REVIEW BY SUE BINA

John Waite's in store    appearance at Music Millennium, Portland, Oregon
08-02-01...

John was scheduled to appear at 6pm, but showed up fashionably late ataround 6:30pm..(he had been at a local radio station earlier that day.)  He arrived wearing a green shirt with gold thread striping and jeans, and he took the stage with his shades on...I wanted to tell him to take off the shades so we could see his eyes, but I restrained myself and luckily he did remove the sunglasses before he started the first song!  He was accompanied by two of his bandmates on acoustic guitars, he introduced them both as
having the last name "Johnson" but I couldn't make out their first names!
I'm not familiar with the band he has on tour, so my apologies about their
names.  John appeared to be very shy and somewhat nervous.  The audience of about 75 welcomed him warmly.  It was a very intimate setting, with the folks in the front seated on two couches and chairs, and the rest of us all
around them.  John had a set list of sorts on two small sheets of paper
which he kept looking at during the first 2 songs.  He did seem a little
reluctant to look up at us, but as he went on he did warm up and began to smile and look about more.  He sang "Thinking About You"  from the new
album, and the song just blew me away!!  It was the first time I heard it
and I thought the lyrics were so powerful.  John is a soulful and brilliant
lyricist, he has always impressed me with his boldly honest and insightful words.   They then did a nice acoustic version of "In Dreams" (another one of my favourites!!) and "When I See You Smile"...He chatted a bit in between
songs, and introduced his road manager and soundman, and the other members of his band, who were also in attendance somewhere in the crowd.  John then
did a Vince Gill song (didn't catch the name of it..) and then "Missing You" which sounded quite light with just the acoustic guitars.  He ended the set with an old Free tune "Riding My Pony" and all too soon the set was over!
John stayed afterward to sign autographs, and some of us waited in line
while he took the time to chat and pose for pics.  He signed the CD insert I
had for "FIAL", and I got to talk to him for a couple of minutes.  He was so
kind, down- to-earth and totally approachable, it was more like talking to
an old friend.  He was just so real.  I was very touched by his genuinely
friendly manner. No phoney rock star attitude at all!!  I really feel
fortunate to have been there that night, and to have shared a little piece
of John's world.