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July 11, 2005
Willie's Picnic (0)
In High School, the Doobie Brothers were my favorite band. (I'm not sure if that says more about me or the small Texas town that I grew up in.) Earlier this year, I helped out a friend with a little pro bono project for the band. When he found out that the Doobies were playing at Willie's Picnic, Glenn was able to get everyone tickets and backstage passes.
Walking from the car, the ladies were accosted by two drunk red-necks in the back of their pickup. Their calls of, "Hey! Hey!" were not enough to get our wives to leave us (sigh of relief).
We made our way through the massive crowd to the backstage area and complete with a shaded bar. Prior to the Doobie Brothers taking the stage, we had the ability to view parts of the show from the rear of the stage. As the day progressed, security started to clamp down. I got the chance to meet two of the founding members of the band, Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston, and a longtime member, John McFee. (see below)
When the Doobie Brothers took to the stage, we faced a dilemma, where were we going to watch the show? We couldn't get up on stage and didn't want to brave the masses. I decided to squeeze through some rigging to get into the press area in front of the stage. It seems that I wasn't the only one with that idea. It was soon crowded in our little pen and the concert goers who had been holding down spots in what had previously been the front were less than thrilled with our invasion.
The set from that vantage was exhilarating. The band sounded tight with perfect harmonies. They played all of their hits and finished the set with Listen to the Music with help from Willie Nelson. After the Doobies finished, our not-so-secret spot was closed down by the overly large Texas lawmen who were acting as security for the show. We tried to watch some of the rest of the performers from the crowd, but once you have been that close, it is hard to go back to the outlands.
On our way back to the car, only one of our drunken lady-killers was still in the back of his truck. "Uh-huh!" he called, still trying. I admire a man with such dedication...even in such a futility.
Pat Simmons, Glenn, and Rich
Rich, Tom Johnston, and Taco
Rich and John McFee
The Angry Crowd
The Doobie Brothers From in Front of Front Row
Taco and Rich
Willie Comes Out on Stage
Rich, Karen, Natalie, and Steve Backstage
Posted by Rich at July 11, 2005 9:47 AM
