An interesting article on Bluesman Robert Johnson

Lyricists Barlow and Hunter are back online with their blogs.

I don't quite know where to start...A great time all weekend!
Two very different evenings.
I journeyed up to the Fillmore both nights with the intrepid Kemmie. Saturday we got to the line at a reasonable hour and hanging there found or found by Katrinka, Tahoe Julie,Patrick,Paulyy, Martha and eventually Scotto. Chilly but fun with all the eccentric highlights that go along with "line duty"...Stuff like watching the comings and goings of musicians. Watching people stare out car windows wondering what the heck we are doing. Too many usual suspects missing from the line, chalk it up to the show being sold out way before Bobby and then the rest of Ratdog were added.
While waiting in line we tried to phone Mischa to wish him a Happy one but he wasnt answering and I remembered the Kid was probably gambling away his birthday money (our folks give cash) in Las Vegas- he likes to go to the electronics convention every year around his birthday. We sang Happy Birthday into the cell phone and it was time to get into the venue.
Fillmore staff look in purses and ask that jackets be removed as they check folks through. Kinda hmmmm when it's a $75 ticket benefit but whatever. I never thought much about it but noticed lately. It makes it seem like forever when all ya want is to just get inside and find space. And there's still all those steps to run up..Scotto, tired from working all day decided to sit this show out upstairs in the bar. I glided over to the rail with Kemmie and Patrick and a moment later Katrinka wove her way over, Martha, Paulyy and then Mazzy came on by too.. Still a bunch of time to go before Ratdog opened. Next to us was a huge happy portrait of Bill Graham. Above the stage was a slide show of photographs of Bill Graham with everyone from Bob Hope to Carlos Santana.
Oh ((((Bill))))!
I still miss that guy!
As time grew closer to starting time we could spot Charux and one of the newer to me guys (Vadim?) getting everything in place. Someone nudged me to look up and in the balcony, by the velvet curtain were members of Ratdog smiling down on our little cluster of WeirFreakz. Waves back and forth. I hope they were impressed. All of us had to scramble to find tix to this one. Except for Patrick who had already planned for the show as he is visiting from out of state. Bobby & Ratdog were a special bonus for him.
Guys came out and took their places , MK was audience Left and Jeff was right. We were at Mk's feet.
They all looked nice and rested too. I was surprised at the Tomorrow Never Knows opener and giddy with October Queen and TOO...Easily predicted we'd get OMSN and the reputed BG's fave Dead song- Sugar Magnolia . I enjoyed every moment of their set more than I can write. All smiles among us Dog fans as well as a happy looking group on stage. One of my biggest pleasures in life is to be surrounded by friends, on or near the front of a Ratdog show ( hardly a secret eh?!) The vibe was so nice up there, I'm smiling now just thinking about it! You know what I mean or you wouldnt still be reading along now!

It was over too soon. I decided to go find Scott and get something to eat. I bid the rail crew good bye, let some of Jackson Browne's lady fans move in on my space and wiggled away from the front rows.
Scott was doing just fine without me upstairs. I found him lounging on the banquette (damn, what ARE those things called?) Except he was a little bummed that he could not find his cell phone. Scotto has absolutely the worst luck with cell phones- breaking them, losing them, buying broken ones...he went through 3 or 4 of them just in the last 7 mos. We figured it was lost forever somewhere on Geary where we had used it to speak to Misch.
Upstairs was a great party atmosphere! The stage could sort of be viewed if you stood up and looked out the balconies. Every few moments someone would check out the stage and fill us in on who was on.
At different times various members of Ratdog moved through the bar as did Jackson Browne when his set was over. I didnt check out everyone moving through but I did see a few of "our" guys and Jackson Browne hanging out for a few minutes. I overheard someone say "Hey Jackson, it's so cool, all that shit you do for the environment!" That got a smile out of me..I turned around to see who said that and found myself looking right into Jackson Browne's face. Yikes!

Across the hall in the restaurant/gallery Birthday cake was being handed out and there was a silent auction. We battled and bidded all night for an autographed Ratdog Portland (the show we went to back whenever with Haze, Mazzy & Arrow) At the very last minute someone else won it! Aw, well, it's not like we don't have our share of posters and autographs...
The rest of the evening flew by. There was mingling, dancing, watching, oohing ahhing, Bobby made it back down to share the microphone with Jackson Browne and others around finale. I watched with Scott from the balcony. On the way out we were handed the commerative event poster. Of course it was put in a frame immediately. Just got to find the right spot to hang it.