Warren Haynes Christmas Jam: List 3

This has truly been one of the best weekends of my entire life. I was surrounded by love and live music. I ate delicious food and washed it down with plenty of beer. For so many reasons...it was amazing. This is a list of just a few of the things that made my weekend so great.

1. I saw in concert, talked to, touched and got an autograph from one of my favorite musicians, Michael Franti. After his set, he casually hopped of the front of the stage and started hugging people in the crowd. Jason said, "Let's go down there!" I actually hesitated but then took off running at lightning speed to try to get down the the floor level where he was interacting with the crowd. I got to the gate, flashed my backstage pass, and got there just as he was turning to head backstage. I grabbed some stranger's sharpie and walked beside Michael as he headed off. Michael Franti then turned to me and said " How are you tonight Sister?" I'm not sure what I replied. Something about how great the show was I think. He signed my backstage pass and headed off. I was the last autograph he signed. I turned to Jason in tears, and just said, "Thank you." Maybe someday I will write the whole story of why this moment was so important in my life, how this brought a strange sense of closure, and how it was Franti's music that gave me the love, and energy, and strength to make it through my divorce. But for now, my joy prevents me from going there. All I can say is wow...and be thankful. So very, very thankful.
2. Jason and I had "lammies" as I found out they are called in the biz. We had laminated backstage VIP passes which hung on a string around our necks. That meant we never waited in line, we got to sit in a reserved VIP seating area, got to enter and exit through the same place the artists did, and hang the greenroom. We also walked past a block long line to go to a smaller show during the day at Jack of The Wood to see an informal acoustic set with Kevin Kinney of Drivin and Cryin and Patterson Hood of The Drive By Truckers. I felt like a true VIP, and was so proud knowing that it was Jason's hard work that had gotten us there.
   
3. Though Michael Franti's set was the highlight of Saturday's show, Friday's show had a huge highlight as well. Joan Osborne, Travis Tritt, and Del McKoury singing 3 part harmony on a bluegrass tune while Jon Paul Jones played mandolin was one of the best things I have ever seen live. For me that's the best and most beautiful part of the jam is that all these musicians just come out in strange and wonderful combinations to play together. Wow!
4. Being a big Drive By Truckers fan, Patterson Hood's acoustic set while having a drink in a little pub with Jason was really great. It was a big sing along in a little spot that shook my heart.
5. Seeing a rainbow on the way there, and a shooting star on the way home.
6. Sharing it all with the greatest love of my life, Jason Bugg.