| 30th September 2006 01:31 PM |
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| Taptrick |
I saw Taj Mahal last night at the Lancaster Performing Arts Theater. Taj, as always, was superb. I’ve seen Taj at a sold out Humphrey’s By the Bay in San Diego and at a sold out Belly Up in Solano Beach. The Lancaster Performing Arts Theater was probably half full. But that didn’t stop Taj at all. In fact it seemed to open Taj up. It seemed to energize him to want to educate these culturally clueless to the history of music in America. He spent between 10-15 minutes last night talking between songs. Explaining the history of music, the importance of American musical influence to the world, and going to lengths to ensure the audience understood how important the rest of the world understands American music and how most Americans are unable to see it themselves. One of the funnier parts was when he started talking about Mick Jagger, and I am paraphrasing here, “Mick didn’t always know how to dance. Tina Turner taught him how to dance. You see, you can watch, there was a show (I think he called it something like – The Tandum ?) and you can see how before that Mick couldn’t really move that well. Tina saw him and said, ‘Come here baby – you can’t dance – and she taught him.’ But I like Mick. He’s good people too. Man, what those guys have done for blues music. (singing) It’s all right now, in fact it’s a gas.”
The audience was mostly nonrepsonsive as well. Towards the end he literally requested the audience stand up and move. “You all are like polite society,” he joked.
The Lancaster/Palmdale area is a microcosm of what I think we are beginning to experience in America from illegal immigration. I’m not here to take a side on the issue just point out some realities. This area is known in whole as The Antelope Valley. The whole Antelope Valley is less than an hour north of LA (just north of Magic Mountain) and encompasses Lancaster, Palmdale, Mojave, Rosamond, Little Rock, Boron, etc. The whole valley easily has over 300,000 people and Lancaster/Palmdale (geographically connected) have well over 200,000 – and they can’t draw over 500 people to the city’s main theater to see a legend like Taj Mahal. I think this is because the majority of the population is either very old white and have no clue, very poor black and have completely abandoned blues, or are illegal immigrants and also poor and/or culturally not connected to the blues. How quickly is the legal/illegal immigration issue overtaking The Antelope Valley? The population is projected to approach 1,000,000 by 2015. It seems to be quietly happening without concern or attention. When I drive through the desert on my way to work I pass hundreds of shacks constructed out of trailers, aluminum, sheet metal. Most without water or plumbing. Starting to look just like the poor part of Tijuana, just not as dense. You may find this disturbing or justified on your point of view. My point is simply that it is happening, and as it does, I see little cultural things begin to fade. I think even Taj was left wondering how there could be 300,000 people and only a handful of people show up (most of which were probably season ticket holders). It’s not you Taj. You were the consummate professional. But our culture is changing.
[Edited by Taptrick] |
| 30th September 2006 01:40 PM |
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| mac_daddy |
nice post.
taj played the malibu inn, too - i hear that was a great gig. i think he was/is at the vault down in lb this weekend, too...
and you are right - the demographics of the antelope valley are definitely changing. i didnt know you lived out there...
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| 30th September 2006 02:38 PM |
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| Gimme Shelter |
I saw him a couple of years ago here in Sacramento at the Crest Theatre and he was great. |
| 30th September 2006 03:50 PM |
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| Brainbell Jangler |
I first saw Taj in early 1974. I've seen him several times, both solo and with a band, as headliner and opening act. He's always great. The band he had back when he played the Rock'n'Roll Circus, featuring Native American guitarist Jesse Edwin Davis, is my favorite. The "Giant Step" album is a classic.
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| 30th September 2006 04:28 PM |
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| Taptrick |
I loved The hula Blues band he toured with a few years ago. Like a ten piece band using the Hawiian slck key tuning.
By the way - has anybody heard about a Rock N' Roll Circus "2" ? I can't find it now but I was surfing Taj's site the other day and read a part about how he was talking about how his projects aren't so much planned as they just happened and I could swear he mentioned a "Rock N' Roll Circus "2" he was planning - but now I can't find it on his site. Anybody heard anything about this?
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