October 2000 show in Kansas City
The Folly Theater, Oct. 10, 2000 in Kansas City. This was a fun show, the final one of their 1999-2000 tour. No wonder Metheny wanted to record and tour with Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart. There was some seriously tight and crisp percussion and bass work here. We were glad to hear Metheny announce that a live album of the trio was due out soon. There were plenty of quiet pretty tunes on the acoustic guitar, which the casual fans liked, and even more of the hard-driving stuff that builds tension and rewards you with a jamming release, which we hardcore fans liked. "Into the Dream," "So May It Secretly Begin," "First Circle," and "Roots of Coincidence" come to mind. At the very end, when they were taking their bows, I saw that some people were shooting flash pictures, and I remembered the digital camera in my coat pocket. I popped off one quick shot, seen above.
July 1998 show in Kansas City
Penn Valley Park, July 17, 1998, the Blues and Jazz Festival in Kansas City. Wow! What a great jam it was! It was a bright and hot summer evening, and a large crowd relaxed on a hillside while the band played. They played selections from their latest album, "Imaginary Day," and of course old favorites like "Third Wind" and "Are You Going with Me?" Notably missing was "Last Train Home," but you can't have everything. It was a great show and we applauded furiously and of course got an encore. The encore was a special treat because Pat's older brother Mike came out and jammed with the band.
Here are a couple of pictures I snapped. Click the thumbnails to see larger versions:
September 1993 show in Kansas City
The Midland Theatre, Sept. 5, 1993 in Kansas City. This was a benefit concert for flood victims. I felt bound up in the flood situation because I then was the editor of the small paper in Parkville, where my own offices and many others' businesses were underwater. My date knew someone who worked at the Midland Theatre and got us passes to the after-show party, where I met Pat and he autographed my ticket, shown below. My date played it cool and didn't approach him. By contrast, I was almost repeating the scene from the movie "Wayne's World," where the guys throw themselves on their faces before Alice Cooper and say, "We're not worthy!" This tour was supporting the Secret Story album.
