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Notes from STYX on the Road #40
31-Oct-99 Tallahassee: Hello Sunshine, I wonder what it's like in Montreal this morning? It can't be as balmy as it is here this morning in Tallahassee. We pulled into the hotel this morning around 9:00 AM, if you take into consideration the fact that we did the "Fall Backward" timing thing after midnight last night. There must have been a Seminoles game last night because there were fans in school colors checking out as we waited on our buses for the rooms to become available. We are right in the middle of historic downtown Tallahassee in the midst of the ancient oaks draped in bunches of Spanish moss. Churches inhabit a large percentage of the corners all around our hotel and so the cross-section of citizenry this morning was fascinating to observe. We parked near a club where it became obvious to Glen and me that an all night Rave party was just letting out. It took a few minutes to figure it out, because all of the teens coming out still looked good, yet they were dressed in clothes that had to have been Saturday night attire. We decided that youth was on their side for sure. We'd just slept all night and we looked worse for wear than these guys did! As they congregated outside the club, we noticed a man and his wife who appeared to be a minister. They had to make their way through the crowd of young people who did not appear to be on their way to hear this week's sermon. And across the street, a beautiful and historic old Presbyterian Church was alive with its well dressed congregation, parking their mini-vans and sedans, greeting one and another as they headed for the chapel entrance. I suppose I should include us as yet another unusual gang, all bed-headed and out of context in this setting. A people-watcher's paradise! Tallahassee is a charming place, where there has been an obvious program of urban renewal with a vision of restoration and preservation. It has most certainly been a successful and ongoing philosophy which we applaud. So many monumental American downtowns are boarded up and have given way to the suburban strip mall mentality, that it is reassuring to see one so alive. In the process of downloading from the buses, Jeanne (whose birthday is today) and I decided to head out in search of a local restaurant for breakfast. After one unsuccessful lap, and a discouraging tip ("It's totally depressing here...")from a woman walking her young daughter somewhere, we gave it one more block. That was when Jeanne saw the sign for "Po'Boys Creole Cafe," and we followed it down to the storefront-like entrance. Ta-da! The place was filling up with locals from all walks of life. We'd hit paydirt, and just in time. Within moments of finding a table and placing our order, there was a line outside and names were going on the waiting list. Our waitress, after bringing our hot plates of Creole delights, asked, "You going to the STYX concert tonight?" Within minutes, owner Jon Sweede and his brother Jake were sitting at our table. Great guys from Ohio who are big fans. In fact Jake was visiting Jon and had already purchased tickets for tonight's show. As we finished stuffing our faces with the most amazing food we have had in recent memory, we found ourselves trading "swag" (merchandise) with each other. Jeanne's STYX bucket hat belongs to Jon now and has my signature inside it. I am now wearing a Po'Boys baseball cap and am about to change into my cool new Po'Boys T-shirt! If this is any indication of STYX in Tallahassee, I have a feeling it is gonna be one heck of a show tonight here! You see why we love this job? By the way, last night in Ft. Meyers was, as my pal Ted would say, "a free-for-all" of a show. There was a sea of humans who came there with one singular purpose--TO ROCK! We kept the show moving to satisfy their demands and let me tell you, it rocked from the beginning until the last note of Renegade. It was a quite demonstrative crowd too, with more than a few young ladies showing us their appreciation from atop the shoulders of their boyfriends. Although our crew is always distracted by these acts of generosity, this is something you will never hear anyone complain about! Thank you, ladies... Tonight Tallahassee, then on to New |
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