The Boat
I went and saw the Time at the Delta fest at Chennault Park in Monroe La, on September 9, 2007. This was my second show this year and my 35th overall.

I flip flopped several times on whether or not to attend this show. Not only was it a 6 hour drive to unfamiliar territory, but my usual cohorts Jason and Ashley were not going to be able to go because of a wedding they were attending the same day. I finally decided to go a few days before the show.

The show was on a Sunday, but I went up a day early. I left from my home in Pensacola, FL around 10:40 a.m on Saturday. The drive was pure back roads Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. I had no less than 7 major road changes, no straight shot. The expression you can't get there from here had to have been coined by somebody that made this trip. At one point, I had a horse drawn cart in front of me, but at least the banjos didn't get busted out. Map quest was actually on the ball on this one thank goodness. Aside from it being in the sticks, the drive wasn't to bad(except for the fact that I had to do the driving) I pulled into the hotel in Monroe about 6 hours after I left the house.

I walked into the hotel and my man Arlington spotted me. Very Cool to see a familiar face since this was a solo trip. I checked into my room and then we went to scope the town out. Well this placed looked dead. We couldn't find squat to do. We came back to the hotel and waited for the fellas to show up. Sometime after 7 p.m. they started to trickle in. Talked to everybody and got caught up. Eventually most of us ended up in the hotel bar. Got a little something to eat and then the drinking began. Big Mistake. Ok, I've been on the absolute and orange juice kick again which in itself shouldn't be a problem. I had 5 which should have been enuff, but here is where I fucked up.

I tagged along with a couple of the guys to go to this "strip club" called the Boat. Now this place had us laughing our ass off when we pulled up, so bad that you had to check it out. An absolute hole in the wall with the front of a boat extending out. We go in and its a BYOB place so of course we had to go to the store and get our own stuff. Honestly I don't know what we got, but it wasn't absolute. Big Mistake. I had about half that bottle so I was feeling no pain. The club itself was the worst ghetto ass place I have ever been in. They had like one chick in the whole place(well some others showed up a little later) Did I mention that it didn't even open till midnight? Well what happens at the boat stays at the boat. I did take some pictures of the outside for posterity(a couple of them came out) The guys could seeIi was getting too off center so we went back to the hotel.

This is where hell day began. I don't know how I made it back to the room. I was sick as a dog. I won't give the gory details, but it was one of those 'I'm never drinking again deals" When I woke up I had probably the second worse hangover I've ever had. I spent the whole day trying to get it together for the show that evening. A couple hours before the lobby call I was feeling better and got ready for the show. Unfortunately right before we left the second round kicked in and I decided I wasn't going to the show. It was looking like I drove 6 hours for nothing. Dre came to my rescue and gave me a little something to maintain. I then rode with his friends to the show(thanks guys)

I'm wandering around looking for the restroom when round three kicks in. Man on man the agony. I finally get back to tolerable range and make my way to the VIP trailer where everybody is hanging out. I then get ragged to death by a couple of the fellas about my light weight status and was asked if I wanted another drink. I think not.

OK lets get on to the real reason for this post. The actual show.

Here is the Lineup

Morris Day-Vocals and Cool
Jellybean Johnson-Drums
Monte Moir-Keyboards
Tori "Freak Juice" Ruffin-Guitar
Ricky "Freeze" Smith-Bass
Andre Holmes-Keyboards
Silvester Donald-valet and dancer
Daniel Joo-valet and dancer

Here is the set list with my ever insightful comments to follow

1. The Skillet
2. Cool
3. Get it up
4. Pandemonium
5. Chocolate
6. Wild and loose
7. The Stick
8. Blondie
9. My Drawers
10. Fishnet
11. The Oak tree
12. Jerk Out
13. 777-9311
14. Girl-brief instrumental
15. Sometimes I get lonely-one line from Morris off stage
16. Gigolos get lonely too
17. If the kid can't make you come
18. Ice Cream castles
19. The walk
20. the Bird
encore
21. Jungle Love

After scoping out a few spots I finally ended up on the left hand of the stage. Great view. I really got to see Dre and Jellybean do their thing. The Skillet rocks my world(hell its the ring tone on my phone) I just wish they played a longer version version. Tori kicked ass like he always does, laying down a few different riffs I haven't heard before(believe me I know this shit frontwards and backwards so when they do anything different I pick up on it) That chicken grease was fonky on Chocolate and Blondie/My Drawers were two of the better versions I've heard them play. Jason got the phone call when they came on. He got another one when Gigolos came on since that's his favorite song. Tori did the fake pause on 777 and went into this long ass Hendrix sounding shit. Play that shit every time dude.

The fellas definitely earned their money. It was hot as hell and you know with how they are dressed and all the dancing and playing the heat had to be killing them. I had the best view of Jellybean I've ever had and dude was pounding the shit out of those skins. I thought he was going to pass out at the end of the show. Freeze and Tori seemed more comfortable in the hype man bits than the last time I saw them. Morris was working it, all over the place even more than usual. The two new guys did a decent job. Granted nobody can replace Jerome, but the show must go on and I think they did Ok with what they were given to do on stage. Morris got political going into a speech about bringing home the troops before launching into The Walk. The show closed with the Bird with the encore of Jungle Love. My guess is the show was about 75 minutes and it was a very good crowd. I'm glad I made it.

Well after the hype of the show ended, my symptoms returned. We went back to the hotel and got cleaned up. I hung out in the lobby with some of the fellas for awhile. Nothing to do in that dead ass town. Sunday night, nothing open, not even the hotel bar. Finally I had to go try and find something to eat so I made the solo trip to the Ihop and took it back to my room, ate and crashed out. I got up early(well actually I didn't sleep worth a shit) and made the 6 hour drive home. Was it worth the 729 mile round trip? hell yeah. Bring on show 36

(As a side note, it turned out I had more than a hangover. I still felt like shit Tuesday so I went to see the doctor and I have a stomach virus that I'm still not over. So I got hit with the double whammy Sunday)

thanx for the review. Sorry Jerome wasn't there anymore and it sounds like it is becoming more "part Time" than ever. Freeze played on Morris' 1st solo album so he's been with him a while, but no Jerome, Jesse, Terry or Jimmy Jam... painful!

I hope Morris stops trying to be political and just has fun up there. That is why people go to see The Time!

Naw dude (Madhouseman)!

Shoot... I LOVE THAT THEY'RE GETTING POLITICAL AND SAYING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE.

Artists and acts need to grow- not get stuck in playing and writing the same old thing. Saying that is like telling an artist to paint with exactly the same colors and paint (oil vs. acrylic vs. watercolor vs.tempera etc) every time with the same exact technique for every canvas... dig?

Minds need to be opened. If some new sh*t is about to arrive (as rumored) you don't want to miss it being open to it because you're hell bent on hearing the same old thing do you?

xxx
LP

ps- Rhastus, you're the dude!
I keep hearing awesome stuff about you!
xxx
LP

Rhastus said:

Wow!!!! I finally found you!!!! LOL!!! I asked you to be my friend on Myspace!!!! TTY soon...

LollyPopLife said:

Thanks


Monte always gives you mad love