Hello all.  Just want to let everyone know about my wonderful Halloween adventure.  I'll start from the beginning.

Saturday, October 31st:

Waking up around 10:00 AM, the days looks to be a great one. The sun is brightly shining through the bedroom window, it must be about 60 degrees out. My wife and I enjoy a breakfast of bagels and try to stay calm considering the festivities we know will be happening that evening. Naomi (my wife) sits down at the computer to check for new Hip tour dates and information. We were shocked and saddened to find out that the Hip may have to cancel the Jacksonville show due to the fire marshall shutting the Fat Kat Music Hall. The band asked for people to send in alternatives in Jacksonville where they might play. I quickly got on the internet and researched all the clubs in Jacksonville. I found a couple, plus one in nearby St. Petersburg, and e-mailed them to
the Hip. I sure hope that the club gets their shit together before Tuesday, or that the Hip find an alternative place to play. We are
planning to travel from the Athens show tonight to Jacksonville. Anyway, that news definitely put a slight damper on the day, but we were still incredibly excited about heading to Atlanta for Halloween with the Hip. We got all of our stuff together and hit the road about 12:30 PM. The three and a half hour drive was filled with lots of sunshine as we cruised down the highway jamming to various Hip live shows.  We arrived in Atlanta around 4:00 PM and unloaded our stuff at a friend's apartment where we were crashing that evening.  After some quick showers, we were off to dinner around 5:30.  The club was located in a trendy part of
Atlanta, called Buckhead.  We were staying in a much cooler location, called Little Five Points.  Thus, we had to drive completely through midtown Atlanta to get from one place to the other.  Traffic in Atlanta (a city of almost 3.5 million people) was busy as expected.  We found the restaurant we were looking for with little difficulty, however, It is a wonderful little place called Cafe Sunflower.  It is a gourmet vegetarian place, with an eclectic menu featuring fantastic gourmet vegetarian appetizers, entrees, desserts, etc...  After a truly incredible meal, we proceeded on to the club about 6:30 PM.  The doors were supposed to open at 7:00 PM and we wanted to get a spot at the front of the line.  We pulled up to The Roxy at about 6:40 PM and looked for a parking spot.  We were told by someone working in a nearby restaurant that parking would be $10 - $15 in the designated lot, but
that parking on the street was free, if there was a space.  We pulled out on to the street in front of the Roxy, and found a spot directly in front of the venue.  The front door was about 6 feet from the car.  That kind of left us with great anticipation for what was to come the rest of the night.  There were only two other guys waiting at that time, both having driven down from Kentucky to see the show.  Also, they were transplants from Ontario now living in the states.  We chatted some while we waited.  Seven o'clock came and went, and the doors were still not opening.  The ticket window did open, and people started appearing to buy tickets for the show.  We asked the ticket guy when doors were opening and he said 8:00.  Great, we had to wait another hour.  Oh well, at least we did not have to leave our car.  I rolled down the window and cranked up the 10/2/98 Hip show from Pittsburgh on my stereo.  We jammed for about 45 minutes until the line started to swell and we grabbed our place in the front.  By the time 8:00 rolled around, there were about 100 people or so in line down the sidewalk.  Someone came out and told us the line had to be going the other direction, so everyone moved quickly.  Then they opened the doors to the wondrous Roxy.  The venue was a theatre in every regard.  The main lobby was spacious and long, with a full bar attached to the right side.  The walls were adorned with lots of rock memorabilia, reminiscent of the Hard Rock cafe or House of Blues.  We ran up to the doors that opened into the performance room itself, and were disappointed to learn that we could not go in yet. Apparently, the Derek Trucks Band blew a horn during soundcheck, and they had to fix it.  We settled down for a long wait along with tons of others.  It got really crowded and cramped, and everyone's anxiety levels rose dramatically.  There was a huge tub of Canadian beer next to the door (Molson Ice, Molson Golden, And LaBatts Blue - all for $4 a bottle) and many people were taking advantage of that.  About 8:45 a guy
came out from the main room carrying a box of CDs which he began distributing to the audience.  They were a 3 song CD from the Hip, containing Fully Completely and Giftshop from Live Between Us and Poets from Phantom Power.  Very cool, but there was a mad rush towards the door to get CDs.  Luckily, we were able to get our and maintain our spot at the front of the right door.  Of course we picked the wrong door, as minutes later the left door opened up.  I seized the moment and vaulted through the door, running towards the front to grab a pristine location. I got to the front and parked, right in front center where Gord would be
performing his antics.  Yes, the evening was turning out to be great so far.  I left my wife in the center at that point, and moved to a position on right in front of the stacks, but still on the barricade in front.  I like the sound loud, so that was the spot for me.  At around 9:00, the Derek Trucks Band took the stage before an audience of about 400 in the large room.  They opened with the Allman Brothers Classic, "In Memory of Elisabeth Reed."  It really rocked, man that kid can jam on a guitar.  They played about 8 songs.  Johnny Fay was seen on the side of the stage jamming along to the band.  They were really good, but as 10:00 grew near, we were all ready for the Hip.  The Derek Trucks Band ended about 10:00, and the crew quickly started tearing down the stage and readying it for the Hip.  At 10:30, the lights went down and we knew it was finally time.  Halloween night with the Hip!!!  Gord D. and the boys came out and the place erupted with screaming.  Gord was wearing a Fidel Castro beard and glasses, and was smoking a Cuban cigar to top off the costume.  Rob was dressed all in red - red pants and long sleeved red shirt.  In past shows, whenever Rob wears red the show always rocks a little harder.  I could not wait.  Without a word, the Hip launched into Grace, Too, and the real reason we were all there began to take shape.  Here is the set they played:

Grace, Too
Poets
Fully Completely
Giftshop
Membership
Ahead By A Century - After this song, one of the roadies came out to take Gord's acoustic guitar, and he had a scary mask on.
Basically he scared the shit out of Gord.  It was quite funny.
Don't Wake Daddy
Escape Is At Hand For The Travelin Man
Courage
Flamenco
Vapour Trails
Springtime In Vienna
Fireworks
100th Meridian

Encore 1:
Something On
Bobcaygeon
New Orleans Is Sinking

Encore 2:
Chagrin Falls
Blow At High Dough

The show really rocked.  The band was incredibly tight, and the music sounded really emotion driven.  It was obvious that the boys were feeding off of the crowd, many of whom were dressed in costumes.  I had Batman, Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman next to me, along with Braveheart, a she-devil, and others.  The band jammed for about 100 minutes total.  I saw several tapers in the crowd, so I am sure this hot show is on tape (or minidisk) somewhere, look for it to be hitting the circuit soon.  After the show we headed across town back to our lodging. We saw many interesting sights at 1:00 AM on Halloween eve.  There was a schoolbus full of people in cow costumes, all sticking their heads out of the windows and mooing and people.  We also saw a group of women dressed as a pack of q-tips.  We made it back to our room safely, and went out to a costume party.  The Hip show was fantastic, and we cannot wait to see them in Athens on November 2nd.  If this band comes anywhere near your hometown, you have got to see them!!!

Later and Stay Hip...

Alan Moore