Guess I will start filing these as “How did I get dragged into this?” stories. After Donny Van Slee’s set finished I went to Redneck Rviera to catch Jillian’s band. Filmed a clip but it went to the deleted pile for two reasons. While the past couple of weeks with the lighting it made everyone look like they were auditioning for Blue Man Group, I guess the lighting technician decided to try something different. While Sunshine and Casie looked okay, it made Jillian look like an Oompa Loompa. I know you all would not have an issue with that but again had a situation where people close to me, this time to my immediate left, did not even do it as a Locals exclusive because they were talking over the audio.
Now we get to the “fun” parts. Of the group I just mentioned, one of the women in it was celebrating a birthday. If you recall it is a tradition during the performance of Happy Birthday they include “We hope you get some tonight!” then finish with “We hope you get some cake and ice cream!” (Don’t worry, an example will be in my next post) and traditionally this is when Sunshine would point at their drummer Sam and say, “That’s cake!” then point at their usual bass player Jordan and say, “That’s Ice Cream!”. With Casie on bass that wouldn’t work. What does Mr. James do? Points at me (remember this group of couples is to my immediate left) and says, “That’s cake!”. They thought nothing of it so the show just moved ahead.
Somehow a cowboy hat had been left on stage. During the set they were having fun with it by putting it on their own heads, putting it on each other’s heads, even at one point they were throwing it towards Sam, while he was drumming, to see if they could land it on his head.
During one song Jillian motioned me to come to the stage. I did and she gave me the hat. Went back to my seat and while she was singing, started making a gesture of wanting me to put it on. With my hair the last thing you will usually see me do is put on a hat, but if I do, I put it way back on my head so it minimizes messing it up. After that song was over, Jillian motions me back towards the stage. Reason for that was so Casie could take the attached pictures. She then said, “That is badass!” and as I was walking back to my seat she started chanting, “Go Phil!, Go Phil!” and she even got some women in the crowd to chime in.
As they were getting ready to play their last song and put it out to the room as to what the song should be, a couple of those same women as they were making their way to the stage stopped by my table, mentioned a song and said, “How insistent should we be, Phil?”. Yes they were drunk (What are the odds 😁) but put the perfect nightcap on the whole set.
P.S. - Took the hat and set it on a piece of equipment next to the stage so you all don’t have to worry about it making a return appearance.