Experience Hendrix 11/3/2008

Nob Hill Masonic Center
San Francisco, CA (8:00 - ~11:30 pm)
http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com/

Mitch Mitchell & Billy Cox of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, Robby Krieger, Jonny Lang, Chris Layton, Mato Nanji, Cesar Rosas, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Hubert Sumlin.

A phalanx of guitar players tried to conjure Jimi Hendrix in San Francisco last night. They almost succeeded--at least they showed that a little bit of Jimi is in every electric guitarist.

The Nob Hill Masonic Center is a pretty plush venue. There is a five-level parking garage directly beneath the auditorium, so we drove right in (paying $15 extra), and took an elevator up to the hall in the same building. There are about 25 rows of cushioned seats in a semicircle around the stage on the ground floor, and some more on a balcony. We were in row "S", right of the stage, with a clear view of most of the proceedings.

Eric Gales: Purple Haze, Foxy Lady

Gales opened with the two best-known of Hendrix compositions, tearing through them with plenty of flash, speed, and authenticity--and reminders to the audience to applaud via stopping and holding his hands up to his ears after almost every solo. But he's a good player and in the unenviable position of opening, so we'll forgive that minor annoyance.

Robbie Krieger, Mato Nanji: Manic Depression

The legendary Doors guitarist played rather quietly through this one, one of only a couple of Gibson guitar players in the bunch (the tour is sponsored by Gibson--a brand Jimi rarely played). Mato Nanji was also an understated but solid soloist--actually not an unwelcome break from the loud screeching trebles we'd hear most of the night.

Doyle Bramhall II: Angel, Remember

Bramhall played slide, and never seemed to catch his stride on these two numbers. I could imagine him perhaps doing them quite impressively on other nights, but just didn't see it tonight, and I was starting to wonder if this whole show was going to be a wash.

Jonny Lang: Rock Me Baby

Blues guitar wunderkind Lang finally brought a little bit of fire to the proceedings.

David Hidalgo, Krieger, Bramhall: ?Blues number

The Los Lobos guitarist joined the other two understated players for a 12-bar blues I couldn't identify. I like Los Lobos, but when I think "Hendrix-influenced guitar music," that's not really where I tend to go...

Eric Johnson: Love or Confusion

Okay, now we start to get somewhere. Johnson is one of a handful of modern guitar wizards in the Hendrix tradition, a la Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and the like. A likeable, unassuming guy, he produces cascades of notes in a nice round tone--sometimes too quiet for the high-powered backing, but again rather a nice reprieve from the piercing top-of-the-neck screaming of some others.

+ Gales: May This Be Love, Bold As Love, Are You Experienced

Gales returned to join Johnson for an inspired rendition of May This Be Love (aka "Waterfall"), and stuck around through a few more, having mostly the good sense to not try to upstage Johnson.

Brad Whitford, Jonny Lang: Fire, The Wind Cries Mary, Spanish Castle Magic

OK now here we go. Whitford of Aerosmith and Lang, returning, gave an (insert incendiary adjective here: "scorching"?) rendition of Fire, Lang delivering one of the best vocal performances of the night. When two guitarists attempt to solo at the same time, it's a very tricky proposition unless they can agree to stay each in their own tonal neighborhoods. The urge to go high and trebly is often overwhelming when you want to cut through the sonic sludge, and that works for one guitar but not two. Both of these guys are excellent, impressive players, but playing simultaneously, they cancel each other out.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Noah Hunt on vocals): Come On, I Don't Live Today, Voodoo Child, Slight Return

Shepherd is another hot guitarist, and he did fantastic versions of these songs, especially the segued-together Voodoo Child/Chile. I had to look up Noah Hunt on the web, but he is a great singer who performs with Shepherd regularly.

Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, + Nanji?: Can You See Me, Little Wing, Them Changes

Now we had another Los Lobos guitarist, and I don't know, these guys just didn't grab me that much, but they did creditable versions of the songs.

Hubert Sumlin: Shoulda Quit You

Sumlin is one of Jimi's stated influences. At 77 years of age (Hendrix would be 65 now), he was spry and chipper, of course not a dazzling guitar-god, but that's not what he was there for. It was nice to have him included, and he came out again for several songs and the other players always deferred to him.

Buddy Guy, Ric Hall, others: Best Damn Fool, Hoochie Coochie Man, ... Red House

Buddy Guy is another Hendrix influence, and I guess the headliner here. He's a great bluesman, and he plays the audience well, getting laughs with some clever lines and his delivery. He's also a killer guitarist, and he could riff with the best of them. Ric Hall, uncredited, plays rhythm for Guy mostly, but did get a chance to step out and play a couple of solos and show off his ZZ Top-style twirling guitar...

I felt the show devolved in here somewhere, and it stopped being about Jimi and started being about Buddy--not at all a bad person for "it" to be "about," but not what we came for. At one point, Guy held the same feedbacking note for upwards of a minute, and that was it for me.

All in all, this review might belie the fact that it was a very good show with a lot of high points, and in fact a little of that Hendrix spirit throughout... In case it wasn't obvious, there is a little of Jimi on EVERY ROCK GUITARIST, since he first appeared on world stages in 1966/1967. Listening to "American Woman" from the Guess Who's live album on the way home, I could not help thinking THAT was a tribute to Jimi as well.

What we saw here was that there was so much to Jimi, any other guitarist can possess even some small fraction of it and use it as his (no women players here, were there!) entire act. I picture this tour going from city to city, and each player having standout nights and slow ones, overall a different, powerful show every night.

Sebastopaluma

1351.2; 1000.9(!); 40.5

Yes, passed the 1000-mile mark on the odometer while coming back into Sebastopol after a rather tiring 40-mile round trip to Petaluma and back. Of course, having mentioned that I haven't had a flat in several weeks, and having wondered why I've had three flats in the rear and none in front, I got a flat on the front tire. It was actually sorta good, because it made for a rest break near the halfway point of the ride home, and also helped confirm that I *can* fix a flat out in the field. Also, three different people stopped and offered help, which was really nice.

Anyway, yeah, 1000 miles since Aug. 15 on this bike!

Hop Kiln

1310.7; 960.4; 31.5

Hop Kiln is as far as I got today, heading out Westside Road to the 15-mile mark, then turning around.

Here's a feeling I *really* don't like: going down a steep hill that ends in a "T" with cross traffic, and squeezing the rear brake lever as far as it goes, and still going 9, 10, 11 mph. That was Covey Rd. today. Covey is parallel to Mirabel Rd. between Forestville and River Rd. Mirabel has quite a lot of traffic and no shoulders, so seeing Covey on the map I decided to try it. Major, MAJOR hill. But I was able to ease on the front brake so that the combined brakes slowed me enough to feel safe. So I continued on, as noted, across River to Westside Rd., deciding to follow Westside till I got tired or got 15 miles (for a 30-mile round trip). It's a narrow, winding, up-and-down road with several wineries, but not too bad for biking. The only places I really feel vulnerable are on long right-curving uphills, where I'm going slow (and thus am exposed longer) and drivers won't see me till they're almost on me. There were only a couple of those places.

It occurred to me that I could look at my brake cables and see if I could adjust them before I hit another long downhill where I needed to stop, so I took a break at the Hop Kiln winery and took a look. First thing I saw was that the threaded piece near the lever had room for tightening. Next thing, I tightened the wrong nut on the rear--the one for the derailleur. Next, I tried to pull the cable through a little bit to tighten for the rear brake. Ultimately, I succeeded, I think, in getting the brake to pull a little more, and also got the derailleur thing adjusted back. I think there's room for improvement still, but it got me home safely. Then, there was the climb back UP Covey Rd...

Again, lovely autumn day; lots of colorful fallen leaves in the paths and the roads. (Seems like maybe the star thistles are done for the year, too--I haven't had a flat in several weeks, knock rubber.)

As you work up to bigger mileage, the same old paths and roads finally start to get boring, and you have to go farther afield. And you have to venture into unknown (or semi-unknown) places. I find a lot of road riding to be extremely unpleasant, but at least some parts are nice--cf Westside Road through all the vineyards.

I think maybe I shouldn't've started tracking miles per riding day--it makes me want to do more miles each ride, and NOT do a simple short ride that will reduce that average (currently 21.8 miles over 60 days); my average per calendar day is 12.4 over 106 calendar days, so a "short" 16-mile ride is still valid if I ride more or less every day.

I'm riding to Petaluma again tomorrow, weather permitting. That might take me over 1000 on this bike. Will have to bring a camera...

Shiloh

1279.2; 928.9; 31.9

Wasn't sure where I was going when I left this morning--in fact, not sure where the hell I'm going still--but ended up going out to Forestville and then across River Rd., intending to get to 15 miles then turn around, but then not wanting to go back up the Mirabel Rd. hill, so continued on across River Rd. to Eastside to Mark West Sta, and on out past the aiport to Shiloh before returning on Old Redwood Hwy and Fulton Rd.

Really trying to shake this feeling of impending doom (as if it wasn't already occurring, what with the state of the state, country, and world...); trying to put some positive thought-power behind it, we WILL WILL WILL ride this out, but there's precious little security at the moment. Well, we're good through December I guess. I will continue to try to harness energy in a good direction (I heard that this works; it's a secret; only a few million people know about it).

About ten miles out, I stopped to take a drink from my hydration pack and realized it was empty. It holds 70 oz., so I don't always top it off for every ride, and today I didn't really expect to go as far as I did. Shades of a similar ride 6 or 7 years ago, also out by the airport, where I ended up getting hot water from a farm. This time, I got to a quikee mart and bought a large bottle of water and poured it in, and that served. REMEMBER TO HYDRATE, FOLKS! It's more important than you think.

Llano - Todd et al

1247.3; 897.0; 27.0

Wanted to get a few more miles, and want to try to improve my "personal best" for the week, but fell short of 30 and by the time I got home I didn't really mind--over 25 is enough for today, including as it did another road I probably won't do again--Llano Rd from 12 to Todd, and Todd over to 116--though not as bad as that stretch of Occidental.

DMV

1220.3; 870.0; 18.2

Afraid this ride has brought my average down. Maybe I'll ride in the afternoon too.

The DMV is approximately 9 miles away, and no, they do not have a bike rack. I guess I might need my car anyway--not sure if I just need to be present, or take a written or driving test, to renew my license this time. I do know they want money.

I really try to stay cheerful and not get annoyed with people on the path, but c'mon, you're walking two abreast with a dog, leaving 1/8 of a 12-foot-wide path with the dog not entirely reeled in, and I really don't want to hit your dog. I ring my bell from 50 ft, 30 ft, 20 ft, and you make it clear that you've seen me, and move two inches over... that's a little aggravating. I guess other cyclists have left a bad impression--maybe--but y'know? Two wrongs? And... you'd REALLY rather have someone (or an innocent pet) get hurt than just show a little courtesy? Tough world!

Banking On It

1202.1; 851.8; 25.9

Moved money to credit union, where it will await tax time. Ugh, I guess Obama won't be able to help yet then. Lots of surface-street riding in Santa Rosa, where it seems there are always bike lanes where they're not needed and seldom bike lanes where they are needed. Certain drivers make a point of passing as close as they think they can get. I try to avoid streets like that, but hate to go on the sidewalks, which, in California are mainly repositories for stuff they couldn't put in the street: telephone poles and their wire supports, manhole covers, garbage out for collection (from five days ago); also the concrete squares that comprise the sidewalk are frequently pushed up in various directions by tree roots and seismic activity...

In a similar vein, Note to Self: NEVER ride Occidental Road east of Sanford again.

Have been thinking about this quote and finally looked it up: "I will make a bargain with the Republicans. If they will stop telling lies about Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."-Adlai Stevenson. It's hard to believe the Republican party still exists, if they were using the same tricks that long ago (this probably would've been 1952 or 56, when he ran for president against Eisenhower--my grandma remembered him as "ol' Snake Eyes"--a name, I think, of her own invention. I don't think her voting criteria changed much over the years; it was mostly based on who she did or didn't like the looks of). Grandma is one of McCain's lost voters--if she had survived another year, she certainly would've voted for him.

Think I'll go see "W" today...

Petaluma & Back

1176.2; 825.9; 38.8

Wow, I grossly overestimated this ride. I gave myself 2-1/2 hours to get to Petaluma, and only took 1:15. I thought it would be close to 50 miles total, but actually was less than 40--my second-longest ride since returning to my biking ways. There are a couple of no-shoulder spots where there's a certain amount of danger, but it's mostly a pretty easy ride in the morning when the temperature and wind aren't too high. I did NOT expect the heat, coming back, but still managed a 1:15 ride.

I was starting to worry about higher readings on my blood sugar (thinking I'd need to go back to full doses of Actos), but that's dropped significantly (78 and 97 the last two days, after 130 130 124, 141), and my average this month is back under 120.

Talking to my friend, I find that I'm not the only one who senses in McCain a reluctance, almost sheepishness, about putting forth the lies his "handlers" have given him... In the local paper today (actually a Washington Post story), there's talk that the repubs might pull back on McCain campaign funding, thinking it better to spend the money on congressional campaigns, where McCain might almost be a lost cause. I am overjoyed at this prospect. In every debate and elsewhere, I have seen in Obama a man with an amazing memory and excellent command of data: a problem solver. He might bore some people with analysis, but he doesn't deliver the empty "I know how to..." lines, and he really did, I feel, minimize the dirtiness of the campaign, even while McCain and PitDog resorted to mudslinging of the worst kind.

President Obama! YES!

Absence

1137.4; 787.1; 31.2

No on 8. The (paper) Chronicle today shows people praying with mouths contorted and arms raised, presumably for God to take his vengeance on the butt-slammers (the ones He presumably created). How is it that people still believe in earthly representatives of a vengeful creator? The idea of a creator is not unreasonable, but the idea that someone like Falwell, or any of that ilk, has a direct line to a creator and is hear to communicate--and enforce--His wishes? That's just stupid. OK, let's play it through. Imagine that a majority of people vote yes. Do you really think all those gay people are going to go away? Leave 'em alone--if you don't like gay marriage, don't gay-marry. If you can't bear to vote No, just skip the question.

Yes on Obama. He's not perfect, but he's good. And the alternative is truly, truly frightening if you have even a tattered shred of intelligence. Just by the examples of the kind of people who are coming out of the woodwork for the repubs lately, you should recognize that you don't want to be on that side. OK, watch the last debate tonight, listen between the lines when they speak, and imagine which would really be "the cool hand on the helm" (an absurd phrase grammatically, like much of what McCain has been fed for regurgitation BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECTED BUSH FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, DUH!).

My friend and ex-co-worker Garrie, I learned, died (**died!**) in August. He'd had meningitis about two years ago and was pretty ill from then on, I guess, but still, he was only three years older than me, and it was a surprise to get an email response from "him" (his sister-in-law) saying he had passed away. It's funny (not ha-ha funny) that I'm reading "Seth Speaks" right now, and am in the middle of chapters about death. One of the things he says--and this was said to my unhearing ears a lot at alternative school in my teens--is "you're as dead now as you'll ever be." I think I never really parsed or understood this phrase before, and it gives an unfortunate negative cast, but reading it in context, it is actually a very positive concept. I'm really enjoying the book, and finding it affirms a lot that I felt/intuited/believed all along. Interesting: the idea of entities repeatedly reincarnating in an illusive physical time and space was making me wonder why there are so many more people now than in the past--and a visitor to a session, in the book, asks that question in conversation whereupon Seth "appears" and addresses the question... I'm remembering more dreams lately--fragmentary, but much more than usual.

Anyway, my warmest regards to you, Garrie, wherever you are now.

Warming Up

1106.2; 755.9; 27.5

The first number is total miles since 7/13; second is miles on odometer on the main bike; third number is miles today.

Think I need to do something to warm up before riding, or maybe this morning was just extra cold. At any rate, I never really got going, and the whole ride was slower than usual--although I still rode as far as I wanted to.

If the weather holds, I'll ride to Petaluma on Friday, after a longish ride tomorrow and a day off Thursday.

There's a River Down There

728.4; 21.9

Don't let that mileage fool you--this was a killer! On top of the usual bike-path loop out to Forestville, continued on Mirabel Rd. down to Trenton Rd., which is parallel to and in view of the Russian River. Then back up Laguna to Vine Hill to Green Valley Rd.

Laguna/Vine Hill climbs almost 300 feet in one mile. It's a beautiful ride other than that--not a single car passed as I struggled up the hill, and there's only one slightly scary part where the road curves right while climbing steeply enough to have me crawling in low gears. No wonder the runoff is in such a hurry to get down there!

But I do get the "Green Valley drop" as a little reward, back down to the path.

This brings (keeps?) my daily average for October over 12 and average per riding day over 20. And, I hope, brings my blood sugar down from today's and yesterday's consecutive 130s.

Petaluma Hill

706.5; 25.5

Petaluma Hill Rd. seems mostly flat when you drive it. Like with many things, it's a different story on a bicycle. And the headwind! Be that as it may, I was able to cover the 12.7 mile trip out in 53 minutes--the trip back might have been a bit slower, especially that first part, which seemed to take all my strength to just pedal forward on a seemingly very slight incline. Anyway, bravo: 700 miles on the Marin Novato bike, a bike of which I approve greatly.

"Nice Bike"

681.0; 25.3

When one of the loiterers along the less-savory portion of the Joe Rodota trail says "Nice Bike," I want to say, "No! It isn't! It's a piece of crap!" (knowing as I do that people HAVE been mugged on this trail). I have really tried to cultivate an atmosphere of goodwill, courtesy, and friendliness around myself, and I trust that to work for me. My bike is pretty unique, also, and easy to spot, so maybe not as desirable for theft as it might otherwise be. Anyway. Good to get out on another temperate autumn day, and to get more than 20 miles.

You with the headphones? There are MANY more certain and less potentially painful forms of suicide--why don't you try one?

I kid.

My numbers as of today:

Total miles since start (July 13): 1031.2
Calendar days since start: 89
Average miles per day: 11.6
Total riding days: 50
Average miles per riding day: 20.6

October:
Total miles: 113.9
Calendar days: 10
Average miles per day: 11.4
Riding days: 6
Average miles per riding day: 19.0

I keep track of all this on the same spreadsheet where I track my blood sugar, and there is some general correlation between bike-riding and sugar levels day by day (the effect really is more long-term than daily, though). FWIW, then:

Average fasting BG reading July 1-Sept 30: 121.2
Average fasting BG reading October so far: 121.5

No need for panic! These are good numbers. Doc was pleased. 126 and up will get you diagnosed as diabetic. I'm taking a variety of medications that help keep that number down, but the exercise REALLY helps--and more, helps to "normalize": my numbers don't range as widely when I'm riding regularly.

Eh?

655.7; 18.5

Hearing aid fitting appointment today.

I have trouble hearing soft sounds, and individual sounds with a lot of background noise, and at work, I was having a LOT of trouble understanding people with heavy accents. Analyzing this last, I felt that it might be the different emphasis on different syllables common to some ESL speakers.

So, I went to get my hearing tested three months ago, while I was still employed and fully insured. These people thought they could do something for me, and they said it would cost $2500, with $500 going to me. I paid the $500, and was laid off the next week. At the point of being laid off, I would have canceled the whole thing except for the fact that it was already paid for, and I was pretty certain there was no way I was gonna get that $500 back.

So I waited.... and waited... How long does it take to prepare a hearing aid for a person? They didn't take a plaster cast of my inner ear or anything! Finally, about a month in, I called them, and they informed me that they were waiting for payment from the insurance company.

So I waited... and waited... FINALLY, last week, they called me to make an appointment for a fitting, and I went in today (1111 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, hence Monday's 1111 blog entry title, and the ride to scout for a bike rack).

After sitting in a tiny room for 20 minutes with nothing to do, hooked up by a wire to a laptop, the doc (or audiologist?) came in and ran a few test wherein I could barely ascertain any difference between the hearing aids' being on or off, and when it was on, there was a tinny reverb-y sound to everything he or I said. Okay fine. It surely would take some getting used to, and they usually try to set it low and move it up gradually, so I was ushered out to make an appointment for a couple of weeks hence.

At that appointment, the woman nonchalantly added, "and eight hundred fifty-three thirty-five" or something to that effect.

Had I not been wearing a hearing aid, I wouldn't have believed my ears! Still I had her repeat it.

Upshot, she will run it by the insurance company again--"sometimes they are wrong"--and get back to me, so at least I get a brief reprieve, but jeeze! Eight Hundred Dollars is not small change, especially for the underemployed. And I don't really even need the damned things anymore, for now--the reasons I originally went are all but absent from my life now!

On the ride home, the wind noise was amplified so much I couldn't hear anything else.

On the lighter side, as of the end of this excursion, I have officially biked 1006 miles, in 87 days. Whoopee.

Fresh Oil

637.2; 16.5

Occidental Road is being repaved and so has a lovely shoulder-to-shoulder coat of oil.

Autumn is definitely here, and it's nice to coast through whirling leaves and cool brisk air (and have perhaps relatively fewer people on the trails).

I think the little nubs on the sides of my tires are almost entirely gone now.

1111

620.7; 18.6

Oh the numbers! I had really hoped to get in the habit of regular "short" (under 25-mile) rides this month, and then got off track with work, rain, and the weekend, so now I'm playing catch-up. I now have my spreadsheet tracking average miles per RIDING day AND per CALENDAR day.

I have an appointment at one of the medical offices in Santa Rosa Wednesday afternoon, and wanted to see if there was a place to lock the bike so I could ride there. No bike rack out front of a medical center! Isn't there something wrong with that? There's a bike rack in back, at the STAFF entrance, where most people won't look, and I might have to walk around the building to actually enter after parking and locking, but...

Oh well, good to get back on the bike.

(Generic Title Here)

602.1; 16.5

Quick trip to Forestville and back, probably the fastest I've ever done it. No stops; very few peds and dogs on the trails. Rain is forecast for the weekend, and it seems to be starting now. Though it will put a crimp in my biking style, I welcome it.

Work is going well, I guess. A great deal of uncertainty as to whether or not I am meeting expectations, but I feel like I'm doing good work--I'm catching a lot of errors, cleaning up a lot of poor grammatical and structural choices, making it easier to edit for others, and now, creating a summary for later use. I'm hoping all of this carries weight.

Pomo

585.6; 18.5; Short ride to warm up after a week off. The standard Forestville run, but I added about a mile when I stopped to talk to a woman on the path near Occidental Rd. who was looking for her malamute/shepherd mix, and then saw the dog further up the path. I asked a lady there if she would wait with the dog while I went to notify the owner, returned to find the lady and she was gone; returned to the lady who was watching the dog and said, "well, we tried," and then saw the owner on the Graton end of the path, in her car. The dog ("Pomo") was within earshot of there, so dog and owner were reunited and I rode on without waiting for thanks. Would she have had a better chance of finding Pomo on foot? I dunno; seems like it, but she DID find the dog (with no small assistance).

Saw a gray fox on the path near Forestville, and got to within about 10 yards of it before it took off into the brush. Also bunnies, and a large dead gopher snake.

Actually, don't seem to have "lost" too much in terms of being in shape for riding, and felt like I could've gone much farther without undue exhaustion. But it's good to spend more time at home and get some work done.

Numb3rs

567.1; 22.3

End of a big week (135 miles) and month (428 miles); mom visiting, so won't be riding for the next few days. Good to get a break now and then. With that in mind, in the 80 days since layoff (ending October 1), I've biked 917.4 miles for an average of 11.9 miles per day (damn--I really wanted to stay above 12!).

Interestingly enough, with previous stints of bike riding, I noticed my hands/wrists getting *number* as I logged the mileage *numbers*. I've had some of that this time, but it seems to be more from time spent on the computer than from biking--even though the new bike is much more rigid, with no front or rear suspension, and thinner, harder tires.

I think I need to buckle down and do some work now, as long as there is work to do! Third Java course, coming up.

Flattery Will Get You Nowhere

544.8; 26.9. Another flat, coincidentally (?) right after pulling off to the side of the unpaved road, in the middle of a bunch of star thistles, to let a work truck go by. I examined the tires before I started to roll again! Less than a mile later, the back wheel is floppin'. Nice to have a spare tube and tools, and to be able to repair it on the spot, but I'm considering the "thorn-proof" tubes the guy showed me today. Otherwise, nice pleasant ride, not too hot or cool.