At the end of the Rainbow

We started the season with an Eric Clapton concert, so it's fitting to close one that really gave me the blues with another even better one. And then to cap off the weekend, we had another ticket for the once- in-a-lifetime experience of Pete Townshend at Lincoln Center with Quadrophenia.

In April, E.C. was illin', on Sept. 8, he was chillin'. There was no reason to cry. We haven't seen Eric this loose and happy in quite a while, and it really showed in his performance. Well all right, he delivered kind of a modern-day greatest hits collection, but it sounded great all the same.

Let me offer a few disparaging words about the setlist before I get back to the effusiveness. When you have all of Madison Square Garden on our collective feet, you probably shouldn't start off with songs designed to have us sit back down. The setlist generator was clearly broken. "Someone's Knockin'" into "Key to the Highway" into the now tried-and-true "Hoochie Coochie Man" is kind of a backless start.



Eric came out from behind the sun with "I Shot the Sheriff," and correct me if I'm wrong, but save a little forgivable flub -- flub, what flub? I don't remember any flub, the solos on that were the best they've been in a while. They do tend to cause flashbacks to the phenomenal shows of the early '90s and just how searing those solos could get, but Clapton's lone No. 1 song -- to date -- shows the resilience and relevance of Bob Marley's tune and the journeyman's way of delivering it.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the crowd's reaction to "Lay Down Sally." Mark was chuckling all the way through over how the audience went bonkers for that song. I reckon it's because three greatest hits compilations have been released in recent years and a sizable amount of the crowd must know the tracks from those releases. Either that or they watch a lot of VH-1.



But there was more evidence for the former supposition, as he rolled out other assorted love songs, the acoustic "Layla" -- now I understand why there wasn't a backup guitarist in the lineup -- "Tears in Heaven" and "Wonderful Tonight."

If there was one disappointment, it might be the overlooking of Don Williams, who passed earlier in the day, and someone very influential in Eric's late '70s run. With the ever-youthful Chris Stainton on keyboards still, couldn't we have gotten at least a dash of "Tulsa Time"? Then again, all the people who didn't get the "No Snow, No Show" reference on Mark's T-shirt probably wouldn't have understood that ditty without an explanation from Clapton.



I learned via Facebook that "White Room" returned to the setlist, and that was really the cream of the show for me. But once again, Eric got everyone on their feet, only to have us return to our chairs for "Wonderful Tonight." I don't know about the rest of the fogies, but I came to rock out.

We got the chance to do so on "Cocaine" -- I still haven't gotten over everyone not knowing from Nathan East's gorgeous bass line intro that the song's coming, only reacting when the drums kick in -- and then Clapton got back into Disraeli gear for "Sunshine of Your Love." It looked like Nathan enjoyed himself twice as much during the Cream numbers.

The capper brought openers Jimmie Vaughan and Gary Clark Jr. back on stage for a rousing "Before You Accuse Me,"  with Eric playing the Epiphone that Clark reportedly gave to him. And it was then one is reminded of Slowhand's staying power, because the opening acts kept it in the pocket in their respective solos while Eric showed there's just no one like him and there never will be. He's back home on the stage.



Vaughan and Clark Jr. set the scene so well, too bad most of the assembled couldn't have cared less -- well at least until Gary coerced them to look up from the cell phones and pay attention.  Jimmie wringed every last drop out of his vocals. He was a little fixated on what we'll call the flamenco-style arpeggio, but he sounded so much like his late brother, Stevie Ray, vocally on this night. "Texas Flood," with resonance to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, was the understandable -- and rightful -- highlight.

Clark Jr. continues to prove he's just one of the best around. I proclaimed him "awwwwwe-some" after "When My Train Pulls In" and then he stepped to the microphone and said "This is kind of awesome." Then there's "Our Love," a song that sounds so gorgeously like a Prince song -- and bathed in purple light -- that I thought it was a cover. And then one to make sure the crowd was engaged, the Beatles cover "Come Together."

Now while we sort of knew what to expect from a Clapton show, that's how unaware we were of what Quadrophenia ultimately was going to be like. It's a totally different vibe to go to Lincoln Center, past the magnificent fountain outside and the incredible chandeliers inside, and experience a rock opera in a literal sense.

What we couldn't have possibly expected was Alfie Boe, the English tenor sliding seemingly effortlessly into the demanding role the world associates with Who frontman Roger Daltrey. He was not only pitch-perfect on the vocal gymnastics, but also tremendous and charismatic in his interactions on stage with Pete Townshend and Billy Idol, who popped on and off the stage as called for by their respective contributions.

Now Townshend has always shown something of a flair for the dramatic, so watching him take the stage for songs like "The Dirty Jobs" and "The Real Me" didn't seem that much of a stretch. And as Mark said, there's a pre-existing motif in Quadrophenia that just fit perfectly into the program they delivered before the packed and enthusiastic house at Lincoln Center.

Boe just killed it every possible way, particularly when signature song, "Love Reigns O'er Me," recurred throughout the program. We just felt it in every atom of our bodies, head to toe. Even writing the words down now months later, I can recollect the vibrance and resonance of his delivery.

So we got to experience two incredible legends -- and two of our absolute favorites -- in one remarkable weekend. Now more than ever, we seem to be treasuring our inspirations whenever we can see them, not knowing whether another such opportunity will come around again. With these two shows, it wasn't just about the occasion to do so, but to relish the likes of Clapton and Townshend enjoying what they can do and delivering on such a level that their respective shows provided a glowing example of who and what they still can be as performers and creative forces.

A Classic summer of love

We got to see and hear a lot of great music this summer, but there's been precious little time to write about all of it. All the hard work done during the week sure pays off in the precious moments spent experiencing these shows. So here are some of the highlights of the warm season en masse.



Ain't nothing like the real thing: We've seen Fleetwood Mac in so many different combinations and collaborations, but let's face it, nothing beats having Stevie, Lindsey, Christine, Mick and John together to cap The Classic East at CitiField on July 30. They moved effortlessly through their catalog of classics, with the added jaw-dropping surprises of "Think About Me" and "Bleed to Love Her." As Mark pointed out, they were the only group in the two-day lineup that wasn't missing a clutch member for one reason or another. They can say whatever they want to the media about what side projects complete them, save one false start on "Don't Stop" for the fireworks-filled finale, it was perfect for me. Setlist: The Chain, You Make Loving Fun, Dreams, Second Hand News, Rhiannon, Everywhere, Bleed to Love Her, Tusk, Sara, Say You Love Me, Big Love, Landslide, Never Going Back Again, Think About Me, Gypsy, Little Lies, Gold Dust Woman, I'm So Afraid, Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop.



Most valuable player (of a musical instrument): Vince Gill for The Eagles at The Classic East on July 29. Now Deacon Frey understandably got the press for somewhat stepping into his late great dad's role with the band. But let's face it, the guy doing the heavy lifting was Vince. It was uncanny how much he sounded like Glenn, and he made that set a lot better than I had any inkling it was going to be. Setlist: Seven Bridges Road, Take It Easy, One of These Nights, Take It to the Limit, Tequila Sunrise, Witchy Woman, I Can't Tell You Why, Lyin' Eyes, New York Minute, Those Shoes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Best of My Love, Love Will Keep Us Alive, New Kid in Town, The Last Resort, Already Gone, In the City, Heartache Tonight, Life's Been Good, Funk #49, Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California, Rocky Mountain Way, Desperado.



Unsung hero: Arnel Pineda. Despite the thankless task of trying to approximate Steve Perry's vocals with faux Journey -- which can't really be done -- he was a gamer. And the Filipino singer tried to sing over a lot of overloud amplified riffs and did some pretty amazing jump kicks while doing so. In other thankless task news, he had to follow Earth, Wind & Fire, which we wouldn't wish on anyone but CHIC. Setlist: Separate Ways, Be Good to Yourself, Only the Young, Stone in Love, Any Way You Want It, Lights, Send Her My Love/I'll Be Alright Without You piano solo, Open Arms, Who's Crying Now, Edge of the Blade, La Do Da, Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin', Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'.



What a difference a day makes: On Day 1 of The Classic East, the faux Doobie Brothers did what they could in the opening slot with most of the butts not in the seats. On Day 2, Earth, Wind and Fire made sure all the butts were out of the seats but in the general vicinity with grooves so funky everyone's feet were tapping. Of all the lovely tributes, Earth, Wind and Fire did the weekend's best to their late leader, Maurice White, both vocally and on the videoboard. I couldn't see the stage through my moist eyes. Doobie Brothers setlist: Jesus Is Just Alright, Rockin' Down the Highway, Take Me in Your Arms, Dark-Eyed Cajun Woman, Spirit, Sweet Maxine, Eyes of Silver, Clear as the Driven Snow, Takin' It to the Streets, The Doctor, Black Water, Long Train Runnin', China Grove, Without You, Listen to the Music. Earth, Wind & Fire setlist: Earth, Wind and Fire setlist: Shining Star, Getaway, Sing a Song, Serpentine Fire, Kalimba Story, Got to Get You Into My Life, That's the Way of the World, After the Love Has Gone, September, Boogie Wonderland, Let's Groove, Fantasy, In the Stone.



Anyday, anyway: We hear Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel are going to be anywhere in our general area, you better believe Park will be there. So it was back to a booth at B.B. King's on June 13 for a set of storytelling and songs that feed the soul. Doesn't matter that we heard most of the ones about the Derek and the Dominoes' Layla era before, Bobby gives us variations and extra details every time he opens his mouth. And then some nice new songs on top of that -- "Nobody Knows" was our favorite and "Keith Richards" is as gimmicky as you might expect a song of that name to be, but didn't break the momentum of the Layla classics. Setlist: Anyday, Got to Get Better in a Little While, Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad, Keep on Growing, I Looked Away, Thorn Tree in the Garden, Nobody Knows, Keith Richards, The Captain's Song, Bell Bottom Blues, Layla.



Not missing a beat: Two winners in this category -- Steve Winwood and Lindsey Buckingham -- but the latter will get his props shortly. Winwood still sounded the same as that soulful skinny British kid who knocked everyone on their butts back in the '60s at the Beacon Theater on April 21. He literally hasn't lost anything, singing and playing with as much vim and vigor as ever. His band includes daughter Lilly, who comes to the forefront on "Higher Love," but in general, the bulk of group sounded more functional than superlative as they zipped through an assortment of catchy tunes from his various incarnations. I suppose anything would be found wanting after Clapton/Winwood, which ranks among my all-time favorite tours. As always, the Blind Faith songs "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Had to Cry Today" sent my spirits soaring. Setlist: Back in the High Life Again, Pearly Queen, I'm a Man, Fly, Them Changes, Can't Find My Way Home, Had to Cry Today, The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, Empty Pages, Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Higher Love, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Gimme Some Lovin'.



How'd they come up with that name? One of the shows I was most looking forward to this season was Buckingham McVie at The Mann Center in Philadelphia on June 30. We may never get the Buckingham Nicks show I want, but I'm not the least bit disappointed that Lindsey and Christine McVie teamed up. Their voices have always matched so perfectly, his timbre fits so well alongside the husky, bluesy nature of her vocals. My penchant for not looking at setlists ahead of time was justified when they broke into "Hold Me," I was completely shocked by that one. And while, like "Gypsy," I don't think it translates particularly well live, the guitar and keyboard solos were righteous and I grooved on it from start to finish.



My Stevie sister, Jenna, filled in for the absent goddess during the "Little Lies" choruses. From our spot behind the soundboard, we enjoyed the engineers rocking out, counting the song down like I always do on "Never Going Back Again" and mirroring Lindsey's animated stretches on "I'm So Afraid." We really took to the numbers from their first release, particularly "Too Far Gone," and as Mark pointed out, it was a gutsy move to not close with Fleetwood Mac crowd pleasers. They went their own own way. The Wallflowers proved to be one of the more enjoyable opening acts, despite a particularly muddy sound not remedied by those guys at the soundboard. Setlist: Trouble, Wish You Were Here, Never Going Back Again, Shut Us Down, Sleeping Around the Corner, Feel About You, In My World, Too Far Gone, Hold Me, Little Lies, Tusk, Love Is Here to Stay, Red Sun, You Make Loving Fun, I'm So Afraid, Go Your Own Way, Everywhere, Lay Down for Free, Game of Pretend.



Best double bill (duh, of course): Nile Rodgers and CHIC are perfectly complementary to Earth, Wind and Fire. Frankly, who else would have the balls to go on stage after an act tears the place down? We were shocked that Nile and company went first at the Prudential Center on Aug. 4 -- the one band that was up to the challenge of following Earth, Wind and Fire doesn't? -- from the very first number, "Everybody Dance," the crowd was doing just that. Rodgers is a walking hit factory, as the setlist clearly attests to, and he didn't even get to them all. Earth, Wind and Fire -- as expected -- was able to keep up the momentum. It was great to see them get to expand past the hit selection they had to offer up as the Classic East openers ... and this time I was prepared for the Maurice White tribute. CHIC setlist: Everybody Dance, Dance Dance Dance, I Want Your Love, Upside Down, I'm Coming Out, We Are Family, He's the Greatest Dancer/Getting Jiggy With It, Let's Dance, Get Lucky, Le Freak, Good Time/Rapper's Delight. Earth, Wind and Fire setlist: Shining Star, Getaway, Sing a Song, On Your Face, Serpentine Fire, Kalimba Story, Can't Hide Love, Keep Your Head to the Sky, Devotion, That's the Way of the World, Beijo, After the Love Has Gone, Reasons, September, Boogie Wonderland, Let's Groove, Fantasy, In the Stone.



Best double bill (who woulda thunk it?): A lineup with Garbage and Blondie might look incongruous, but at the Aug. 1 show at the Beacon, the logic was readily apparent. Deborah Harry was at the forefront of the new wave movement as the voice of Blondie; and then a couple decades later, Shirley Manson did the very same thing on the alternative scene with Garbage. I was particularly shocked and thrilled that Garbage performed the James Bond theme "The World Is Not Enough," known as TWINE in my circles. With Garbage as the opener, there wasn't quite as much ability to rock out as during their first album's anniversary show, but Liam and I bounced around the whole time, even when we were sitting down. Debbie looks as sounds great, her new material was just as engrossing as the hits. Garbage setlist: No Horses, Sex Is Not the Enemy, #1 Crush, Empty, I Think I'm Paranoid, Cherry Lips, Blackout, Special, Queer, Even Though Our Love Is Doome, TWINE, Stupid Girl, Only Happy When It Rains, Push It, Vow. Blondie setlist: One Way or Another, Hanging on the Telephone, Fun, Call Me, My Monster, Rapture, Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Fragments, Too Much, Long Time, Atomic, Heart of Glass, Dreaming, The Tide Is High.



Best life lesson: As Ben Harper explained at the State Theater in New Brunswick on Aug. 25, if you write a song called "Burn One Down," your children might question you on it later, even if you do skateboard better than they do. It's too bad that show wasn't sold out, he's such a fine musician who delivers on his own material, backed up by the strong and vibrant Innocent Criminals, and makes the most of other people's as well. Setlist: Gold to Me, The Will to Live, Burn to Shine, Diamonds on the Inside, Fly One Time, How Dark is Gone, Burn One Down, Excuse Me Mr., Having Wings, Finding Our Way, Steal My Kisses, Like a King/I'll Rise, Better Way, Atlantic City, Under Pressure (with opener Tom Freund).



Poorest timing: Well, the Classic East was set at a venue right by the airport, and Earth, Wind and Fire's "Let's Groove" features the line "Just move yourself and glide like a 747." That was one of the few times there wasn't aircraft overhead. But the nod has to go to ill-fated Journey. Performing "Lights" without Steve Perry when it wasn't dark yet was bad enough, imploring the crowd to sing so loud that their former lead singer could hear it in San Francisco might have worked for The Classic West, but not so much in New York. 

Just for the record...

Good thing I make notes on the way home from events. Chiller was in April, and here we are in August. So this really will be the best of the best impressions made on me from the actors I wanted to see at the biannual event. Since it took place the same day as Record Store Day, one of my notations was about how similar the events were -- with something (or someone) truly for everyone.

Chiller recently moved back to the Hilton Parsippany in Parsippany, New Jersey, where it had taken place the very first time I attended. And the setup was rather similar to Monster Mania, which is certainly preferable to the crush experienced during Chiller at the Sheraton. I'd never been particularly bothered by the throngs packing the hallways and rooms, but I did fear for the celebrities in those circumstances. It just never felt safe. With wide-open spaces and more clearly defined waiting lines, the situation felt better at the Hilton.

The first celeb I ran across was almost at the front door. Max Gail proved very engaging. He's familiar to the world -- and me -- as Wojo, Detective Stan Wojciehowicz, on Barney Miller. But he's got a special place in my heart as Harold in one of my guilty pleasure movies -- D.C. Cab. So we got talking about the 1983 film that starred a veritable array of comedians -- Bill Maher, Marsha Warfield, Paul Rodriguez ... Gary Busey (hee hee) -- alongside Adam Baldwin and Mr. T.

Max told me his wife had been pregnant and about to pop with his first child, India, when the filming was winding down. He was good friends with Busey before they made the film, but got tight with Maher and "T" during the making of the movie. Most of the people who come up to him at events like this either reference Barney Miller or D.C. Cab. (Nothing about his one episode appearance on Damian Lewis' show Life?) "The ones like you who like D.C. Cab realllly like it," Gail added.

We had a nice moment when taking our picture together. Max said, "You're a good hugger." And I replied, "I was just about to tell you the same."

The funny thing about these events is that what happens in the couple minutes you get with a celeb can and will often be impacted by the person who they met before you. And ahead of me on the Olga Korbut line was someone who might be politely described as possibly too happy to see her. Let's just say it was in a way that made the four-time Olympic gold medalist uncomfortable.

So both she (and her handlers -- because they don't have quite the poker faces as the former Russian gymnast) seemed relieved when that person departed and I stepped up. For the probably dozenth time that day, Olga heard someone was deeply inspired by her performance at the XX Olympiad in Munich. She changed gymnastics forever and literally flipped it into the spotlight. It became must-see TV.

I tried to meter my enthusiasm on this front, and she really was delightful to meet. We talked about how her world totally changed after she redefined the sport, particularly on beam, floor exercise and uneven bars. "I couldn't go anywhere myself," Korbut said. "I was always mobbed and people kept giving me things. We agreed that wasn't so bad."

Xander Berkeley has been in some little show called The Walking Dead. As I've never seen that, my interest in meeting him wasn't for that. He's easily recognizable to me for blink-and-you-miss-'em appearances on the last season of M*A*S*H and the best season of Moonlighting. He was Henry Hurt in Apollo 13 and Buzz Aldrin in the TV movie Apollo 11. But he was also in the first truly great episode of The X-Files, "Ice."

So we got to talking about that instead of zombies. Xander hung out with David Duchovny and Felicity Huffman that week off the set. And he rued not seeing Felicity for a while, but said he's still friends with David. And, in fact, he did three episodes of Duchovny's underrated Aquarius.

But the thing that really blew me away was when Berkeley asked me "Are you a writer?" I'm sure he enjoyed the amazement that crossed my face in the split-second before I answered. He just knew that was the case, adding as an artist he has a proclivity for studying faces. And that's what mine told him.

After taking the best selfie I've ever had (and a rare celebrity picture in which I actually look relaxed) -- there's that artistic ability again -- he signed the ongoing project known as my X-Files yearbook, told me to enjoy my collection, winked at me and got back to the waiting zombie-loving throng.

Speaking of Walking Dead alum, I also wanted to meet Kirk Acevedo, because he played Staff Sgt. Joe Toye in my favorite mini-series, Band of Brothers. I had no idea I'd get to hear a story about the real man from their unfathomably treacherous winter in Bastogne during World War II that rivaled the amazing tales depicted over 10 episodes.

I'll let Kirk do it: "Joe Toye disappears and he comes back a day later with a live German prisoner. And that's why they won that battle, but they couldn't use that because they would have had to go a different way with the story."

Even the Bastogne set in Band of Brothers proved to be an amazing spectacle as they converted an airplane hangar into the forest. "They built trees into like a huge planter the size of a football field."

I was astonished when Barbara Hershey was added to the Chiller lineup. I know she starred in The Entity and the Insidious films, and most recently has been featured in Once Upon a Time and Damien, but my strongest impressions of her have been in Hannah and Her Sisters, The Right Stuff and Portrait of a Lady.

I asked whether she had any stories from the latter. She was nominated for an Academy Award as best actress in a supporting role for the Jane Campion film starring Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich. She said she definitely did but was hesitant to go into details about them. She did say it was amazing being in Italy to make the film.

I was downright gushing when I got to Peter Riegert, an actor who truly makes every single project he is in all the better for his presence, be it Animal House or The Mask or even Oscar. I focused on Crossing Delancey, telling him that it's one of the rare movies that both my mother and I love. He put his hand over his heart, saying "You make me feel very good."

The movie, which starred Amy Irving, was filmed in downtown New York near where Riegert  worked before he was able to make a living acting full time. That served to make the whole process more comfortable for him.

Little did I know he had joined the cast for the third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, or I would have loaded him down with more questions about being in that series, and specifically serving as the love interest for the indomitable Carol Kane.

It was also amazing to meet Samantha Mathis, and I regaled her with tales of how my mom loved her in The American President while my sister and I are particularly huge fans of her in The Thing Called Love. She asked me my last name and I told her and she said "So I have much Schector family love." Indeed she does. I'm always happy to see her listed on the cast of something I'm watching, most notably -- so far -- X-Files producer Chris Carter's short-lived Harsh Realm or Little Women or Jack and Sarah.

In The Thing Called Love, she starred alongside the late River Phoenix, Sandra Bullock and Dermot Mulroney, playing a woman with dreams of success as country music writer/singer. She demurred at praise for her performances, saying she had lots of assistance in making it palatable, but I consider it an underrated gem.

My longest wait of the day was for Tom Berenger, and truth be told, I had been on the fence about whether I'd try to meet him or not. I'm glad I did, he was very attentive and gracious -- like pretty much everyone all day. There was a lot to choose from in his filmography to converse with him about. And in fact, Tom himself agreed he'd been blessed with so many great movies.

I mentioned The Big Chill because I had just seen it recently and it was on my mind. Berenger said it was a perfect shoot, nothing went wrong with a cast and crew of heavyweights -- the Lawrence Kasdan film starred Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, JoBeth Williams, Mary Kay Place and Meg Tilly -- and they had just one hour of overtime for the whole thing.

Then I brought up one I thought he might not talk about as much over the weekend at a sci-fi/horror-focused convention, Betrayed. In that movie, he played a racist Midwest farmer. "(Co-star) Debra Winger said it was my best part, and I said you're just saying that. Then I watched it three times and thought maybe she's right. ... She's the smartest person I've ever worked with."

I've been going to these cons and having a great time talking about favorite projects for about eight years. At one of the earliest ones, I met Bronson Pinchot. And at this Chiller, I viewed Pinchot hanging out with his Perfect Strangers co-star Mark-Linn Baker, mostly from my spot on the Berenger line. It was adorable to see they're still friends in real life.

When I met Baker, and even though I watched that sitcom and really loved My Favorite Year with Peter O'Toole, I spent my time talking with him about a couple guest roles that have stuck in my mind over the years. First, Moonlighting, in which he played hapless Phil West in the episode "Atlas Belched," and I recommended he check out blooper reels to see his old buddy Bruce Willis struggling during a scene with him in that show. Then I mentioned Ally McBeal, he guest starred in a Christmas episode called "Making Spirits Bright."

Mark mentioned he was friends with Bruce when he was just an unknown bartender in New York and that he also knew most of the actors from Ally -- many theater veterans as well. He sure knows how to use his time at the convention wisely, adding he had done a couple episodes of Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck and also an episode of Christine Baranski's show The Good Fight -- the latter of which he deemed was "chock full of the best actors."

So another fun full day with memories stacked in my head like Record Store Day exclusives on my album shelves.

Retirement is severely overrated

Going to an Eric Clapton concert is always more than spending a couple of hours in blues heaven. Especially when you do it our way.

First, there's hanging with some of my favorite people on the planet. I was in EC Access for a couple years, found the people I liked, then left the fan club behind and was set for life after that.

So for Clapton's April out-of-retirement Madison Square Garden weekend stint, I got to take my Detroit friends -- Bruce and Renee -- to a Broadway play, namely Kevin Kline's Present Laughter. It hasn't officially opened on Broadway yet, and yeah, there are a few technical bugs and a bit of a dry patch near the end of the first act, but it was a great time. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind if Kline stood there and read us the phone book as long as he did it with the timing and inflection that are so inherent in his performances.

That was just for starters on a day with so much laughter, some truly dazzling Keens Steakhouse kabobs and many rum-based drinks (I had two doubles before I ever had anything to eat). On the way, I did exactly what I said I was afraid in last week's girl power blog -- I belted a song on the streets of New York. Then we were joined by Susan and Sam and Steve (aka Doc Proc). Then later, there was Tony and Lauren and Stephanie and Barry.

The saddest part of the afternoon was finding out Chuck Berry had passed. But even that turned into a celebration of the more positive aspects of a true legend -- including the memory of the first weekend I met Susan and Steve and Mark and they dragged me to see Berry at B.B. King's. How Doc Proc reflexively clamped down on my knee so hard when Chuck came out he almost left a mark. Speaking of Mark, that guy had yanked my f'n arm out of the socket when an invitation was issued for members of the audience to dance on stage. And how I must have been doing something right, 'cause Berry kind of stopped and jammed in front of me when there was a whole line of people doing the same on the stage. (Damn, Tony, I already can't recount it the way I did the other night.)

But that's what it's like when you hang with the E.C. gang, remembering times we've had as a group or portions of the group recounting tales to those of us who weren't there at the time.

For Monday's show, Sammy had unfortunately departed and Mark and Pam fortunately joined us. Thanks to Bruce, Park had sixth-row seats for the event and Doc Proc finagled his way to the open seat next to us. I sauntered up to the empty stage for a picture -- and ran into my co-worker's ex-roommate, her boyfriend and her parents. They were front row right in front of where Eric's mic. But I loved our seats.

The night featured a half-hour set by Mark's favorite Vaughan brother, Jimmie, on his 66th birthday and 45 minutes by one of the best guitarists out there right now -- Gary Clark Jr. Just incredible, and "the man" was still to come. Around this time I found out my cousin, Kristen, was also at the show with her co-workers, but by then, I was glued to my spot and had to miss out on some family time.

Clapton's set: Somebody Knocking, Key to the Highway, Hoochie Coochie Man, I Shot the Sheriff, Driftin', Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Layla (acoustic), Tears In Heaven, Badge, Wonderful Tonight, Crossroads, Little Queen of Spades, Cocaine. Encore: Sunshine of Your Love, Before You Accuse Me (with Jimmie Vaughan and Gary Clark Jr.)

I was riding such a buzz, half from the atmosphere and half from my double, that I was waiting for "Key to the Highway" when we had already heard it. But not so out of it that I still couldn't recognize "I Shot the Sheriff" a couple of minutes before the rest of the crowd caught on.
It was fortuitous that I had donned my Cream sweatshirt, because my favorites of the night were probably those songs -- "Badge" (I was rocking out so hard I literally flipped my lid), "Crossroads" and "Sunshine of Your Love." The most poignant tune of the night had to be "Tears in Heaven." Doc Proc rightly pointed out it was the 26th anniversary of the loss of his son, Conor, which inspired the song. That reminded me of being at the shows on Eric's first tour following that tragedy -- the whole audience stood the whole time and listened so quietly and intently, applauding as E.C. finished each verse.

We were all guardedly optimistic after Clapton revealed last year that nerve damage had made playing the guitar a struggle for him. The fact that he's on the stage at all is a godsend, so I don't quibble about terse, pointed solos or a familiar set list. For years, he's gone with virtually the same songs, usually with a couple of alterations. Doing "Before You Accuse Me" with Vaughan and Clark was an inspired touch, and for me, a much better choice more-recent encore "High Time We Went."

After going over the show with the gang at Harrigan's, Mark and I headed back to the train station. Only to run into Doc Proc, who was waiting outside the Garden for bassist extraordinaire Nathan East. Was I shocked to get to meet him -- and to get hugs and kisses on top of that. You bet your sweet hoochie coochie I was. (Guys get handshakes, girls get hugs and kisses -- sometimes it's just really nice being a girl.)

I've seen Nathan play in Eric's band on and off for decades -- by the way, his opening to "Cocaine" that night just resonated into my belly -- so I was gobsmacked for about a minute before I joined in the conversation. We saw a great picture of Nathan's daughter, Sara, leaping a hurdle as she recently changed from gymnastics to track and field, and I said something about what a startling change that must have been for her. Gymnastics requires so much of your time and energy, and it had to be difficult for her to leave that behind.

There was stuff in there too about how great they sounded for the show and Doc Proc's trademark head on a stick, which has expanded to like 20 times its original size. Then I got to be in a shot too, thanks to Mark, and instead of "cheese" I asked him to hoot -- another callback to an era in which Nathan and Greg Phillinganes toured with Eric and Phil Collins and there were "whoo" cries sprinkled through many a number. I couldn't believe he did it, that just goes to show how nice of a guy he is.

What I totally forgot to do was tell him how much his song "Easy Lover" has meant to my Sestra and I over the years. How we always sang it together back in the day, how to this day, we do check-ins, messaging each other when we randomly hear it. We get to do this all again with E.C. in September, maybe I'll get another crack at that, and at the very least, another weekend of great music and great friends.

How should 'We' look at ourselves?

So while we're awaiting word of another season of The X-Files, David Duchovny is off playing rock star and Gillian Anderson is challenging the world.

Now that's oversimplifying things, but attending Gillian's book event at the Society for Ethical Culture on Monday really pointed out a certain disparity to me. Watch the video here. Anderson and Jennifer Nadel discussed their joint effort, We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere, and they could really have something here. Could it be a Walden for our times? I'm sure they're not shooting that high, but if it promotes women taking closer at our needs and bringing that to discussion, maybe we could see some long-overdue shifting of norms in society.

The book starts with ways women can look closer at themselves. It's long been important to Gillian to compartmentalize the performer side of herself from her "real" life. When not in public persona, she said she doesn't put on makeup, her hair's in a ponytail and she's wearing black jeans and motorcycle boots. "Most of the time I'm just a mom," she said, adding that the "remnants of what sometimes seems like insanity" aren't really visible.

As a television news reporter, Nadel found she spent a lot off time conforming to men's ideals. "I didn't bring who I really was into the workplace," she said. "Each time I did that, I shaved away a little piece of who I was."

And that's the initial point of We -- women lie more to ourselves than anyone else. Anderson admitted she finds parenting really hard -- and that's not something that's usually talked about at all. But she's already experienced -- through the earliest returns of their book -- women thanking her for having the courage to say such a thing out loud. "It's not that one boy plus one boy equals two boys," Gillian said of her sons. "One boy plus one boy equals 10 boys. It's just a fact."

Then there are other issues that women don't traditionally talk about, such as Anderson's diagnosis of perimenopause, the hormonal transition to menopause. I personally learned about hot flashes by watching Cybill Shepherd's half-hour comedy, Cybill. I was just waiting to see how long it would be before I dumped a bucket of ice on myself. Now I have some more insight into internal changes just as relevant and evident as temperature swells.

With six children -- and five boys -- between them, Gillian and Jennifer have seen first-hand how boys start out tender and sensitive. But then they're sent out into the world and toughened up. So although We is pointedly aimed at women, men too might see the benefit of taking an inward journey.

The authors would just like to see more conversations about personal and global issues. "We can not counter hate with hate," Nadel said, adding that righteous indignation only gets people so far and doesn't actually address a problem. "We have to accept what is before we can do something about it."

And that starts small, within oneself. Jennifer gave an example that hit me right where I live. In school, she was told she was tone deaf. (Me too! Well, not told to my face, but excused from chorus had the same effect.) She was always skipped in class when it came time to sing, but now she sings out in public, whenever she feels like it. I'm not far enough along in the process that I'm ready for that, but I definitely appreciate her strength.

It's not as easy as it might sound, especially to an actress who thought that if she let go of some self-destructive tendencies that she would lose the edge to her talent. "That doesn't go away," Anderson said. "The tension between that and human existence can be so interesting."

But Gillian finds she still has to stand up for herself, even over 20 years after the start of the series that made her a household name. Early on in The X-Files, she was told to walk a few paces behind her co-star. "I found my way to his side, or maybe a little in front of him," she said. And just recently, when the show was revived a couple of years ago, Anderson was offered half of what co-star Duchovny made in his deal. No wonder the 11th season hasn't been set in stone yet.

So where will We go from here? I sure hope the top of the best sellers' list, but Gillian was pretty direct about it: "I don't know." As long as women turn to other women. "We can not leave it to politicians," Nadel said. "We need to stand shoulder to shoulder."

And I plan to do that, right after I face an important truth about myself. I'm in the city, it's not too late, and I really want some cheddar cheese popcorn from Garrett, even though that will turn my fingers orange for a couple days. Then I'll work on the rest, because for food for thought is even more important.

Close encounter with 'Close Encounters'

It would have been enough just to see my favorite film of all time on the big screen again. It wound up being so much more than that.

But first I had to wrangle a ticket to the Metrograph screening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. (For those who need to know, they were showing the Directors' Cut, which has all the best parts of the original film, includes the special edition's Cotopaxi scene and -- thank gawd -- eliminates the view from inside the spaceship.) The Lower East Side cinema has a small intimate house, so tickets were pretty much gone when I found out about the movie after New Year's.

I wasn't daunted, though. My original plan was to stand outside the venue with a replica of the "Stop and be friendly" sign utilized in the movie with a note at the bottom, "And I need a ticket!!" After contacting the box office, I found out that the wheelchair-accessible seats were up for grabs and I quickly snatched one up.

The next night I headed to the theater. Boy, did I get turned around on the Lower East Side. Even Google Maps could not save me, but I did make it to theater on time. I started talking movies with my "neighbor" to my right -- Chris. Then my neighbor to the left arrived and she and Chris were chatting away. Since I was in the middle, I wound up in the conversation and heard all about how much she loved the movie. I said it was my favorite, she said she would say it was her favorite, but her husband wouldn't like that. Her husband? The late, great director Ken Russell.

Right before the film started, Bob Balaban (who played the interpreter for Francois Truffaut's character) was introduced. But he was too busy renewing ties with Lisi Tribble Russell to make his way to the front of the room. Eventually Bob got up there and said a few words about Close Encounters being the most complete film he'd ever been a part of. Then it was show time.

Lisi was a great person to watch the film with. She and I led the applause when director of photography Vilmos Zigmond's name came on the screen during the opening's abbreviated credits. We laughed through the whole thing like old friends and exhaled heavily after the tenser moments of the movie -- like the scene in which Richard Dreyfuss' character is building Devils Tower in his living room. The news is showing reports of an "accident" near the actual Devils Tower, but he's so busy talking on the phone that he doesn't see it for a couple of minutes.

It was amazing seeing my fave flick on the big screen for the first time since the Special Edition came out in 1980. There were so many details to be noticed, from the Soap Opera Digest on Jillian Guiler's end table -- Bill and Susan Hayes (Doug and Julie from Days of Our Lives, who are later seen on the television when Roy Neary constructs that living-room tower) -- to Melinda Dillon's tears when they spot the actual Devils Tower off in the distance.

 

After the movie, Bob did a Q&A. My meticulously prepared question fell by the wayside when he told the story of looking so much like Richard's character in Jaws that members of the crew at lunch would ask Balaban for his autograph, even when Dreyfuss was sitting nearby. The two of them went to the Jaws premiere together, and again fans came up to Bob thinking he was Richard, even though clean-shaven Dreyfuss was with him.

Balaban also recounted the audition process. He was asked to speak French and basically bluffed his way to the job with the minimal Francais he was able to string together. Obviously, working with the amazing Truffaut was a highlight, and he talked about how the famed director never second-guessed choices made by Steven Spielberg. "He really was looking forward to just being in his movie," Bob said of Francois. "He was a fantastic, gentle, loving person. And he admired Steven tremendously."

Even so, the duo never had any idea of what the final result was going to be, mainly because there wasn't any green screen, it was just Spielberg explaining what they were supposed to be seeing. "We had no idea of the emotional undercurrent," Balaban explained. "In a lot of the scenes, we were just standing around and applauding."

I did ask another question on the fly. There's a great scene at Devils Tower in which Truffaut and Balaban's characters are talking to an Army major about those "touched by the implanted vision" who came to the site despite great risks. Everything Francois said in French, Bob quickly translated into English. But at the end of the scene, in English, Truffaut says, "Because this means something." Then Balaban repeats what he said in English. So I asked whether that was planned or just came out of the moment.

"It's possible I made a mistake and he kept it," Bob told us. I responded that it worked really well. Obviously that was why it made Spielberg's final cut -- in all three versions of the film.

Balaban ended up writing a great little book on his experience. Originally called the Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary, it's now known as Spielberg, Truffaut & Me -- guess which one I have? Letters to his wife and the impetus of writing a term paper ultimately enabled him to complete the book. Bob hasn't done that for any other film he's worked on -- "I didn't want to be known as the mole on the set," he quipped.

I'd heard some of the Q&A stories before, but one of the ones not in his book and which he had just heard recently was simultaneously creepy and funny. One of the people who helped put together the the mother ship said dead mice found in the excrutiatingly hot studio space were stapled to the bottom to make the model more elaborate and alien. "No mice were hurt in the making of film," Balaban quickly added.

After that, some of us remained to talk with Bob. I brought the booklet from my Close Encounters Blu-Ray box and flipped to Balaban's page for the signature. Around that time, others milling about pointed out my Devils Tower cap and Close Encounters soundboard sweatshirt. I'm glad Bob wasn't bothered by that. I told him I love him in so many things, which is so true, but that this particular film is my favorite of all time. It was very refreshing that he seemed to appreciate that and didn't look at me as though I was one of the aliens.
 
And then the camera on my brand-new iPhone Special Edition -- named Cotopaxi after the ship found in the desert during Close Encounters Special Edition -- stopped working. Luckily, I met another great person that day named Shade. (He showed me his driver's license to prove that's his moniker, even though I said it wasn't necessary.) He took the picture and gave me his email address so I could get it from him later. I'd like to point out how patient Balaban was during all of this. He didn't turn tail and run either, I think he talked with everyone who stayed behind.

He speaks "superfan" really, really well.

Red-hot mama Fuchs bursts back on scene

Motherhood definitely becomes Dana Fuchs.

After a few months off for the birth of son Aidan, the dynamic songstress returned to the stage with authority as part of the Rubin Museum of Art's Naked Soul program. The intimate acoustic concert, which started a wee bit late due to maternal necessity, not only showed she hadn't lost a step, but instead seems recharged and more entertaining than ever.

Dana swiftly set the tone with a vigorous rendition of Otis Rush's "Nobody's Fault But Mine," then cast aside the planned setlist in favor of songs she wanted to sing and the audience wanted to hear.

Naked Soul strives to combine the power of music with the glory of art. Each musician picks out pieces from the museum collection that he/she feels drawn to and details the connection felt toward them. For Fuchs, who admitted she's been on an emotional roller coaster the past couple of years with the passing of her sister, parents and two brothers, Buddhist works have resonated strongly. She explained to us about true enlightenment coming when there is no fear.

Dana certainly didn't display any at the show, engaging the audience at every turn, saying she pictures faces from her audience when practicing her material. She surprised longtime producer, guitarist and co-writer Jon Diamond by wanting to perform the new song "Callin' Angels" as her second offering of the night. The ballad contains verses for each of the family members she lost in chronological order of their departures, and the audience wound up as choked up by the words as Fuchs was on the stage.



The evening also included a number of covers, from Randy Newman's "Guilty" -- which Dana said she hadn't performed live since her early days in New York City to "Love Hurts," best known by Nazareth but originally performed by The Everly Brothers. Fuchs admitted she often channeled Koko Taylor when performing Etta James' "I'd Rather See You Blind," and also belted the Beatles' song that has brought so many fans in the door, "Helter Skelter," from Across the Universe. One of Dana's many strong suits has been making covers her own, presented in her unique voice and style. There wasn't a false note -- or feeling -- in any of them, which begged comparisons to how she drew inspiration from the works of art on the screen behind her as well.

Can I call her and Jon's attempts at performing "Bad Seed" a highlight? See, they never actually executed the song. It's been about a decade since they played it during a show, and even with an audience member trying to help Diamond find the key by queuing the song up on her cell phone, it was not to be. Fuchs did promise to deliver it at a later concert. (We'll be holding you to that, Dana. I've been waiting to hear it for years.)



But we did get a glorious "Nothing on My Mind" and the ditty lent itself well to some Buddha shorthand. As Fuchs explained, the country song at its heart is about attachment to a partner who ends up leaving ... and then karma when the person who did the leaving gets left. She quipped Buddha was probably rolling over in the proverbial grave with her oversimplified explanation.

Dana told us some charming and lighthearted stories about motherhood, but quickly added she wouldn't become one of those artists who obsesses on that experience. And then she performed a song that drew a nice parallel. Her mother wanted her to write a love song. She thought long and hard about that, and then delivered a tune that was about as close to a love song as she thought she'd ever get -- "Misery." I expect Fuchs' life as a parent to be expressed in her music in much the same way, not with ribbons and bows, but cutting straight to the heart of it all the way she always does -- with keen insight in lyrics, some catchy riffs and a voice that drives us there.