Anaheim, Disneyland HOB Aug 3

Anaheim was a loose and funny show after the high profile of Los Angeles. It began with the Gospel Brunch, they have them at the House of Blues on Sundays from 1-3. We got to the load-in early, at 2:45, and the gospel part of the brunch was still going strong.

“You should see this, it’s great,” said Phil. “Even just to see the lady with hat.”

See we trooped in through the kitchen and ended up by the side of the stage, where three black men in red jackets were singing and dancing in front of a back up band. On the other side was a dignified lady in a suit with an enormous hat in front of a microphone. I think she was wearing fuschia.

They were singing a song called “Lift On Up” at least, if the chorus is any indication of the title, and they sang it over and over again. It was thrilling to watch. The men were dancing to the very ends of their beings, spilling over into hand shaking, lifting up to the balls of their toes. We were all tapping and grooving by the side of the stage. They chose a line of people, mostly good-looking women, to come up to the stage and form a line. Mike kept edging closer and closer out of the wings.

One of the the men in red saw him, and pulled him out to join the line. We all laughed and shouted. The next thing we knew Mike was in the middle of the three men in the front of the stage, twirling around and dancing, with his bag swinging out in all directions. We couldn’t believe it and wished Chris were there to film the whole thing.

After that we went to have something to eat and saw Timmy’s video for Last Year’s Troubles again. They played it in all of the House of Blues venues. It was very haunting.

I went out to explore Disneyland with my cousin Heather and we ended up at a Sephora, which I love so we bought a bunch of makeup and played with it. I think I wore bright red lipstick that night which I don’t usually do. It was fun. I used to do that in my twenties when I was trying to be like Marlene Deitrich.

My father was there (my biological father) with his wife and one of her friends, so it was a family time backstage, and Dougie had a cousin and her family who came down as well. Robin Danar who had done sound for us in the late eighties was there too. So it was packed in the dressing room.

One funny sight was Tim, who does backline for us, but also plays classical guitar, comparing nails with the friend of my father’s wife Linda.

“I never go for a French manicure,” said Tim. “But I do use this stuff called Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker and buff every day. Mane 'n Tail also makes shampoo and conditioners. www.manentail.com is their website.”

“Oh, really?” said this lady looking down at her own, probably French manicure. “How interesting. I should try it.”

I have been using this stuff myself and I really think it makes a difference.

On stage we were loose. Mike said I should take ginko biloba, since I probably forgot some lyrics . I told him that the problem with ginko biloba is that it is supposed to help your concentration and your memory, but then you’re standing onstage being flooded with random memories that don’t help your concentration!

I forgot to mention yesterday how Doug and Mike were playing Lizard Man, where Mike would wave a piece of salad in the air and Doug would get down on all fours and waddle slowly across the floor, blinking his eyes and flinking his tongue out of his mouth. Their routines are getting more surreal as the tour goes along.

[Next: Dallas, TX - August 6, 2003]