The Desert Trip- we did it!!!

The Desert Trip- Rolling Stones, Paul ,Neil and Dylan days 1 and 2

Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 51 seconds.....

This shot is looking West towards general admission seats- the opposite end of the venue from the stage.

I really was not sure what to expect, except huge crowds.  When we arrived at the venue the first time I was amazed at how huge it was.  We came early to make sure we could buy good stuff and so we parked ourselves in one of the lounges and we snagged a couch and met some people from NY and Calgary, Canada.  After a few hours we mosied into our floor seats. 

Marty on the couch where we parked for a couple of hours pre concert- not too shabby- until the crowds figured it out---

This is a shot from the general admission before the general admission people are in place.

I have never seen anything like the huge stage with three gigantic screens behind them.  Through the course of the three days we walked back to General admission to see how far it really was.....so far and there were speakers everywhere and more huge screens.

This is a view from the front of the venue- gigantic...

The first night kicked off with Bob Dylan.  He was awful. Never talked to the audience and played really boring videos instead of having Dylan on the screens.  He was on the screen at the beginning and then just videos of scenery- not Dylan but it really did not matter because you could not understand anything.  We went back to the lounge but now there was nowhere to sit and hardly standing room- a wall of people.

I know this an awful pic but that is Bob Dylan- he never really looked at the crowd.

The Rolling Stones were next and Mick Jagger is unbelievable.  He runs around like a 20 year old and is even tinier than you expect.  They played a bunch of their hits...Marty and I both thought we took pictures of the Stones but we have nothing on our phones.  I may have erased by accident.  The Stones played "Come Together" by The Beatles and it was really cool.  Paul was in the audience on night 1.  I am not good with the phone camera and you were not allowed to take in any camera with a removable lens.

I saw a great tee shirt on a woman in the shuttle line that said "Never Underestimate a Grandmother who listens to Mick Jagger".  She was so cute....

Paul

Then the Mile plus trek from our reserved section to the shuttle to the Marriott.... Along with I am not sure how many people.  Some waited in shuttle lines for three hours.  We were lucky,  all that happened to us was that our shuttle driver did not know how to find the Marriott so we missed the turn and had to double back--- really--- we were so done with the shuttle.

Donuts at the Rock and Roll Brunch

Night two was Neil and Paul so I wanted to really rest before our trek back to the venue.  We had brunch at the hotel and we took some pics- the brunch was really cool with a rock and roll theme.  We left the hotel later and went right to our seats.  This driver knew a shortcut to the venue but it is still a traffic jam when you get within a couple of miles of the venue.  They decided to reroute all of the reserved floor seat people so we had to walk further and no benefit of pedicabs like we had on day one.  Paved walk ways but super far.  Neil was spectacular.  It was a toss up on my favorites but Neil was one of them.

Neil Young had a really cool stage set with a bunch of tee pees....

Neil sounded perfect and played a bunch of his hits and a few new ones.  But they all sounded good.  We knew he would talk environment and save the world and he did but not too lecturey.  Marty said that he was one angry man.  But he sure can sing like the old days.  he did not sing Old Man, Southern Man or Cinnamon Girl- nothing from the CSNY days and no Buffalo Springfield...But he got an A plus.

Neil Young

Paul was next and of course I was excited to see him again.  He was a little off, very hoarse voice.  He had played a couple of times earlier in the week and I think the dusty atmosphere was hard on the artists.  Then in about the middle Neil joined Paul for a couple of songs and kinda saved Paul.  I could not see the middle screen and I saw on the videos that there was a lot of Beatle stuff of the middle screen- I could only see the screen right in front of me- 5.1 inches does not allow you to see too much especially when there are giant people in front of you and a few people that stood on chairs the entire time...  Neil won on night two----  Paul sang "I Wanna Be Your Man" that I think Lennon and McCartney wrote for the Rolling Stones.  He also sang "I've Just Seen a Face" from Rubber Soul and I really love that one....plus most of his regulars--- I did hear some gripes that he did not sing Yesterday--- but you can't have everything--- he sang two wife tributes to the current wife and "Maybe I'm Amazed" for Linda....Review the set list,  there are some weak spots--- at least in my opinion and we did not have the advantage of seeing a set list for anybody so we did not really know what would be in store for any of the artists....

Sir Paul

I will add a bunch more pictures tomorrow- Marty and I are not that good with our phones- Both of us messed up on Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones- I have some bad pics but you will not want to see them.  Tomorrow I will blog about The Who- night three and the photography exhibit.

This was the concert of a lifetime and I am so glad that we did it.  It was exhausting and super hot but we were some of the lucky 85,000 that got to be there.  I did not meet a single person from Arizona but I did meet a couple from Sweden, a woman from Australia, a bunch of Canadians and of course Americans from all over.  It was an experience and we were so fortunate.  There is still one more weekend with the same lineup, if you get a chance you should do it.... It may never happen again.

Rockin' in A Free World by Neil Young

"There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it any way I can.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world."

Stay tuned for more tomorrow or Wednesday.....so much more to tell you.

Love, Ya-Ya

Desert Trip radio On Now

Sirius Channel 26 is 100% artists from the Desert Trip.  If you don't know what I am talking about The Desert Trip takes place over the next two weekends in Indio, CA at the venue that also hosts Cochella.  The groups performing are Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd.

Marty (husband) played golf with one of the kids that will be working concessions at the three day event.  He said the concessionaires  would all be sleeping on one big tent- I am very happy we have a hotel package.  A great big tent party does not sound like fun to me....

The concessionaire did tell Marty that concert attendees need to buy whatever they want as soon as they see it as they expect to sell out everything quickly.  So I am changing our plans to go over to the venue as soon as it opens on Friday so we can buy a bunch of stuff.  I have been to concerts and the lines to buy stuff are horrifying.....You can stand in line for an hour to buy a tee shirt and when you finally get to the front they have sold out the one you want.  I am imagining that everyone attending this concert will want a tee shirt to prove they were there.

I have heard that to get within a mile of the venue you have to have a wrist band that is activated.  Depending on your seat you may also need to have a lanyard with your actual seat assignment.

Today I will touch on the two artists/ groups for Night number 1,  Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, born May 24, 1941 in Minnesota.  Same birthday as my brother, just not the same year.  Dylan's top selling albums were:
1.  Blood on the Tracks, 1975
2.  Desire, 1976
3.  Love and Theft, 2001

His top selling singles were:
1.  Like a Rolling Stone, made it to number 2 in 1965
2.  Rainy Day Women 12 and 35, made it to number 2 in 1966
3.  Positively 4th Street, made it to number 7, 1965
4.  Lay Lady Lay, number 7 in 1969
5. Knockin' on Heaven's Door, number 12 in 1973
6.  I Want You, number 20 in 1966

Dylan sold a load of albums, I see anywhere from 35 million to 100 million depending on who is counting.  Dylan won a Grammy, A Golden Globe, an Academy Award and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Wow- I think my post may be a little long today...Rolling Stones- Also on night number 1.  Top Albums:
1.  Sticky Fingers- 1971
2.  Exile on Mail Street-1972
3.  Let It Bleed- 1969
4.  Beggars Banquet- 1968
5.  Some Girls-

Chart topping singles include:
1.  Miss you, number 1 in 1978
2.  Angie, number 1 in 1973
3.  Brown Sugar, number 1 in 1971
4.  Honky Tonk Women, number 1 in 1969
5.  Ruby Tuesday, number 1 in 1967
6.  Paint It Black, number 1 in 1966
7.  Get Off Of My Cloud, number 1 in 1965
8.  I Can't Get No Satisfaction, number 1 in 1965
9.  Start Me Up, number 2 in 1981
10.  19th Nervous Breakdown, number 2 in 1966
11.  Emotional Rescue, number 3 in 1980
12.  Jumpin' Jack Flash, number 3 in 1968

Rumors are that there will be some collaborations of the different artists and that there may be some appearances by acts not listed.  I have heard that Eric Clapton may be joining The Rolling Stones, who really knows.  I am just watching the buzz.....


The Times They are a Changin' By Bob Dylan
"Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'."

Coming Soon:

• Desert Trip Realized
• Tribute to Papou
• Kitchen Reno
• Garage--

Love, Ya-Ya