[Slowhand] Yup!

[Mel Boss]

I couldn't agree with you more, Elaine. I've seen many E shows over the years, and I've come to the conclusion that - maybe I've seen enough (for a while). 

The E+SW show that we saw last summer was superb (from the 25th-row-center). The sound we experienced for that show was near-perfect, and I loved that performance in every way, but the only reason we got to go was that I won the tickets thanks to KFOG radio (simple trivia quiz). I was not willing to pay $350 for 2-tickets in a bad location where I could only see with the benefit of binoculars and bigscreens and where the music is distorted. I'm better off at home with a good concert-video, excellent popcorn smoothered in butter and my own beers that don't cost $10. And no one's ever thrown-up on my back in my living room! They played the Oracle Arena, an obscenely-huge sports stadium with wretched acoustics - unless you are fortunate to be seated in the "sweetspot" (that accounts for <25% of the total).  

We see MK every time he comes to the Bay Area. He doesn't play the large venues, and it is not "impossible" to find tickets that are affordable and choice in their location. We also saw Jeff Beck last summer at a superb, smaller venue in the Fox Theatre (beautifully restored) where all seats are good-seats and the acoustics are fantastic! Hopefully, "the great-unwashed" in the USA will never discover what a fantastic show MK plays (w/GuyFletcher***, RichardBenett, DannyCummings, GlennWorf etal).

I'm also not to enamored (disgruntled even) with E's production in recent years. I am really tired of the backing-singers Michelle and Sharon and would prefer a great harpest in their stead. I will always love it when E closes his eyes, kicks back, looks to the skies and gets into the groove that only he can do - just so. Clean, artful, soleful, articulate, engaging!

There's no one like him - but I'm not 25 anymore have gotten sick of all the shit.
Grumpy-Mel
       

I HATE Ticketmaster.  I never get good seats through them and feel lucky to get seats at all!  I was unsuccessful at getting tickets using the EC Access code on Friday.  That fan club is a complete ripoff.  So, I thought, "Oh well, I'll get them when they go on sale to everyone else on Saturday."  Well, the Ticketmaster site said tickets went on sale at 12:00 PM, which I assumed to be the Chicago time zone.  I'm on the west coast so figured it would be 10:00 AM for me.  I logged onto the computer at 9:30 to be ready to click in as soon as they went on sale only to find they were already on sale!  Apparently they went on sale at 8:00 AM PST!  I don't get it, it just doesn't compute.  I ended up having to buy tickets through StubHub, which I hated to do, but I was determined not to miss another Crossroads Festival.  So I understand what you're saying, Jeff.  I'm not too thrilled with the Ticketmaster experience either, or the EC Access
 experience.