Venice/Marghera – 2015

Venice/Marghera – Nave di Vero – 2015

Oh wow! We were in this hotel last year. I remember it. Not many places with manicured spacious gardens and beautiful views outside. Nice! We just took an 8-hour drive and this sure is one of the times where everyone is glad about late-ish concert starts in Italy. As we approached the new mall I find myself saying what I said last time. “Where are the gondola’s? Where are the boats?” Well it turns out that we’re almost a half hour car ride from that part of Venice. I find myself going, “Aww damn,” again. Can you imagine how many years I’ve known about gondolas and museums and treasures and haven’t been there yet? You can’t tell anybody.

Now I remember the mall once we were properly inside. It’s a big long walk or ride on a cart to your dressing room. You’ve guessed by now…walking distances impress me. One day you’ll understand! We’re gonna get to that though…

We did a sound check and talked about some little fixes that we need to make in our new program and tried to adjust for the bounce back of sound from the 100 ft. high atrium ceiling. But I really think you would be impressed with this new kind of performing venue. It’s so relaxed and casual and comfortable. There’s no special dressing up and driving downtown, etc, etc. Just grab your kids and your wife, buy a t-shirt and some swim shorts, grab a hot dog and a drink, and listen to who??? Oh that’s Al Jarreau! And pretty soon there’s been 90 minutes of missing time. You were just abducted!

And something about this energizes the band in a new and special way. It sure does that to me. The promoters get it too. They’re seriously aware of this new find and how the people like it. Amazingly we can do the quietest ballad and it works….Encores, too. It’s amazing.

We could have played on and on, and as I left the stage I was immediately in the courtyard of the mall with 200 hundred screaming people waving CDs and LPs to sign. And I stayed for a little while to do that.

I still hope that someday we’ll play in that fabled part of Venice with gondolas and museums and medieval treasures, but for the moment, I’m thrilled. Stanley Clarke and the Yellow Jackets will come in a few weeks…how great!

Thank you, Venice. Let’s go to Rome!

Love,

Al