Approaching Reno on US 395, gigantic billboards dot the the Washoe Valley
promoting the various shows in town....Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood at the
Silver Legacy...Englebert Humperdink at Harrah's...and so on.

So there it was, about 20 miles south of town, Greg's head, about 50 times
life-size along with massive lettering, "Greg Brown, Sept. 14-15 at John
Ascuaga's Nugget in the Celebrity Showroom." Thirty or 40 years ago, Sammy
Davis,
Jr. or Ol' Blues Eyes himself may have graced the same spot along the
highway.

Walking through the smoke-drenched casino I heard, "Telephone for Mr. Greg
Brown..." I guess it was his Evening Call.......

September 14 with Bo:

Evening Call
Joy Tears
Ballingall Hotel
Driftless
Treat Each Other Right
Preacher Blues
If I Had Known(preceded this with a short talk about his Las Vegas
experiences with Buck Ram many, many years ago..."I had a good time, but
wouldn't have
done some of the things I did 'If I Had Known,'" he said, looking at Bo with
a grin)
China
Whipperwill
A Little You
Mighty Sweet Watermelon
Canned Goods(hilarious interlude about Grandma Layla's green beans and how
men and women communicate with one another...really a highlight of the evening)
CC Rider

Encore:
Folsom Prison Blues(a Reno favorite, due to the reference in the second
verse)

September 15 with Bo:

Skinny Days
Blue Car(real slow and bluesy....beautiful)
Dream City
What Happens When We Talk(Lucinda Williams)
Samson and Delilah
Living in a Prayer
Jesus and Elvis
Think About You(Update:"Gonna rent no DVD.....aint nothing I really wanna
see")
Laughing River
Kokomo
Treat Each Other Right
That River Will Take You(I think Greg muttered "true story" after the song)
Poor Backslider
Here in the Going, Going Gone
Preacher Blues

Encore:

Blues Go Walking


What weekend, to say the least....that second show was as good as gets...it
was then I wished I were a taper.

On the way out Saturday night I noticed a collage of the acts that had
played the Celebrity Showroom throughout the years...Franky Layne, Raquel Welch,
Lorne Greene...but no Sammy or Sinatra. One name, however, particularly
caught my attention: Jimmie Rodgers. I wonder if Greg knew.


Cheers,

Joel in Tahoe





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