Monterey Lives On One More Time
Each year, at the end of the annual SXSW Music Festival here in Austin, TX, Paul Minor puts on a benefit show at the Hole In The Wall. He picks a theme and really takes it to the next level. For the past two years I have been proud to be a part of that tradition.
Last year, was the Bangladesh concert tribute and wow – it was great. I owe a lot to that night at the Hole. Later in the year, based on the show’s first success, Paul was asked to put on another version of it at Threadgill’s World Headquarters on the actual anniversary of the show. That was the night that Jody Denberg heard me perform “That’s The Way God Planned It” and suggested I record it for my upcoming CD. And the rest is history…
Tonight, we did it again. Except this time, “it” was the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival – the Grandfather of all music festivals. Earlier this year at the Hole we put on this show to an overwhelmed crowd and so once again – on the actual anniversary date – we went back out there and rocked it. This year, I was asked to sing the music of Otis Redding. At the original festival in 1967, Otis used Booker T. and the MGs as his backing band, so who better to back me up than McLemore Ave. We came out screaming with “Shake!” then slowed it down for “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” and brought down the house with “Try A Little Tenderness.” Later in the night I sat in with Sheboygan to recreate the sounds of the Mamas and the Papas.
The night was captured on various cameras and hopefully some decent audio too, but here is the beginning of what I hope will be several shots from the show. These were taken by none other than Roberto the Faithful.
A big thank you to everyone who came out to see the show despite what the weatherman said about it raining! An extra big thank you to all of the musicians who put so much effort into their performances and of course, the man himself… Paul Minor, for putting it all together.
I met a lot of new people tonight who enjoyed my performance but their was one youngster whose mother brought him up to meet me directly after my set so he could let me know that he thought I was a “really good singer.” When I thanked him and asked if he was a singer, he simply said, “No. But now I want to be one someday.” Now seriously… Who could ask for anything more out of life than to inspire a child by using the gifts that you have been blessed with.
