… as Leonard Cohen sang in Famous Blue Raincoat, but I don’t think even he has ever had a 4am quite like the one we’re experiencing at the moment. We’ve just returned from the after show party for the first concert of the much-anticipated Garcia Reunion Tour.
The show itself was great, and foretells a fantastic tour. All of you who have tickets for concerts in your area are going to be pleasantly surprised. Those of you who don’t, go get them now! And then come back and read the rest of the post.
As I said, the gig was great. But as good as it was, the after-show party was better. Let me begin by saying a big thank you to Jeff and the staff of La Paloma who were kind enough to host the party, and even kinder to not throw us out. Believe me, they would have had an easier time if they had - but perhaps not as memorable a one.
And memorable is the word. All of the performers who took part in the performance came back to the restaurant and, freed from the trappings and pressure of stage lights and concert audiences, relaxed and began to celebrate the success of the first gig of their tour.
And it was then that the real Flamenco began to flow, as the reunited group of friends sitting around a table began to sing and play for each other and we, the fortunate onlookers, were treated to song, after song, after song. Each song was accompanied by various rhythms and counter rhythms as each member of the group provided palmas that continuously rolled in and around the music of the song, like waves breaking on a beach.
And this is where I’m going to finish. There aren’t words to capture the spirit of the evening, but those of us who were there will remember this night for a long time.
