From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V3 #95 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Sunday, October 22 2000 Volume 03 : Number 095 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Gorka in Galesville, WI [Smithfinn@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 11:21:09 EDT From: Smithfinn@aol.com Subject: Gorka in Galesville, WI I had the most amazing experience last night. This is not going to be cleverly written or eloquent in writing style. I am just too tired, having not gotten home until 2:00 am! We drove over two hours to the Backyard Concert Cafe, an amazing little restaurant in a small town near La Crosse. The owners had advised us to come early to eat dinner before the show started, so we arrived at 6:30 pm and as we were walking up the street, I heard John's voice coming from the building. I felt like a 12 year old again, about to see Paul McCartney! We walked in and they showed us to our assigned table which was a foot or so away from the raised platform stage area. Gorka heaven... Sitting at the Yamaha Clavinova piano was John, playing quietly to himself. Knowing how shy he is, we kept silent, watched in amazement as he sang "You Don't Know Me," the great song written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold and made famous by Ray Charles. Absolutely amazing. I will use the word "amazing" a lot...be forewarned! I almost piched myself, I felt so blessed to be in this situation. As I listened to him sing with that gorgeous voice, I felt more in awe than ever at his talent. He played a little guitar, played with the sound a little. I introduced myself to him (I had only met him once before, a year ago) and he knew all about our web site but hadn't had a chance to view it yet. I asked if I could take some photos while he practiced and got some really nice shots, I think. I will post them soon. I asked him if he had a chance to play small venues like this much and he said something to the effect that he enjoyed them because interesting things happen in small places! My husband and I were still the only ones in the room besides the owners of the club and their volunteers. We were just stunned at this very special experience of hearing John in such a private setting. John was lovely and gracious as always and then quietly left when the crowd started arriving. One of the volunteers, Pat, heard about the web site and told me he had actually viewed it earlier and asked me if he could announce it during intermission. John's show was the best I have seen...he chatted with the crowd, told jokes and amusing stories and seemed to be genuinely having a great time, as did the audience. His voice was amazing (there I go again with that word). My husband commented that it was so pure. There were times when I had to close my eyes and soak in the moment. His song list for the first set were: When She Kisses Me I'm From New Jersey Cypress Trees I Saw A Stranger With Your Hair St. Caffeine People My Age (my husband's request) You Don't Know Me (the afore-mentioned beautiful song played on piano) A song someone else wrote whose name I didn't catch I had never heard that I THINK he said was called "Bedroll in the Sky" Branching Out and Where the Bottles Break There was a nice intermission where we mingled with Gorka fans. Some people there had never seen him perform some had never heard of him, and it was such a treat to see people so stunned by his talent. Pat came on and mentioned the web site by its URL and both Bryn and my names and told the crowd the site was great, which was sweet. I was a little mebarrassed but it was cool. The second set of songs were: Like My Watch Full of Life That's Why Good Noise Houses in the Fields (on piano...stunning) Night is a Woman (on piano...absolutely amazing) When he Cries Edgar Baby Blues (the best performance I have heard of this original song by Slow Blind Driveway...absoutely spell-binding) Part of your Own Zuly Lightning's Blues And his encore was the beautiful song, The Water is Wide, on piano (from "Where Have All the Flowers Gone - The Music of Pete Seeger). I LOVE his performance. Afterwards I had him sign my bootleg from Holland CD (and told him hello from Jos!) and he enjoyed seeing the pictures and told me about being in Amsterdam. We left soon after that, still having a two hour ride ahead of us and knowing we had to repeat the whole experience again tonight when we meet Bryn and others in Cedarburg, WI for another show. I warned him that a huge group of us were coming. On the way home, I couldn't even listen to my tapes as the purity of his beautiful voice still rang in my ears. I am in such awe of this man and his music and he did not disappoint last night. If you have not had the privilege of experiencing him live, make it a top priority! He is just a lovely man. Oh, and talented too! Susan Finn ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V3 #95 *******************************