santana is a gutarist first, so this show was 90% music, 10% show. his band and singers are very tight. im not familiar with his other work but it seemed like i knew all the songs he sang so i think  he only did stuff from his supernatural album on this supernatural tour. high quality music and rhythms, all very tight. now the crowd...

the biggest thing about this show for me was the crowd. my seat was front row terrace far right. below the rail in front of me was the first main walkway behind the garden boxes and to my right  off to the side was the open space for the terrace stairway landing. the point: there was a time when  i was standing in this open space groovin to the music looking back up over maybe 300+ people  who were just sitting there!!! i was the only one standing and dancing. 99% white folx and it was  statue land extrordinaire. they were just sitting there as this funky funky music with all these different  rhythms blasted from a top notch sound system!!! and because of the slant of the seating i knew they  all had a clear view of me too. we're talking like maybe 4-500 people!

when i first noticed this i got a huge rush, it was kinda overwhelming. then it tickled me, and i screamed a laugh of exhilarition. i felt it all thru my body. i was doing my dance for maybe my biggest audience and i was on it. i turned and faced the crowd. i felt it. eyes closed. i would  open my eyes and glance every so often and it would give me a huge rush. i knew i was standing  out because of my ability to let the music move me. move me to a nice gentle groove. an easy  sway popping my fingers with smile as i showed the statues how good the music makes me feel.  as i showed them how free i was, how uninhibited i was and how happy i am.

i even got the people around me groovin and dancin. at one point we clapped in sync to a moderatly moving  music flow- not to fast, not to slow...the synenrgy was there, im sure they could feel it. we were in sync as we clapped. during one of the more sprited faster moving music moments when  the crowd got up, a couple of girls came up and started dancing with me. (my ego digged that cause i knew the fellas around me saw it). the hispanic girl had her groove together but the white girl who probably had a beer or two was trying to follow my steps. it was cool cause i had seen this before but i wasnt in a slow it down for the novice mood, she had to keep up or do her own thing. she danced to her own groove next to me as i g-rated freaked her and her friend...

after the show while walking out i felt the finger on my back of somebody reading my shirt. i turned  to meet 2 more girls who probably had one or two beers. the three of us walked arm in arm singing outloud. as we parted i pointed to the sky to show them jupiter & saturn. judging by their comments they may have had 4 or 5 beers, but im sure i got my point across...im use to p-funk 4 hour shows,  everlast started after 7 and i was on the return shuttle at 10:30sum'n....  

these boys are serious deep into sports and we bet on everything from coin flips to dog races to the time we arrive. there is even usually bingo  and one of the highlights for me is to call a couple games. me with a microphone and a captive audience. i am good and i enjoy it. this time they forgot the bingo cards so no game, it was coooool.

we chill in the sportsbook betting horses and college games and then a few of us will fill a blackjack table. we try to keep a good positive  energy at the table with aggressive spirited fun. this is karma and it helps us win. this year my favorote dealer was linda. she was the tough kinda fun.  the kinda dealer that playfully atagonizes you. i asked her what she did for  kicks, she reads. i asked did she read fiction and she said no, she reads the  bible...i said "i thought you didnt read fiction." i didnt say it that loud but the whole table heard me and understood my humor...it was quick and cool

the end of my $200 eneded with me and her- one on one, mono on mono.  she was tough. as i cut the cards with other people still at the table i called  her out "my name is jeffery and im not afraid of you. lets do this" i raised  and focused my energy and i felt it. my first hand was blackjack, my second  blackjack. she got a blackjack too and i looked into her eyes, struggling  to maintain my focus and concentration. (it was too silly and playful to be  too serious). i tried not to get excited. 

im not sure of the actual events, but it was something like the 4th time she hit to a 21. i think i had a $20 bet and held a 20. she had a six showing and  took like 37 cards to hit 21. that broke me. i screamed "KISS MY ASS!!!"  loud enough to quiet the casino. it was a true explosion of energy. it was a  combination of frustartion, amazement and the relaease of  concentration and  focus...after about a second a dealer close by made a playful comment. the  charged energy left me and i smiled and did a sheepish "excuse me" to the people around me...

linda's husband came over to see what was going on. i said "he's probably  use to this huh?" "the dealers and pit bosses expect this at your table" my  intensity gone and back to silly we all laughed...as i left linda said i was a  sweetheart and i let her know i enjoyed our experience...she made loosing fun...

the weather and temperature were perfect. the air was crisp autumn with a soft moist warmth. the sun made it beautiful and the night retained that  pleasant warmth , just being close to the river was very nice and refreshing.  we used the water taxi to chill and go from the river palms casino (0 cuties)  to the flamingo where we finally saw some female proper...  

it was either this or the west hollywood parade. i chose history.  gates opened at 4:30, metal detectors and searches. lots of people but it went fast. my ticket had me in the back but ive worked enough crowds to do much better, hung out and waited for a break. background music was  was U2 joshua tree cd "where the streets  have no name." 

whoopi goldberg was the main mc and she was good. she got the gore point across, was funny and very real. she hit the rich white man issue and the women's choice issue. she even said the  "s word." cher and john cusak did too and they both almost  used  the "f word."  lots of other stars; debra messing (i love her),  sharon stone, quincy jones, ben affleck (who didnt wanna speak), ed begley jr, harry hamlin, martin sheen, jesse jackson. jewel  performed as did joe walsh. 

govenor gray davis spoke. watching him during gore's speech he  stood perfectly still, like a statue. he showed signs of life and scanned  the crowd when gore brought up school vouchers.

rob reiner was the last speaker and he introduced the gores. he was funny too. he harped on the rich white male thing in the republican party. he called the republican convention a lets keep black men from office convention or sumthing like that... 

gores 23 yr old daughter is cute. she is also a very good speaker, though you get tired of the "i love daddy thing-" "where was mommy?" somebody said. listening to her he did everything...but she was cute and very articulate...

then gore spoke. it wasn't hurried, but it was borderline  mechanical. you could tell he had done this before and that  he had many more to do. but he was still good... he had just done leno and was limo'ed to westwood...

key points:  -republicans are rich white males out for themselves rob reiner compared the republican convention to a utah jazz basketball game, all white people in the stands and a few blacks on the court

-pro choice. busch is anti abortion and will appoint supreme  court judges that will be on the bench for maybe 40 years- roe v wade may fall among other things

-school vouchers

the thing that most got me was hearing a bunch of white people  being anti rich white male (RWM). rob reiner actually gave kudos by name to every demographic except the WM. it was almost like  discrimination! he is a RWM and he said he was in the 1% that  the republicans are planning to give the tax break too but he  doesnt want it. i remember whoopi on letterman wearing a shirt that said "whiteboy" and we all know about her and ted danson. cher is part indian but what about sonny? i know these things dont really mean much when it comes to the individuals opinion, but it was very strange to be one of the few blacks in a huge white audience and hear white people bash other white people!!

dont get me wrong i understand what they mean, i even had a  scattered mental burst about it, but it was still very weird... being a black man in a predominatly white audience and hear  white people put down other white people. maybe if they used a better term to describe the particular RWM they meant...

also i thought the tatics used to appeal to voters is not good. its a very unintelligent way. both parties do this and i think the whole political system needs revamped. they dont use the best logic or smartest points. they hit the key issues but they broadcast them in a very basic "primitive?" way (im tired and cant find the  words) in fact im gonna stop and maybe finish in the morning...

blackberry didn't work until gore left the secret service biys were cool...

the show starts off with rafiki (the witch doctor) "proclaiming something deep" about the cirlce of life  and the future lion king. im guessing about her subject  cause she sang with a deeply spiritual tone, heavy with  african soul and in an african language (i think). the first sound from lion king is a black female voice very exuberantly expressing a gospel flavored, african styled celebratory release. i felt it through out my body. this goes into a very soulful african  type song/chant with a lot of spirit and movement.  the whole stage then comes alive as performers costumed as animals make their way to the stage from all over  the theater...

the pantages theater is a rich, beautiful place. the size  and huge spaces in the architecture is stunning. high ceilings, huge stairways, lots to look at and enjoy... 

very very intricate costuming, moving masks. mechanical attachments creating 4 legged creatures- (the hyenas were good) very very very clever

kids playing simba and nala as young lions were good.

the dance and the movement of performers and flow on stage was good. more rhythmic and sensual than most plays ive seen.

and i loved the black female pride of lions. the play showed death as a part of life. it also put modern human feelings in the lion's social  situation as humor. even had jokes from current events  and even a gay joke.

music was very african soulful, tribal maybe. i didnt get the "god" feeling, but a feeling of oneness with nature. it felt as if it was more about nature and life than about a god in the sky. definite african flavor

show seemed to be a black production created under the rules of a white broadway. there was the black (little  nala had a little sista in her) and african influence and flavor but they had that white theatre squeaky cleaness to it at times. a little less black gospelized and more  white theatre mainstream. (over enunciating and speaking with a very clear distinct "white like" tone).

it was very very hard for me to sit still with all the energy and music and rhythms. the movement and spirituality of the music was all thru my body and i wanted to dance celebratory with it.

also i didnt get my $125 orchestra seat. i didnt want to pay that much so i justified by saying i want sit back and see the whole stage. back far enough to feel the  performance as a whole stage, 

during the final bow one of the performers made a  "commercial" request for donations to charity. he did this during the standing ovation and the stoppage was kinda  uncool, kinda ruined the mood...kinda.

started promptly at 8, 20 minute intermisson, ended 11pm.

this was the best stage production ive seen by far