OK, on with the new post....
Ahhhh, sleeping in! And laundry facilities to boot! Add a good cup of coffee and that's just about a perfect day on the road. After a late hotel check-out and a quick drive to the venue I have time to attempt Christmas shopping. I know WHAT I'm looking for and have hope the massive Macy's across the street will meet my needs. I am mistaken... I walk in from the cold and am greeted by all of humanity, but they're well dressed and in the holiday spirit. This store is eight floors of shopping love... and I'm pretty sure they have a large warehouse somewhere just to store the Christmas decorations during the off season. After escaping Macy's I move on to Sears and deduce all Sears' shoppers are at Macy's. I head back to the venue, empty handed...
The Chicago Theater is an ornate concert hall built in the 1920s and is said to be the first movie/vaudeville theater in the United States. It was saved from demolition a few years back and today serves as an anchor entertainment facility in the heart of Chicago. Indeed, Jerry Seinfeld took the stage of the 3,600 capacity hall the night before our show.
The Concert Poster Outside the Chicago Theater
The Catering Line
It's show time and the hall is nearly full as we make our way down the three flights of stairs to the stage. The stairways are a who's who of autographs and at times, pop art. Who knows if Joel Grey's signature for Cabaret is authentic... maybe, maybe not... but you can rest assured OUR signatures are the real deal.
A Sample of the Prolific Artwork/Grafitti in the Chicago Theater's Hallways
Playing goes well again. Ned's pedal board isn't working and forces some adjustments on his part, but the audience doesn't know or care as we quickly move through our seven songs. While leaving stage I succumb to a request from the front row for a drum stick... it helped that the request came from a young woman (though not as lovely as Natalie).
After signing CDs in the lobby we get packed up and depart the Windy City on our way to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. At 4:00 a.m. we stop at a Days Inn for the night, well positioned for an easy drive to the venue.
Up at the crack of noon and in the van at 1:00 p.m. We arrive Kansas City in relative balmy weather and get set for our next to last show for this leg of the tour. Our set goes really well and we have a few folks who give us a standing ovation as we leave the stage. That feels pretty damn good... And we sell and sign at least 20 CDs post-set... with comments about being "tight" and "full of energy. That's how we like it.
The Audience at Kansas City
And now... another late night drive. This time halfway across Kansas on our way to Denver.
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