Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 20:43:55 -0500 To: hix@sedona.ch.intel.com From: Stacie Knasiak Subject: Dan in Charlotte Sorry the Atlanta show was such a bummer.  Charlotte was great.  The food wasn't a problem; there wasn't any -- except for the specialty of the house, packages of cheese crackers.  Nice bartender and the club's owner was very personable and took an interest in making sure I had a good time. Got there early and hooked up with Gary and Lou, so I didn't have to hold up the bar all by myself until showtime.  From the bar we listened to Dan tune up and do the sound check.  This was the first time I've seen Dan so I don't have anything to compare it to but he seemed relaxed and mellow.  No warm-up act, just Dan and Tom Mitchell, and Dan looked very spiffy in black silk and shades.  They played for three hours with a 20-minute intermission.  Not a lot of patter but plenty of great music. When the show started there were only about 20 people there.  We had great unobstructed seats, right up close.  No obnoxious patrons except some in the back who managed to talk thru the show, but it wasn't serious and I tuned it out early and easily.  The show filled up a bit by the second half but I still don't think there were 40 people there.  Small and intimate.  For Dan's sake I wish it had been packed to the gills but speaking selfishly, it was like having him in your living room and it was wonderful. Dan stuck around for a bit after the show and talked to whomever wanted to and of course I shook his hand and said "Thanks, Dan!"  He was a class act.  He sounded just like on the records but I was somehow surprised that he's aged in the last 25 years -- God knows I haven't! <s>  Of course, Dan looks great. I didn't write down the songs, I never want to blow my experience with such, but I will say that he played a mean Honeysuckle Rose, as well as Sweet Lorraine and many (but not all) of the tunes mentioned from the Atlanta show.  I thought it was pretty freeform, it didn't seem like he had a prearranged carved-in-stone setlist, which I always think is the mark of a true entertainer.  He and Tom would confer before most songs. And it was wonderful to meet Gary and Lou from the list!  To paraphrase, they's people I'm glad I met. Stacie