Chapter 2: Moody things begin to happen...

Checked into what I had naively thought might be the Moodies� hotel, since it was near Mohawk Park and the golf course. While connecting with my friends, this became a big topic, "where are the Moodies staying?" Y was stuck with a room all to herself at the Crowne Plaza, and I almost went down there (should have) but I got the room at the Hilton Garden at the airport instead. Good God��� the hot tub turned out to be broken and cold, and I listened to military jets take off all night. NEVER AGAIN stay at a place next to the airport!

Once I got presentable, I went over a bit before we were supposed to meet for dinner, to check out the Brady. My father was a student of Bruce Goff, the architect allegedly in charge of the �40�s renovation of the Brady. Goff was one of the first openly Gay architects, and I think he was in love with my Dad; he certainly had a whole stable of young architects so no telling who really did the design inside � in passing, the design work on the Brady resembled no Goff work I have seen, except for the odd design in the middle of the House ceiling. The theater was terribly run down. If Tulsa ever has a good earthquake, I sure hope the Moodies aren�t playing in there at the time. I think the floors must have been wooden underneath (it vibrated like it was); plaster peeled off walls in spots, showing bricks underneath. The toilets leaked. In other words, it was a dump.

Back to nicer things. I hiked all around the Brady District, which was likewise a bit seedy. More thrilling to me was Cain�s Ballroom, just down the street. They had their own stars on the sidewalk out front ��� this was where Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys were based (Cain�s Academy then) a VERY famous place, and a lot of country stars had their names out there, including Arlo Guthrie, Eldon Shamblin (did I tell the story about Eldon and my Aunt Louise and their he�ing and she�ing at age 80? Should I?)

I talked to Mum and Dad about Cain�s in their lifetime. Apparently Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys would broadcast live from Cain�s Academy in the 30's, at the Noon Hour, every day, on Kay Bee Double Oh (KBOO). Everyone in radio range tuned in avidly, until Wills went to California and took some of his top players with him. Dad said they used to ditch school and go down to Tulsa to Cain�s. Bob Wills himself was alleged to be a horny old goat, and went through three or four wives. If you've seen Honky Tonk Man, and remember the scene where they talk to the guy in the radio station, that is Bob Wills.

Some young people were cuing up down the street to see other younger artists, so the Brady district is quite hep, and quite cultural. It is also safe now�. 30 years ago when my parents drove me through the area for the first time, it was a rough spot; being rednecks they called it a name that beings with an "N" and ends with "town". As I cruised through NOW I saw women in business suits, strolling down the street with no fear. Bars, restaurants, theatres etc. They are trying to make it a nightclub/arts district��� and with a few more years, the Tulsa chamber of commerce just might accomplish it. I liked the Mexicali restaurant, and the Spaghetti Factory a few blocks over got equally good reviews.

Cousin Joe says inside Cain�s Ballroom it�s all decked out just like a art deco 30�s ballroom, really nice. Glass bricks in the wall outside. That was the place his friend whipped out a joint and rolled it right on the table!

I could see the Crowne Plaza hotel just down the street, so I called up Y, and asked her if she was doing anything��.. Nope she was just hanging. So I headed over, and met her, what a nice gal! Y has been doing Moody fan stuff since the 80�s (before me!) and had great stories to tell. Once I saw the Crowne, yes I was sorry I hadn�t roomed with her, because it is a very nice hotel, not at all what I think of when I thought of downtown Tulsa. It also has security for the upper floors. Y had already spotted Moody roadies there. Things were looking up!

It was time to meet Renee-Marie, we called her and said we were headed down, she would meet us, and we decided to take different cars, as I had to drive back out to my hotel. It was just dark�.. I drove by the Brady parking lot one more time, just to be sure Renee didn�t go over there, there was one more car in the parking lot�.. Anyway I pulled out of the lot, and the other car pulled up next to me, a guy was in there, he motioned me to roll down window�� "Can I help you with anything?" he asked me. I figured he was a theatre manager. "Naw we�re not with the band, we�re just fans" I replied. It turned out HE was with the band, and was looking for buses and trucks. The lot was empty of all such things, apparently he had just arrived.

He looked a little lost and lonely himself, so I invited him to have dinner with us at the Mexicali, and he said "I just might do that". And I told him some other Moody crew had been spotted at the Crowne, so he headed out with a cell phone to his ear to contact the rest of his gang (he asked for my phone number and I gave it to him), and I went over to the restaurant to meet the girls.

Renee turned out to be just as nice as Y, and we ladies sat down to gossip. AND you betcha, our lost roadie showed up too! He was a cutie in a middle aged way (our ages, if not a little younger) we�ll call him Jack the Plumber (not his real name) he had flown in from SoCal, and is related to someone who records with the Moodies, so he was indeed "Moody family". Apparently he doesn�t work all shows, has in the past, works electrical a bit. Has driven Justin around. Later, Y seemed to think the guy wanted a date, but he said the magic words "my wife" so it was just fine the way it was. (I have enough of those sorts of troubles, no need to take on more!)

We turned out to be all air signs, which I found a bit cosmic (Y is a Gemini, Renee and Jack were Libra�s, and I�m an Aquarius). Naturally we girls were all stunned, and politely asked a few questions (Jack didn�t drink either, not even beer). Jack kept feeling us out, saying something about pbaub "being the point man" for the fan club (Jack posts on TER once in a while, tried to stay in touch with the fan base, "I�m a fan too" he said). I interjected at this point, that pbaub had hijacked the fan club as far as I was concerned, and doesn�t speak for us all A tall. .

This brought out some stories. Jack said he was working a Moody job a few years ago, and pbaub was caught backstage, along with a lady who matched the description of Bonnie (moodyballetdancer) (may not have even been her, who knows). Jack and some of the other crew spotted them, and the call went out "ahh� Security? Get these guys out of here!". I think Jack said about the time the Stage Manager showed up, it was time to be elsewhere, and he scuttled away, so he didn�t see the actual removal of pbaub and his friend. As he left, he could hear pbaub protesting, "But it�s ok, we�re friends of the band!"

Summation: I don�t remember verbatim what we discussed, but the general gist is that the band/crew are YES very aware of pbaub (he�s hard to miss) and he is not welcome backstage, nor ARE many fans (like NONE). Jack went on, at length, saying "Security is security", that it is NOT glamorous backstage (no news to me, I�ve worked theatre myself) and all it takes is one passive aggressive fan stubbing a toe, and the band could be sued up one side and down the other. It IS dangerous backstage. It�s grubby and dirty backstage. I know both pbaub and Bonnie claim to be "old theatre hands" but that just means they should know better.

While I was on the road, I exchanged some emails with another pen pal who told me Janet (Bonnie�s best friend, "forevermoody") has posted somewhere that SHE has a standing backstage pass to do photography (and this is no shock, as she and her husband are apparently professional photographers, and she's doing a job). She apparently flaunts it a bit on newsgroups. Its a funny thing, most people who DO work for the Moodies (like this roadie I barely met) tend to keep sorta low profiles from what I've noticed. I would suggest this falls into the same grouping as pbaub and his backstage guest: full of s**t. (Two or three shoots, and suddenly she's the "official photographer". Yeah). If they want to flame me for that� well I got it from the horse�s mouth, and if you haven�t figured it out yet, it�s pushy people who make the band so damn remote. Fans DON'T get backstage, unless it's a well supervised deal. End of story.

Jack did say the band was professional, Justin was very intelligent, and "They ARE British, they have walls within walls" it was not easy to be close or friends to them, for a casual crew member. No, sorry no Justin or John stories. (Some others, never mind). OOO I take it back, Jack said he got to set up the mike stands, and that Justin wants a tripod stand, not one of the round-base types. (like the one Graeme and/or Norda knocked over at some point). A report from "center audience" claimed Justin�s mike stand was wobbly at one show, so I guess Jack didn�t tighten something. OR remember, the Brady seems to have some wooden floors, so it could have been unstable that way too. I�m with Justin, I hate those round stands, they feel funny on your toes when you go up to them.

One story was that Mike Keyes, former road manager for the Moodies, was very ill, and of course, I think everyone (except old backstage crashers who ran afoul of him!) would want to wish him well. Jack was a very nice guy, but at the same time, (while telling some juicy stories), a very professional dude. I think I enjoyed this dinner evening the most out of my whole vacation, because everyone was ladies and gentlemen�. That ol� green eyed snipe monster tried to slip out a few times, but we firmly stuffed it back under the table. No goofiness, or real rudeness; "Jack" was very much a gentleman, and we girls were ladies. As I get older, I appreciate that sort of thing more. My very best regards to my dinner companions.

WELL after that shocking (exciting! :) evening, Renee, Y and I all split up, and went our ways. I think Renee found a Cherokee cultural center and got some cool basket weaving demos on Thursday. After a horrible noisy night (no sleep) I checked out of that dump Hilton, and took myself down to the Crowne, and split Y�s room with her. It really is a nice place, even if the lobby was full of arrogant Trophy Blondes, either married to rich men, or looking for a stray rich man to snag. (urgh). Have no idea if they were trolling for Moodies, or someone else. The Crowne complex (BOK building, Bank of Oklahoma) is sorta cool, there are sky bridges going over to what is apparently a TV station across the street, and other office spaces. Fun to explore.

(No Moody content) Chapter Three: Dec 11: Getting off the Track (Bartlesville)

(Moody content) Chapter Four: Dec 11: the show at the Brady, Tulsa