The
Sit 'N Bull Pub - Maynard, Massachusetts, 8/12/2000
The last show of the tour was one of the best. Dave feels at home at the Sit
'N Bull, like he's with family and he can let his hair down a bit.
Peter Bochner opened the show by acknowledging several fans who had been
to every Dave show that he's had at the S'nB. How many shows is that now,
Peter? Ten or so? Every one has been great, and by the way, Peter and his
partner Ted have gotten better and better at handling the logistics of putting
on a Dave show. The seating arrangement at this three shows was the best yet.
There was no opening band, which, after the assault of the three openers
of the night before, was a welcome relief for the Traveling RDFs.
Again, Dave dedicated "Please Help Me I'm Falling in Love With You" to Jill
Brand who had prepared another perfect Indian feast for His Daveness.
Dave hadn't played "Strangers" on this tour yet, and not only did he sing
it beautifully, but he dedicated it to Leslie and Fritz in honor of their
upcoming marriage.
Dave also played "Hold My Hand" for the first time this tour, a real treat.
"Young and Innocent Days" sounds better all the time. There are some songs
that The Ravens do better than the original Kinks version, and this is one.
Dave's voice and Jim Laspesa's voice are a beautiful blend and they sound
so sweet together on this song.
There was another "Fortis Green" joke. Instead of meowing, we all barked
and howled. Meanwhile Olga had put earplugs up her nose and Dave said to her:
umm, well, it wasn't clean so I can't repeat it. Let it suffice to say that,
between the barking and Olga's walrus imitation, the entire band were all
laughing too hard to perform for a couple of seconds.
Leslie and I have a tradition at Dave shows where we give him a bouquet
of flowers at the end of the show. Tonight I pulled my bouquet apart and parceled
the flowers out to the members of the band instead. I thought the baffled,
then immediately flattered look on Jonathan Lea's face was very sweet. (Gee,
guys, it's just a thank you for a job well done.)
Great music reaches into our hearts and illuminates truths about ourselves
in different and creative ways, and the songs of Dave Davies, Ray Davies,
and The Kinks, as interpreted by Dave Davies and his band, do that for me
more than any other music I have ever encountered. I am very grateful for
the demise of The Kinks, because it has allowed Dave to come into his own
as a solo performer and singer.
This tour was full of fun moments, both musically and personally, but the
one that stands out in my mind was driving along Rte. 95 somewhere just over
the Connecticut line with Leslie, Fritz and David on our way to the show,
when the driver of another car pulled up next to us and started to gesture
at us frantically. I slowed down, David rolled down the passenger window,
and the other driver asked: "Where do I get one of those bumper stickers?"
"From me," said David, and we pulled off at the next exit and met the guy
at a gas station, and gave him the RDF Recruitment Drill. We gave him a "The
Kinks" bumper sticker, a "Dave Davies" window decal, a kopy of the Official
Dave Davies Fan Club newsletter, and the schedule for the rest of the tour.
The driver said that he'd just been listening to a Kinks tape that had "I'm
Not Like Everybody Else" on it, and when he saw a car driving along with a
bumper sticker with that song title on it (Frank Lima's famous bumper sticker),
he just knew it was more than just koincidence. It was kismet.
God Save The Kinks!
- Joanne Corsano
