INSIDE THE ABBEY ROAD TOUR - Phase III
9/1/2001
Ann
 
The East and The End

The last part of the tour was very different than the other parts. I had not only the shows to do, but also business to attend to in New York City. The show at Wolf Trap in Vienna Virginia was one of the best, I think. I loved the venue. I'm going to suggest that Heart play there next time we go out. For those of you unfamiliar with the theater, it's beautiful; located in the Virginia countryside. A great big stage, and great acoustics. Wolf Trap is one of those places really built for art.

Next came another one of our favorite revolving stages, Westbury Music Fair in NY. We've played there several times now, but it's never been as packed and wild as it was July 19! A great show with everyone up, dancing and singing.

After the show my manager, Carol Peters joined us on the bus and we drove into New York City where we checked into the Plaza hotel. Marie was thrilled to be walking the same hallowed halls as the famous Eloise, whose stories she's heard since she was a toddler. I had decided to stay in the city whenever there were days off the next few days because I had a series of meetings to attend.

All the meetings were with different publishers, since I am writing an autobiography and am looking for the right home for it. The first meeting was in the oh so famous, sophisticated Palm Court at the Plaza over lunch. As I talked and sipped tea, I felt like I was in a movie. After the guts and grime of a rock n' roll tour, this moment felt VERY frou-frou. Anyway, I couldn't help looking over the shoulder of the publisher with whom I was speaking because none other than Meryl Streep was sitting several tables away having tea with a friend. I'm a big fan, and it was thrilling to see her in person. She's very beautiful.

I had the rest of the day off till the family, Carol Peters, Rox, and an old friend now living in NYC, met for dinner in the Oak Room, a beautiful old restaurant with ornate carved wood walls, high ceilings, waiters with impeccable manners and great food. VEDDY New Yawk!!

The next day, though, it was off again to the Waterloo Concert Tent in Stanhope NJ. It was a very interesting place, with little colonial log houses around, and a beautiful museum shop. The air was warm and clear and the trees gave gentle shade. I liked it there. The show was as wild as ever, despite the bucolic surroundings. I think we were all beginning to feel the end coming, and were pulling out all the stops.

Next, on to New Haven CT where we played the Omni Theater. As I gazed down from my hotel window onto the Yale campus with its ancient walkways, I wondered what my life would have been like if I'd chosen another path. I simply couldn't imagine anything else I would have wanted to do more. It was a good feeling.

After the show that night, it was back to NYC and to the Plaza for three consecutive days off (for everyone else that is. I had meetings.) The Old Plaza was really starting to feel like home after a couple of days. The kids and Rox hit all the New York hot spots while I ran around town with my literary agent meeting with different publishers. It was really interesting, spending a couple of days in the world of books and writers. They each gave me copies of their new Pop culture releases; the Melissa Ethridge book, The Bebe Buell book, a biography of Natalie Wood that looks fascinating and on and on. At one point we had an hour to kill between meetings and my agent took me shoe shopping at Saks. My friends, I was really living! I bought two pairs of shoes I know I'd never find in Seattle. Then, more meetings...telling person after person what type of book I am writing, who I think the readers would be and what my vision is overall for presenting my life story. By the time I was finished with all the meetings I was exhausted, and it was three days later. On our last evening in NYC, Rox, the kids and I had a delicious Indian dinner at 'Nirvana' overlooking Central park. Rox had never seen 'Strawberry Fields', the little place in the park dedicated to John Lennon, so we made our pilgrimage there as Nance and I always do when we're in that city.

It was a very warm, humid night and we left our limo at the curb next to the Dakota. I told the sad story of John's death to Rox (who is much younger) and the kids, and then we crossed the street into the park. 'Strawberry Fields' is a beautiful area in the park where the paths crisscross. In the center of the crossed pathways is a round Mosaic set into the cement. In the very center of the mosaic is the word ""Imagine"". Candles had been left burning on the circle, and we stood there awhile, gazing down and thinking of John, his tragedy and his amazing spirit. Rox and I shed a few tears. After a few moments had passed and we looked around ourselves, all at once we saw that fireflies surrounded us! I never in my life knew that there were fireflies in Central park. There were that night, and the whole scene was magical. Maybe they were angels.

The next night we played Seaside park in Brooklyn where all onstage slipped into Brooklyn-ease yelling things like "" Get the $%^&! off yer butts and RAWK!"" things like that. Marie always charges me money when I accidentally let a bad word slip. Most of the time I do fine, but that night in the spirit of band camaraderie and being in Brooklyn-ease, I ran up quite a bill.

The Washington Township show in Sewell NJ the next night was wonderful. Were all feeling very keenly now that the end was near. We were starting to feel soulful about the tour being over and it showed in the music.
 
All the way south, then for our last show in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Everyone knew there was going to be hijinx onstage that night, and no one was disappointed. Water balloons splatted on the stage, Todd destroyed all remaining music stands containing show notes, wind up toys were placed around Alan's stool as he did 'Blackbird' to see if he would crack (he didn't) and Todd wore a bra on his head (ha ha). After the show we all got together for a cocktail before heading back to the hotel and going our separate ways. It was a bittersweet moment; all these very different people who'd come together for two months to make music together were now going to say adios. There were hugs and kisses all around. We hung together on our bus all the way back to the hotel. When we arrived there, and the dawn was coming, we said bye-bye, and it was over.

......That is the musical portion of the trip was over. My family had other plans. The next morning we boarded a plane for New Orleans, finding our way to my favorite hotel, the Royal Sonesta, overhanging Rue Bourbon.

We spent the next three days there resting, swimming, visiting the shops along Rue Royal and in the French Market and just soaking up the sultry atmosphere. It rained and thundered off and on the whole time we were there. My favorite N'awlins weather!

When the kids were sleeping late at night, nanny Rox and I would sit out on the balcony with our feet up, sip some wild Vieux Carre cocktail and listen to the rain hissing and pattering on the old street below. Every night the far off summer lightening would flash in the sky and we'd talk in low tones, recapping the tour, breathing deep and just letting the sounds of the street soak into our souls.

When the day came to return home, we were ready. Home to Seattle again after once more revisiting many different parts of America, some new, some familiar. The dogs were waiting, along with the next episode of my musical and literary life, and we flew off into the west feeling pretty pleased with ourselves for having made it through in fine style. Wahoo!

Love,
Ann

INSIDE THE ABBEY ROAD TOUR - Hawaii
8/1/2001
Ann
 
HAWAII

The wake-up call came at seven, but I was already awake. I have a built in alarm clock that serves me well. I wrote a little good-bye note to the kids and Rox; ‘ see you in Cape Cod! Have fun. I love you.‘ and stole out of the dark hotel room.

As the Paul Simon tour was arriving in front of the hotel in the early morning light, we were departing for the South Pacific. We piled into a couple of vans and made our way through the construction sites that currently are the streets of Boston to Logan airport where we boarded a flight for Newark. Once in Newark, we met our Continental flight that would take us to Honolulu (a 91/2-hour flight). The minute you step on an airplane bound for Hawaii you are gently bombarded with soft steel guitars and voices singing old Hawaiian songs, warm, scented washcloths, Orchids on your dinner tray, and of course Macadamia nuts (yum). Sound good? Well, yes it was. After seven nights of shows in a row in seven different cities, being pampered was just the ticket.

As we flew along into the west, everyone slept. Almost before we knew it we were sitting in the Sting Ray bar in the Honolulu airport having a celebratory band cocktail and some of those big, delicious island prawns. The gig was to be on the big Island of Hawaii, on the Kona Coast, so we boarded yet another short flight and finally arrived at our destination.

For those who may not have been to Kona, Hawaii, it is a very unusual place...half asteroid, half paradise. The island is in a constant state of volcanic change, and it's interior consists mostly of desolate lava fields. Local folklore holds that anyone removing these volcanic rocks from the island will suffer the wrath of the volcano Goddess, Pele in the form of bad luck. The island is eerie in this aspect, but along the coast are beautiful black sand beaches with many resorts. Here are the lush flowers, palm trees, lagoons and soft trade-wind breezes for which all the Hawaiian islands are beloved.
 
We traveled through the lava fields (being careful to avoid hitting the wild donkeys who inhabit the area) until we turned into the long, lovely drive that leads to the ‘Orchid at Mauna Lani' hotel that would be home for the next two days. I myself was too tired to party, so I went to bed and slept like a baby in a time zone I could not yet quite understand. It had been a long long day...over 19 hours on the move. One Chi-chi, a few deep breaths of sea air, and I was gone.

The next day was the show, a huge corporate party for Mass Mutual Insurance company. The stage was on a hilltop golf course overlooking the lava fields below. It was a party-like atmosphere for the band too. Everyone felt happy. The powerful natural beauty and relaxing way of life on Hawaii had done it's work on us. Many of our party had spent the day exploring the island, swimming and snorkeling, or simply soaking up the sun. I had rested and then explored the shops, searching for cool Hawaiian shirts for Dustin and little flowered swing dresses for Marie (Mama got a present too. I'm not telling what!).  At the gig our dressing room area was really a Scottish/Hawaiian theme 19th hole clubhouse (with an open bar) and they ran us back and forth to the stage in golf carts.

The evening air was wonderful as we took the stage, but the audience was different than any other we'd yet experienced. They were, perhaps not people who attended concerts very often, and were quiet and respectful for the most part. Well, readers you know what happens when people are afraid to party on down Abbey Road. We hit them with both rawkin' barrels until we had previously self-conscious insurance salespeople up onstage doing the monkey! (picture that)

After the show there was a huge fireworks display (I couldn't help wondering if the Volcano Goddess, Pele was impressed), and a party in the Scottish/Hawaiian 19th hole clubhouse where many Pina Coladas were consumed and a great time was had by all.

The next day it was already time to pack up and head out. It was back to Kona airport, to Honolulu, back over to Newark (again trying to sleep all the way) and finally to Boston where our buses were waiting to drive us out to Hyannis. When I fell into my bus bunk for the 90-mile drive, I felt that I had truly been on a Magical Mystery Tour; across an entire hemisphere to play 75 minutes of music. Go figure. At least we got them up and doing the monkey. That in itself was worth the trip.

There was time for a two-hour nap at the hotel before it was time to head over to the Cape Cod Melody tent for the show. Everyone in the band was exhausted and sort of lost in time and space, but I was really proud of how we pulled through the concert. The Melody tent was full in the round, and it was a very hot and intimate show. The stage was so small we could barely move, but to tell you the truth we were almost too tired to move anyway! We made up for our lack of space by just pouring on the intensity. We left ‘em yelling for more. A triumph in Cape Cod, fresh from the Kona Coast.

That night, reunited with the kids and Roxy, our bus rolled through the night toward Virginia where we will play Wolf Trap tomorrow night. With only eight more shows to go, I feel we're on a good roll. In the next and final installation of this diary, I'll try to not only detail the travel, shows and happenings, but I'll include a section describing what relations are like within the band. I'll explain what it's like to work with the likes of Todd Rundgren, John Entwhistle, Alan Parsons (no Dr. Evil voice) and all the others who have made this tour what it is. It is a VERY interesting bunch.

Aloha and Mahalo

Ann