Tutu Jones Lima 3/4/2006

Tutu Jones Lima 3/4/2006
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> Hey Y'All,
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> I received a call from my friend Jeff in Atlanta a couple of days ago. I have not seen him in about 5 years. He represents several blues artists and tells me he will be in Lima for a blues show/festival. Tutu Jones is one of the blues artists he represents. I said Lima, Ohio? Blues Festival? Have you ever been to Lima, Ohio? If so, you would understand my puzzlement. After getting in the previous 2 nights at 3:00 am, and going to work, I was a bit whipped. I'd be lying if I told you different. I got up Saturday morning after a 3 hour nap. I spent a few hours at the corporate office and then headed up to Ann Arbor for the Michigan vs. Indiana game. I stopped at the Whole Foods Market as usual. The Chipolte Brisket was the best evah! I got there early and hung with my Manager and his Assistant. The concessions were ready for a busy game. We were up almost the entire game as they traded leads the last 3 minutes with us. Up by to and we had possession. Horton gets shoved out of bounds dribbling up the court, and they call him out of bounds. NO FOUL??? 13,000 fans saw it, but the official didn't call it. Lots of horrible calls. Killingsworth was throwing Wolverines to the deck all game with no calls. It's tough to win when you have to play 2 opponents, Indiana and the Zebras!
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> After the game, I drove back to Ohio. I grabbed my and Nate's gear, and headed sount about an hour and a half to the booming metropolis known as Lima. I stopped by the Holiday Inn as Jeff had a ducat for me. We chewed the fat for about 20 minutes and I then left as I wanted to check out the surroundings for where I would tape. Jeff let me talk to the soundman Nate during the soundcheck and he did not have any outs for me. As I walked in, I thought I was in a Rod Serling set of the Twilight Zone! Do Do DO Do... Everyone is walking around with 1/2 gallon clear plastic jugs filled with beer. Evidently, 7 beverage tickets, $1.00 each, buys a jug. Never seen that before. I went inside as Big Gil and his band had started about 7:30. I spoke with Nate. I decided to set up in the GA seated balcony. Dead center was the aisle. I clamped onto the rail, and let it roll. The sound was very muddy. The stage was about 5 feet higher than the floor. The mains were on the floor, and the mids, were on the sides of the stage. The sound was projected for the floor. I knew I would run downstairs for Tutu. They played a few tunes I recognized as well as some originals. I enjoyed the What's Going On and the One of these Days. Big Gil finished up at about 9:00.
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> I pulled the rig and headed downstairs. Nate had figured a way by using 1/4" to XLR adaptor. With the sound I heard, and the massive amount of round tables filling the floor FOB, I opted for the board. Nate was most accomodating and I thanked him for his assistance. As I got all set up, they were about to start. I pulled the old Ronco, set it, and forget it. After the first tune, Have You Ever Loved a Woman, I knew I was in for much more than I expected! Jeff invited me to come up on stage, and I was a vapor trail from the soundboard! I got to meet Dave who runs the Cincinnati Blues Festival. I was invited to come down toi that, and if I am in the area, I WILL be there. It was a thrill to be up close and watch this man work! He had a backup band he has worked with before, come in from Chicago. Make no bones about it, Tutu called the shots as he conducted the band. The supporting musicians took no chances or extended leads. He played several great covers as well as some down home Texas blues originals. The Rock Me Baby did just that! To the delight of the crowd, he played My Girl. I enjoyed the Jimmy Johnson tune, Ice Around My Heart. The origianl, Sunday's Morning Love was sweet. The combo of Yonder Wall>Get Your Business Straight worked very well! The songs were relatively long with some great leads furnished by Tutu. The set was slated for an hour and a half, but an hour and 56! The crowd ate it up as Tutu's stage prescence and charisma grabbed everyone in the room, including me. What sets the blues apart to me is, even if you don't know the song, you get lost in the middle of a great jam, and at the end of the tune you say, WOW.
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> Kevin, Mitchell, Michael, J.C., and the rest of you guys in Dallas, check Tutu out! He is the goods! I look forward to the next time I can catch him again. I got to meet him in the back room after the show. You could see he gave it his all as he was changing his perspiration soaked shirt, so he could meet the folks and sign autographs.
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> I had some Chinese for lunch the next day and read my fortune from my cookie:
> Friends long absent are coming back to you. Scary as all hell, huh Jeff?!
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> Here is how it went down:
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> Big Gil
> Memorial Hall
> Lima, Ohio
> 3/4/2006
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> (Partial set as I set up 35 minutes late)
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> 8:05
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> ? 9:30
> ? 5:30
> WHAT'S GOING ON 8:33
> ONE OF THESE DAYS 11:30
> ? 9:05
> ? 11:50
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> 9:00
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> SCHOPES MK4'S>SOUND DEVICES 722
> FOB(Front Of Balcony)/DFC/KFC/ZFC
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> Tutu Jones
> Memorial Hall
> Lima, Ohio
> 3/4/2006
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> 9:27
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> HAVE YOU EVER LOVED A WOMAN 7:45
> ? 6:20
> GOTTA FIND ME A SWEET WOMAN 6:01
> ?> 3:56
> ROCK ME BABY 5:35
> MY GIRL 9:22
> ? 6:50
> ? 9:12
> SWEET HOME CHICAGO 9:25
> ICE AROUND MY HEART 8:50
> ? 10:19
> PRIDE AND JOY 10:37
> SUNDAY'S MORNING LOVE 9:20
> YONDER WALL> 6:56
> GET YOUR BUSINESS STRAIGHT 5:45
> TEENY WEENY BIT(With Sharon Riff)> 4:45
> GOING TO DETROIT 8:30
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> 11:23
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> SOUNDBOARD>SOUND DEVICES 722