Lucinda Williams at the Fillmore

San Francisco is having Indian Summer weather also. We were walking the streets last night at 11:30 with no jackets and it was warm. Our first stop upon arriving in the city yesterday was Macys for lingerie and I found a few pieces I like. Then we went across the street to Macys for men and found a very cool new shirt for Jerry. We also enjoyed perusing the racks at Barney's New York with their simple $300. t-shirts and $8,000. dresses. Actually there was a very cool $600. paisley shirt that was 40% off that I would have bought for Jerry if he were a rich rock star. Well, if he were a rick rock star I'm sure we both would have bought several of the clothes there even if they hadn't been on sale.

After shopping we found our hotel and rested for awhile before walking down Polk St. and finding a nice looking Thai restaurant to eat dinner. We settled on Chai-Yo and the red curry and brown rice was excellent. The red sticky rice with lychee and coconut cream was to die for. As usual, Jerry had a Thai iced tea (which was really nutty and yummy tasting) and I drank a Singha. Then we found a little coffee house called Royal Grind (still on Polk) for an after dinner coffee. The guy behind the counter was really friendly and struck up a conversation right away based on Jerry's accent. On our way back to the hotel we passed by a little tobacco shop and I noticed some empty cigar boxes in the window that I thought might be for sale so I went inside and bought a couple of cool wooden ones for $4. a piece. I'm going to use one of them to keep my spools of thread in.

We arrived at the Fillmore about 7:30 and headed upstairs to the bar for some water and the pre-show act. Tosho, who looked like a Japanese R. Crumm, was singing old Jimmy Rogers tunes and playing guitar. He was a hoot. After his show we invited him to sit at our table and got to know him a bit. He has been in the United States about 30 years (from Japan), first moving to Dallas, Texas where he met his wife and started following Lucinda Williams because of her, about 23 years ago when she was big in Texas but not very well known otherwise. Now he and his wife live in San Francisco and he has played the pre-shows at the Fillmore 6 times, mostly for Willie Nelson. Sitting there in the bar I wished I had brought my camera in to snap a few shots of the probably 400 framed posters covering the walls of all the bands who have played there over the years. That place has a lot of musical history and the vibe is powerfully strong inside.

Lucinda William's opening/back up band, Buick 6, started playing at 8:00 and they were great. And then the queen herself came onstage and opened with Real Love (Little Honey). God that women rocks! I first saw her perform this song on David Letterman. I loved watching her move about the stage, in her tee shirt that read Love is a Drug across the front. Her body really reminds me of my friend Ren. Her second song, I Just Wanted to See you so bad (I Just Wanted To See You So Bad), sends me to a place I know inside--that compulsive obsession that she exposes in her poetry so well. And then Steal Your Love (Essence)--that speaks to that knowing when something righteously belongs to you.

The lyrics to Fruit's of My Labor (World Without Tears), I dedicate to you R., here's the strong poetry you've asked for:

Baby, see how I been living
Velvet curtains on the windows to
Keep the bright and unforgiving
Light from shining through

Baby, I remember all the things we did
When we slept together
In the blue behind your eyelids
Baby, sweet baby

Traced your scent through the gloom
'Til I found these purple flowers
I was spent, I was soon smelling you for hours

Lavender, lotus blossoms too
Water the dirt, flowers last for you
Baby, sweet baby

Tangerines and persimmons
And sugarcane
Grapes and honeydew melon
Enough fit for a queen

Lemon trees don't make a sound
'Til branches bend and fruit falls to the ground
Baby, sweet baby

Come to my world and witness
The way things have changed
'Cause I finally did it, baby
I got out of La Grange

Got in my Mercury and drove out west
Pedal to the metal and my luck to the test
Baby, sweet baby

I been tryin' to enjoy all the fruits of my labor
I been cryin' for you boy but truth is my savior

Baby, sweet baby if it's all the same
Take the glory and day over the fame
Baby, sweet baby

Next she sang:
People Talking (World Without Tears)
and Overtime (World Without Tears)

...I guess one afternoon
You won't cross my mind
And I'll get over you
Overtime...

And then:
Can’t Let Go (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Sweet Side (World Without Tears)
Out of Touch (Essence)
Little Rock Star (Little Honey)
Essence (Essence) I fell in love with My Lover Who Is Not My Lover to this song:

...Baby, sweet baby, you're my drug
Come on and let me taste your stuff

Baby, sweet baby, bring me your gift
What surprise you gonna hit me with...

...Baby, sweet baby, whisper my name
Shoot your love into my vein

Baby, sweet baby, kiss me hard
Make me wonder who's in charge...

...Baby, sweet baby, can't get enough
Please come find me and help me get fucked up...

...I am waiting...
I am waiting for your essence...

Next was:
Changed The Locks (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road)
Atonement (World Without Tears) Now this is an intense song.
Unsuffer Me (West) This song is a powerful prayer. A holy supplication.

Unlock my love
and set me free
come fill me up
with ecstasy

surround my heartbeat
with your fingertips
unbound my feet
untie my wrists

come in to my world
of loneliness
and wickedness
and bitterness
Unlock my love

Unsuffer me
Take away the pain
Unbruise unbloody
Wash away the stain
Anoint my head
With your sweet kiss
My joy is dead
I long for bliss

I long for knowledge
Whisper in my ear
Undo my logic, undo my fear
Unsuffer me

Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings (World Without Tears)
Honey Bee (Little Honey) She just sort of belts out this song

On my little honey bee
I'm so glad you stung me
You've become my weakness
Now I've got your sweetness...

And coming to an end:
Righteously (World Without Tears)
Angel (Hendrix cover)
For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover) She talked a little about the election and Obama Winning--"We Won!" She called it a miracle and then sang this song:

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear...

It’s a Long Way to the Top (AC/DC cover) She ended with this song.

At one point during the night someone called out "You've got your mojo going tonight Lucinda!" and she called back, "The mojo is always happening at the Fillmore." It's a magical place for sure.

Nice to crawl in bed and make love with my baby after a long night of dancing.

This morning we checked out of our hotel room and walked back over to the Royal Grind coffee house for our morning caffeine and bagel fix. Another really pleasant and helpful guy served us. We had a bit of time to kill, waiting for Good Vibrations to open at 11:00 so we checked out a second hand store and then I saw the perfect gift for K. in the window of store we were walking by so I went inside and bought it for him. Then we went shopping at Good Vibrations and found a couple of new fun toys to bring home.

After a brief stop at the Lucky Brand store (I can not resist those stores and darn if it wasn't just sitting there on the corner beckoning me inside with it's $25. off $100. purchase sign), we met our friend M. at a little cafe called Lettus, for lunch on Chestnut and Steiner. M. actually lives in Kauai now but likes being on the mainland a lot so she and her partner are currently doing a house exchange with someone they met on Craigslist--a nice place with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. They will be going home after Thanksgiving for 4 months and then will be back again.

We left the city at 2:00, just in time to get back into Chico for me to see a client I had scheduled for 5:00. That went well and then we had dinner and settled in to watch our two Sunday night movies that we missed last night, True Blood and Dexter. It's good to be home but I sure do love visits to the city. It's so alive and full of variety and culture.