los angeles ca Aug. 2

This was the last of the really high profile shows. It was at House of Blues in Los Angeles. I think we were a little tired after our run down the West Coast.

WE had a lot of people backstage before and after. George Gerdes came again -- he came last year too. (See the Message Boards: Bring the Family to the Concert in Misc. for more about him!) I had a few relatives as well, cousins and my sister from my father’s side of the family. After the show there was some wild party going on in the Foundation Room, whatever that is... it was all a bit hectic.

We said hi to some of the record company execs who were there, one brought a camera from Panasonic to use on the road, so I am learning how that works.

At one point the security guard came over and said worriedly to me, “I am sorry Miss Vega, but we can’t let your bus driver into the venue...”

“Why is that?” I wondered.

“Well, he is carrying a knife which he wouldn’t put away, and then he called me an asshole, so...”

“I completely understand,” I said.

The actor Dan Castellaneta who does the voice of Homer Simpson was there. We were thrilled to meet him. I somehow had the childish expectation that he would look like his character, which he does not, being clean shaven with a flat belly! He and his wife were very nice, and when he actually did the voice of Homer Simpson, we shouted with laughter. We asked him if he would introduce the show, which he was gracious enough to do. I imagine it must be like being a doctor at a party, when you go somewhere and people ask if you’ll perform. The audience was probably a bit startled. There is a recording of this here.

I really like House of Blues, they feed you well. When I went there to see Roseanne Cash, Mike and I saw they were playing the whole video for Last Years Troubles, from beginning to end, to publicize the show. Great to see that!! It was very poignant for me, being that it was the last project I did with my brother just a month or so before he died last year. I couldn't stop watching it. They did this in all the other House of Blues clubs as well where we had gigs.

[Next: Anaheim/Disneyland, CA - August 3, 2003]