistic or (extraordinarily) vain, but this happens everywhere I go in town. No lie. I'd love to know who they think this is. Or maybe they already do. I just hope that they think I'm somebody without a criminal record. I did look sharp tonight. Black jacket, sea green shirt and blue and gold tie.
People... let's all start looking as important as we are. This ain't just for the stupidly rich. Dress for the job you want. Dress for the life you want. Wanna go shopping, call me.

Chicago actually impressed me (Mark!). They played some of the schmaltzy 80's hits, but stuck mostly with their early 70's jazz influenced hits like "Saturday In The Park" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" For the finale, both groups took the stage again. A total of 19 players. It was a wild finish which included "Shining Star" and a thunderous "25 or 6 to 4."

After the show it was back to the Cheese Room. I got to meet and speak briefly with Rock Hall member Ralph Johnson percussionist and singer for EW&F who's been with the group since '72. Can you imagine playing with a spectacular group for 30+ years? I didn't get to meet too many professional musicians as a kid. So I really cherish moments were I get a tiny bit of one-on-one time with people whose music has influenced me. Mr. Johnson was very nice and was thankful that I had enjoyed the show. I told him likewise.

I'm done.
Love, Power, Peace!

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