KFOG Kaboom
May 13, 2000
We left Davis at about 1:30 pm. The drive to San Francisco wasn't bad, and I had Shine, Revel, and From the Wood in the cd player (along with three VH discs). It took a little over an hour and a half to get to SF, but when we got off the Bay Bridge we went the wrong way down Embarcadaro for a while before we figured out that we were headed the wrong direction (hey, at least we were ALLOWED to be driving down that street :). I turned around and once we passed the bridge we discovered that the show was RIGHT NEXT to the bridge on the other side. There was a parking lot right on the street, but I couldn't figure out how to get into it (this was a day of learning about driving in San Francisco, something that I am NEVER going to do without a friend, since it's pretty crazy). I finally managed to get into it, only to find out that it cost $25. But since it was right across the street from where the show was going to be, and there were 5 of us, and the show was free, we decided to split it. So we pulled in and parked, and by about this time it was 3:30-3:45. We were really hungry so we went looking for someplace to eat, but didn't come across anything until we went back down towards Embarcadero. I remembered that a friend from footprints recommended checking out Gordon Biersch and maybe we'd be able to see the band there, so we walked over there, but they weren't going to serve food until 4 pm so we went to Palomino (right down the block). If you ever go there, get the Cream Soda, it's really good! We got out of there at about 4:15 or so and walked to the concert. We found our way to the front of the seating area (it was basically in a huge parking lot, and people had just spread out blankets) and sat down on the pavement. All my friends decided to check out the rest of the festivities, but I wanted to hold my place so I stayed put.
The DJ came up on stage at about 5 pm and introduced the Pat McGee Band. There was a lukewarm reception. They started with a relatively long intro to Girl from Athens. I couldn't stay sitting down, but none of my friends wanted to stand up with me so I went off towards the side and stood up and sang along. I had my camera with me, and got some pictures. I know that Pat saw me, and I thought that John and Al did too, but I wasn't too sure. After a few songs a woman behind me pulled on my pants and asked me (none-too-kindly) to sit down. I went back with my friends and tried to sit, but I just couldn't so I went over and introduced myself to some people on the other side who were standing up, and danced and sang along with them for the rest of their set. It was too short for my tastes, but it was still fun.
Afterwards I went back to sit with my friends, and I pulled them up to see if I could get my hands on a copy of General Admission at their booth. They only had Shine for sale, which I had with me, so I didn't get anything, and we went off in search of the band.
We went over to the side of the stage and I saw John, Jonathan, Chardy, and Pat, but I didn't know how to get their attention. I didn't have the guts to call out anyone's name, but Michele did, so she asked John's name, and then yelled it out. He came over and I did the talking, since I was the one who had wanted to talk to him in the first place. I asked if he would sign my cd, and he happily obliged, and then I asked if he would carry it to the rest of the band and have them sign it. He said no problem and went off in search of them. A few minutes later he returned with my cd autographed by all the members :) We chatted for a few more minutes and during that time a man who had been on stage near them (but not a member of the band) came up and told John that I had been singing along to all of their songs and he said "I know that, I saw her" and smiled at me. Then he shook my hand and went on his way. I wanted to ask for a picture, but Michele kept telling me not to push it, so I didn't.
We left that area, and walked out to the end of the area between the piers and then decided that we would go and see the next singer (Shannon Curfman, I think), and as we made our way up to the front I saw Chardy standing out in the area where I had seen John earlier. I walked to the fence that was seperating the area where he was and the area where the audience was, and gathered the courage to call him over. I called his name, and then waved and beckoned him over. Once he got there, I thanked him for signing my cd and passed on a message that I had gotten from someone on footprints. Then I asked him, that if it wouldn't be too much trouble if I could get a picture with some of the members of the band for this website. He said no prob and he would go and get Pat and whoever else he could track down. I called my friends over to take the pics, and Chardy came back with Pat and John. Pat introduced himself, and I introduced myself (I have come to the conclusion that pictures don't do him justice), and we chatted for a minute before I asked if I could get that picture. They happily obliged. It was kinda funny, since I normally go to the outside of the picture when someone is going to take one, so I tried to do that this time, but both Pat and John grabbed me and pulled me in between them. So my friends took a few pictures and then got in for some too. We got the pictures taken and then broke to chat. Chardy asked me what my name was, and when I said Mikayla, he said "Oh, you're on identity, aren't you?" Completely threw me for a loop! I said that I was, but I didn't even think to ask why he remembered my name, since there are a LOT of people on the list. So, we said thanks for the pics, and left. My friends were really proud of me, since that made the concert :)
Set List (actual)
Set List (written)
So here are the friends that I "dragged" to the concert.
Michele, Bri, Anne, me, Sky, with the ferris wheel
behind us and the Bay Bridge right behind that.
This wasn't just a concert, but that's all that we did.
I wonder if peeple on the bridge
could hear the concert, it was right there . . .
