Rockin' at the HOB

Originally posted on MySpace on April 18, 2007.

I left Bakersfield feeling tired...I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night. Why? I guess part of it was the lingering exhilaration from the previous day's events...that's no surprise! The other reason was my dedication to providing a daily blog to my loyal readers. It took me awhile to put my wonderful day into words. In addition, I had a schedule to keep because I had another show to attend in Vegas. With a 4 hour plus drive ahead of me, I had to get up early. I woke up before my alarm and couldn't fall asleep again, so I gave up and started my day...groggily.

As I traveled east on Hwy 58, I found myself looking forward to seeing something I had spotted a couple of days ago going in the opposite direction. As I passed through the town of Tehachapi, CA on Monday, I glanced in my rearview mirror...and saw the most incredible sight. Hundreds of wind generators scattered across the hillside behind me. They were spinning with the constant wind in the area, and appeared so graceful in their motion. It turns out the Tehachapi wind farm is the 2nd largest in the U.S. (the largest is near San Francisco). On my return trip back, I wanted to get a photo of the wind generators...I managed to get some good shots while I drove through the area.

When I reached Vegas, I checked into my usual place, The Riveira. I did some quick checking at the House of Blues website, and found they had a Pass The Line option for entering the music hall. If you have dinner at the restaurant or make a purchase at their store, your receipt and concert ticket will get you in before the general admission line. I decided to earn that privilege...I had dinner at the restaurant...I had to eat somewhere anyway.

When I got done, I checked out the entrance of the venue...and saw My Space friend Cheryl. She was in Vegas for a birthday vacation trip, and conveniently, her favorite music guy was playing at HOB. We agreed to meet there, and we scored a spot near the front of the stage. Chantel Kreviazuk is really growing on me. I wasn't familiar with her music before Bakersfield, but after seeing her again at HOB, I really like her stuff. Things started off about 15 minutes late, and I'm not sure if that affected the length of John's show or if it was planned that way, but it was 3 songs shorter than last night.

Things were a little different at HOB compared to the Bakersfield theater crowd. Tonight, there was a lot of singing along with the songs, especially The Riddle, Superman and, of course, 100 Years. I think that says a lot about how John's songs impact people's lives, and how the lyrics are so meaningful. Due to the fact that the venue was also a bar, there was a constant background chatter. It was noticeable during Chantal's set, but John would have none of it when it came time to tell his story of Two Lights. He politely told the talkers to can it for a bit, and the room became dead silent...yes, John can certainly hold an audience.

So, I had a rockin' good time at the HOB. It will be interesting to see what kind of show will happen at the 4th & B in San Diego in two days...it's a club. It was so nice to meet a My Space friend, especially one who shares a mutual love for John's music. Cheryl had never seen Five For Fighting in concert before, and John just blew her away! She now wants to see him again at his HOB Orlando show when she returns back home to Florida. I know the feeling, Cheryl. Once John has entered your life through his songs, you can never go back. I'm ready for the next show!