Gee what a big room! --old vaudevillan comment

Got to the Winstar around 5ish, met some other fans while wandering the huge huge casino looking for the box office���� found it, noticed the brown tour bus parked WAY out in the lot, with the sides extended. No gear trucks in sight, but of course, there was a huge area at the back of the monster building where all sorts of things could be hidden and parked securely.

Inside the Casino is huge, and is divided up into many sections, one is Roman, a London Big Ben is on the outside, another is Chinese (and THAT has four huge crystalline dragons hanging from the ceiling, I LOVED them). One of the security dudes told me they planned to open up more sections "under construction". He also said, that being so close to Texas, up to 80% of the clientele were Texans. It is going to grow methinks, especially with the energy companies maybe expanding and cash flow improving.

WUFF! Ticket firmly in hand, as well as show time in brain, I checked into the Microtel, got a room with a bad case of onion BO stink, and no reading lamp! (I finally stole one out of the hall before I went to bed, I HATE overhead lights). Ugh, opened the window. The area was lovely tho, jungly sorts of trees, river bottom, the beautiful Full Moon was rising over the swampy trees, with grey strands of vague clouds, and I loved it all. According to the road-signs, Dallas was only a hour and a half down the road. They say that Ma Parker shacked up with the Younger Brothers somewhere around here, I could readily believe it. It was a romantic place straight out of the Okie Wild West.

Last show for a while. I repacked a bit (trying to defeat that Organization Demon!) I began to put on another mini skirt, and then thought better of it. Who am I fooling, showing my old knobby legs? Levis, tight sweater, and my hand knit Ugh boots, that�s the ticket. Swinger earrings��. Yeah it�s off to another show!

This theatre was HUGE hell you could have had a circus in there! (Maybe they are planning one). It was new, and really clean, unlike the Brady which was the other end of the filth spectrum. The stage was up nice and high, which is a good thing for the performers of course; no one can hop up that high and grab ya. "Frontier Lighting" out of Lawton was advertising that they did the lighting for the show. At one point, Justin was staring up into the first electric, and watching some very interesting light displays��.. Sorta funny, I think John must have been talking at the time. The whole room could be split up into smaller units, and the ceiling was hung with all sorts of acoustic baffles (a science I know little about).

There were two dudes videoing the show, and the Jays really "turned on" for the cameras (John was quite gnarly this night indeed), it was broadcast on huge projection screens (count �em four!) I wonder if it�s going to be released, it really was a pretty good show even if short; (I bet someone somewhere will have that video). We should put video cameras on the band more often, I thought they were a tad peaked in Tulsa. I also thought whomever was doing the "producing" between the two camera feeds did a really nice job. Julie was cute, she kept looking at the screens from the backside. She only gets to watch the backs of their heads usually! LOL. NOW she knows how they look from the front, but in the mirror!

My seat was off to the left, front row, but it was so spread out I was nearly in Texas! Thankfully some high roller seats were still empty (the real front row, up center), so I oozed right over there, and enjoyed the closer seat all night. Another regular fan (plump, blonde) did the same, and I have no idea whom it was. She was well behaved.

Justin�s picking is always worth watching. In both shows, I tried to sort it out, and saw he often splits his picking into two parts (one meter one way, and the second meter another pattern. Repeat). I wrote down the striking pattern, it was rather impressive. Elsewhere I wrote down "Justin�s hypnotic bubbling pick, like a horse galloping". Yeah. And then he belled at the end of "Are You Sitting Comfortably" yeah he was a little more up for this show. Overall it was MUCH better the second night, I love the bass and mix to TOSOL, and I love the bluesy feel Justin has to his voice. I don�t remember that before, tho he�s always had SOME blues in his style. It�s getting more pronounced lately. Justin was a lot more focused the second night for whatever reason, feeling better or just more in the groove. John too. I lost Julie�s voice too much, and I suspect that is the sound mix, not her.

The audience was sizable, and I suspect business was pretty good this night, despite it being a shortened show and skipping songs (one was NCTD. Justin was punishing his faux-Martin-Collings. Back in the box!). They ZIPPED through the first half, by the time they hit "The Story in Your Eyes", it had only been 20 min of show (usually an hour). You could see they were playing faster and faster, and breathing a sign of relief when they got through it in one piece. Justin checked his watch surreptitiously! Basically they only had an hour and a half, and I suspect it was money out of the band�s pocket if they went over that. I can�t think of any other thing that would motivate them so. I bumped into Sue McCrimmon after the show, and she was really peeved about it.

On the play back, when they start "Story in Your Eyes" you can hear huge howls go up from the regulars who suddenly realized it was a short show. Kinda funny in a way. Most of the second half was intact song-wise, which was great as we got the Thunder Dance (Graeme�s solo H&H). The sound mix on the playback sounds really good, don�t know if it�s the house, or if they just were more in the groove. "Story" has a very nice ending to it. Very gnarly. "Higher and Higher" was pretty cool this night, Graeme really threw himself into it. I guess he got a good night�s sleep too. Justin goes positively Hendrix in this song� really cool to listen on the playback.

The only song I didn�t like at the Casino was "December Snow" because Justin did it like Tony Bennett or some night club singer, and I thought it was a little hammy. Well, it�s his song, I guess he can do it any way he wants. I like the quiet guitar strumming songs better. BUT it sounds great on the tape.

Justin at some point whipped his head down and got off a small cough, I don�t think I�ve ever seen him cough on stage and I watch him a lot. I think it was "Singer" that Justin sang into the mike, and a very low, weird voice came out! He can do some interesting things with that set of vocal chords no doubt. Fantastic control the man has over his voice, even when fighting a cold.

As someone on line said, there was a mosh pit about the time of "Nights" onward, if not just a little before. It was fascinating, I�ve never seen that happen. The front row was so far back, there was a huge space between chairs and stage, and people kept running up there with cameras. Gradually, as security failed to shoo back the oozing fans, more and more did it, until all the fanatics and regulars were right up there, against the stage "worshipping" I guess you could say. George was in the front row holding up his license plate. Others were holding up albums, and felt pens, hoping someone would come right over and sign, right there (sure). I went up there too, quite fun. Justin started "Nights" and I stopped taking photos, then others whipped out THEIR cameras. It felt really rude of them during THAT song, and Justin kept it really professional though his eyes glazed over. (I would have been freaked with all those people at my feet!) Justin slid his glance around at us, and locked eyes with a very beautiful woman next to me. Sadly I smelled an awful lot of booze fumes wafting off her��.. Yes we fans are imperfect indeed. Even the pretty ones.

I think it was at the Casino show that I was grabbing at John�s bass head as it hung over me, and he was pulling it out of the way. I�ve never been that close to the stage before, fun. I�m not a huge John fan, but once he turned around, and his butt was aimed right at me�.. WOW John you outta de-arm that thang before you go on stage. You�re gonna give some ol� girl a heart attack! During Justin�s "December Snow", he gives those of us on the left side a little butt shot, but his is sorta flat. (I took some photos anyway, chuckle). I tell you all, Paul really does have the best butt in the group, but you never see it back there. Sigh, such is life.

Anyway I stood there with all the other fans, smiling like a ninny. Justin threw himself into "Question" we all sang along, a good curtain call, and it was over. Justin stood there timelessly smiling and waving��. Someone asked for and got John�s pick. I really really tried at both shows to work up courage to ask Justin for his pick (he gave it to no one, either show?) but I�m a total wimp. I have visions of asking, of him blowing me off totally, and me standing there, crushed. Wilted. Rejected. Whimper.

Listening to the playback of the Winstar, I ~~think~~ it was Justin live and not Memorex, but who knows. There WERE some minor voice cracks, so I suspect "real". Laryngitis is weird, I hate getting it but usually can clear it in a day if I behave myself, and I bet Justin knows tricks I can�t imagine. (I�m a teacher, we get it more than you realize, we use our voices a lot). Hopefully Justin got a good night�s sleep at the Crowne, and if I hear of any stalkers harassing him, I�ll whack �em next time I see them. I bet Justin could curl up in an extra long sleeping bag on the tour bus and get some rest too. I would, with a bottle of whiskey! And cold beer conveniently in reach. JUSTIN if you are reading, take more Vitamin C, more citrus fruit, and use Airborne! It WORKS.

The show wrapped up, and it was all over, they vanished again for God knows how long. Getting out of that theatre was one of the easiest things I�ve ever done, it is designed for rapid egress, lots of doors. Many fans went right out and started gambling (I never did see my voucher). Casinos kinda creep me out, the "Temple of Greed" all those bright lights, and flashy décor, all for the purpose of taking your money away, betting on a chance, worshipping the Goddess Ifni. At the fan gathering before the Brady show, a couple of fans started talking about gambling and I just couldn�t figure out how to relate. It�s a whole world that exists without my participation. I hope it was good for everyone; I had other things to do.

I forget why I went back to my room, to get my cell phone I think and call a friend I wanted to go see the next day. Then I went back and parked by the tour bus again. The sides were still out, so they weren�t probably going anywhere this evening. No shock, they could drive on through in the morning (sleeping after strike), weekend traffic can�t be too bad, though I do remember with horror the morning commute in Dallas. It was a certain Border�s show��.. many years ago.

I walked out to the parking lot, and saw one of my favorite things, ever since I was a tiny child. Spotlights chased across the skies! Wow when was the last time I saw those?

As I sat there, someone came by and checked the bus, like to see if the wheels were secure (I think that was before the show actually). I wonder if some folks didn�t sleep in there. The show was over with by 9:45 pm. At around 10:15, as I parked there, calling myself silly, I started the car to go back to my room. As I did, it happened, like in American Graffiti. A little white car (looked like a rental) came sailing out of the mysterious back of that huge building, I wheeled around and followed it, sure enough someone with a blonde head (like Justin�s) was at the wheel, and someone (male with dark hair) was riding shotgun. Sure looked like Justin just left the building to me. The car turned North, and if it was Justin looking for "the other on-ramp" he wound up in the dirt just like I was the next morning trying to leave. I went the other way to the motel. I do suspect Justin was in a nice shower in Dallas by midnight tho.

Back at the Microtel, the stink was mostly out of my room, and the night�s Full Moon was just more lovely than before. Hot tubbed a bit, then I got some sleep ��.. Lights out, I opened my eyes causally, and saw�� a sign on the wall! You know the cover to Justin�s View from the Hill? With the windows and squares? Well the streetlamp outside was projecting EXACTLY that image on my wall, with the window frame forming the Sign of the Cross. Honestly I�m not a excessively religious woman, but it did make me wonder.

(Moody content) Chapter Seven: Dec 13: Moody Epilog

(No Moody content) Chapter Eight: Dec 13: Lawton: A Celtic Warrior at the Medicine Creek