Just received Saturday night's digest and couldn't help but notice no one posted about Todd's appearance at the Sausalito Arts Festival.
It was pretty hot-- must've been in the high-80s. Todd played on a mobile stage in front of the water, positioned at the end of a long pavillion tent full of tables (surrounded by food booths). Unfortunately it was hard to hear in the pavillion-- there was a woefully underpowered PA that kept crackling, especially during the beginning of the performance. There was also the obligatory undercurrent of conversation and laughter in the tent that often drowned out the performer if you were more than 75 feet from the stage.
Todd went on around 2 and played until just before 3.30. It was the standard solo set, minus the NWO/Individualist karaoke/multimedia songs. Todd seemed in a very good mood, telling the audience that he missed Marin Country-- and then proceeded to make cellphone/investment banker/Mill-Valley-Trophy-House jokes. It was pretty funny.
He managed to flub parts of many of the piano standards, as is his wont. "Can We Still Be Friends" was a disaster, but no one seemed to mind." He explained that he had been trying to practice the piano back home the week before, but had been interrupted by a neighbor who asked if he could come in and watch. This became a running gag. High point: "Bang The Drum All Day". . . arranged for ukelele.
One thing I couldn't help but notice was the darkhaired woman dressed in leather fringe to the right of the stage. She was thoroughly drunk, singing along in an annoyingly off-key wail and trying to conduct the entire pavillion in a pained, intensely-gestured singalong. Or maybe it was some sort of avant garde interpretive dance, dunno. Everyone seemed to be either laughing at her or mildly annoyed. I can only say that she ruined "Hawking" pretty comprehensively, as I was trapped right next to her. A friend swore that she is the fiddler in Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, and fairly notorious among the Marin/Northbay music community. True?
All in all it was a very fun day. The show was entertaining, it was a thrill to see Todd in such an intimate, relaxed setting, the people-watching was engrossing, the ferry there and back from SF enjoyable, (if a bit sardine-like) and the weather almost perfect.
Sorry for any typos. Sunburn and Bass Ale have the oddest effect on my fingers.
xo
paul