The Music Never Stopped - MaxCreek 4/21/07 Trip Report

"Why did it take us 19 years to see them again? BFF Kim asked me.

"Not sure, Life I guess" I replied.

The weekend of April 20th-22nd was marked as CreekEnd, the 35th anniversary shows of MaxCreek one of my all time favorite bands. It also marks the 35th year that Kimberly and I have been friends. Most marriages dont last that long. We've had our ups and downs, a fist fight over boys in 7th grade, times where we havent spoken because of life, times we havent spoken because we've been pissed at each other. In the end we have an unconditional sisterlike love for each. We can read each others minds so well our conversations appear disjointed because we dont need to finish our sentences. We also have the tendency to jump from one subject to another without completing the first one.

Kim is thrice married and the mom of two. Me never married and no kids. Single and Fabulous ala Carrie Bradshaw. Kim's eldest, Zackary, is graduating college this year. He came to the aid of Auntie IG and got her all hooked up with importing and exporting things onto the IPOD. Seems like only yesterday we were truckin him off to Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, CSN, MaxCreek and Dead Shows not to mention Classical shows at Tanglewood. Connor is 8, so Kim and hubby Michael have their hands full with Connor and the menagerie my earth goddess BFF has acquired... Sheep, a pony and now Rabbits.

The nite before Kim tried to coerce me into driving down to Lenox for show 1. Since I had to work some Overtime to fund Vegas 2007, plus play a buy-in tourney on Bodog which is a series for a WSOP main event seat, I opted out. When we checked in on Saturday, Kim had opted out of Friday nite too.

So I worked, my OT. I then ran errands. Errand #1 was to the UPS store to bestow on them some packing plastic and popcorn which I delivered with a "Happy Earth Day". Yes Im kind of anal about recycling but anyone who has ever read the 100 useless things about me knows that.

At 4:30 PM i sat down for the buyin on Bodog. Its a 8 game series hosted by Rounders Radio. I had finished 5th of almost 200 in the freeroll the week before. The top ten overall in the 4 freerolls play in the finale for the WSOP main event seat. The top 30 from 4 buy-ins move on. I managed to play solid poker, varying my play from weak tight to aggro to finish 5th. That got me solid points in buy-in number 1 and enough money to cover all the buyins and then some. Im free-rollin. The dude who won the event posted on the forum that he considers me one of his toughest opponents. Thanks ChipNChair. The scary thing is I'm even better then I was when he first ran across me a year or so ago, but then again so is he.

With the Bodog performance under my belt, I decided to get dressed for the evening. In the old days my dad would have said... "I cant believe you spent that much time getting dressed up to look that bad!!". Tye-dye and a tiered skirt which of course clashed. Bells, bangles, beads and begonias. Mukluks and moccassins that was the attire when I was hardcore. Tonite I went with the black jeans and a demure White peasant blouse that of course enhanced my cleavage. No birkies I went with the New Balances that have my orthotics in it.

I high-tailed it down to Lenox, MA my old stomping grounds to meet Kim about 10 PM. My old beau Rob lived in Stockbridge and I spent a gazillion weekends down there at his parents house during the years we were together. I hadnt been over that way in ages and as I drove thru Lee I remembered a few places I had been with him, his mom and of course the Stockbridge Bowl. I wound up at the Eastover Conference Center and Resort in about 1 hour. Down the hill from the main conference center and hotel I Baha'd the SUV to the Tally-Ho lodge where the shows would be. Thank goodness for 4 wheel Drive

I went up to the door and poked my head inside and announced to the bouncer "Hi Im meeting my best friend here!" If I had had a daisy I would have bestowed one on him as he was cool. I Didnt see Kim inside the door so I decided to wait outside. A few minutes later, the dude pokes his head out and says to me.. "Is this who you are looking for?" Kim had virtually said the same thing to him. He braceleted us up with two bracelets. I looked at Kim and said happy belated 4/20 day even though neither of us smoke any more. Our bouncer gave me a knowing wink and wished me the same. Its been said we Deadheads have our own language and lingo. I call it DeadSpeak and anyone who has spent anytime around Kind folk now what im talking about. Kim looked at me and said."Damn you smell good (Estee Lauder Pleasures hold the patchouli) and look hot." I prefer that kind of a compliment from guys but these days anything will do. She repeated this to hubby Michael when we called him during the break.

Rev Tor opened the show and we came in at the end of their set. Rev has a great bluesy voice. Kim thought of PigPen but, Rev's voice is purer and not as gravely as Pigs. I never saw the dead when PigPen was alive but some of my favorite music is from the PigPen days. Then a gal did a few acoustic songs. Nice voice reminded me of Indigo Girls or someone else.

Finally the Creek took the stage. By my best recollection, I hadnt seen them (for various reasons like rehab etc) since either 1987 or 1988 maybe 1989 and probably at Bucksteep Manor in Western Mass. I've seen them in NY, CT, VT, MA, and RI at many venues. I may have seen the Creek more then the Dead. There was a local dead cover band called SlipKnot (after the Grateful Dead song who then changed to Box of Rain) that was Albany based but they were almost a pure cover band. Rob would say he'd rather go see the Dead then a pale imitation. But the Creek did covers in their own way and a lot of their original music and Rob loved the Creek so we were always good to go. The Creek has played all over the NorthEast and if memory serves me Bonnarro #1 but for the most part are a Regional band.

Now no surprise in this little confession. Besides my school girl crush on Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, I had a crush on Scott Murawski the lead guitarist, as did probably every other hippie chick. Even though I had a boyfriend I was happy with, what gal doesnt have a thing for the lead guitarist who is dang cute. When I first saw the Creek, Scotts hair was long long long, then short and as I mentioned in my prior post, it is now longer then mine was before its recent chop chop in January. Kim said OMG its beautiful. I of course had major hair envy. Its not right that a guy can have better looking locks then a gal!!

Now in all my years of Creekin, I never once spoke to Scott. I have spoken to Keyboardist Mark Mercier and Bassist John Rider even if it was drug laced incoherent drivel. It took twenty friggin years for him to talk to me and his words were.. 'Where the fuck are you!!". But, I get ahead of myself.......

Onto the show...

4-21-07
Eastover Resort
Lenox, MA
Drums: Scott Allshouse & Greg Vasso

Set 1
Louisiana Sun--> Silver Jack, Tangled Up In Blue, Drag*, Devil's Heart#--> jam#, drums%, Late In The Evening%

Set 2
Truckin'--> Old Stones,Broken Bones$, "Old Joe Clark" jam^, You're The Only One, Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness, Heartbeat--> Crossroads--> In The Midnight Hour@--> Life During Wartime@

Encore
Gimme Shelter, Will The Circle Be Unbroken

* additional guitar: Jordan Murawski
# drums: Greg DeGuglielmo & Greg Vasso
% drums: Greg DeGuglielmo & Scott Allshouse
lead vocals & harmonica: John Coster
harmonica: John Coster
@ additional guitar: Tor Krautter


My first comment to Kim was how impressed I was that Mark could remember all the words to Tangled Up in Blue and I could actually understand him! We were also impressed on how versatile he still was on the keyboads. Kim is a music teacher and an excellent piano player, but a bit of arthritis effects her ability to play like she used to. Anyway, I could never understand Dylan but had no problems understanding Mark!! Kim then proceeded to blow out my eardrum while trying to tell me something a few rows back from the stage. I then made the profound statement that like the Grateful Dead, I had achieved the point where I no longer needed hallucingens to reach that point where you are one with the music. When the jam is that good and it hits you at your core you are one with it. I dont think some people get that. But then again, in all the years I ran I never ever got a runners high (but then my biochemistry is not normal either).

It only got better, a cute young man took the stage, Kim mentioned what a cutie he was. Me the degenerate poker playing gambler whould have made a prop bet that the young man taking his place next to Scott was Scott's son. I looked at Kim and said, Sweetie that is Scotty's son look at the jawline thats Scott about 35 years ago. Deadheads are too agreeable. She agreed with me so no action on any bet I was going to make there. And just like I could always tell what the dead would segue into or open with my the hints in their jams, I proved right on this. We witnessed the guitar debut of Jordan Murawski. Adoring son jamming with his proud papa. It doesn't get any better then that.

There were more surprises. John Coster on Harmonica, Rev Tor gigging in. And then of course Scotty took to the mike with his version of Phil Lesh's liver speech. Scott talked about his My Space page and the requests he gets on the page. He shouted out a few happy anniversarys and then he mentioned Goggle and getting a tickler on a mention of him and the band. He said "I was reading this chicks blog.. think she calls herself DIRTY GIRL." which of course got a bunch of laughs and some pretenders to being the author of the post he was going to recite. Scott continued with: "She said, she was gonna be here this weekend and hadnt seen us in years, and my hair was longer then Johns' and I look like Father Time!". Of course I looked at Kim and her at me and we starting cracking up. It was my blog post. He then shouted. "Where the Fuck is she?" I had staked out my four feet of floor space to space dance and was in the back of the room. Kim pushed me forward to the stage..I went up to the side of the stage. Pointed to myself and confessed to Scott that it was me IRONGIRL. Finally twenty years later he spoke his first words to me. I dont think he had any idea he was reading a poker blog!!!

"You're going to be mentioned on the 35th anniversary tape." Kim stated green with a little envy. Next up Norm Chad mentioning me during the WSOP broadcasts and I die a happy girl.

SHIP IT!!!

I didnt get home to 3AM. I had worked for 5 hours, played poker for about 6 and danced for 5. The next morning my ankles felt like they would only recover and stop throbbing after downing some Vicodin which I off course dont have.

Thank you Scott, John, Mark, Greg(S), Scott A and Jordan for A real good time. And Scott you really dont look like Father Time you just need a better picture up on My Space and the Creek web page.

Peace!! And for my kind poker playing buddies Monster Pots and Good Cardma.

With props to the original Mcgrupp


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_q22GCJEOk