The Walecki Benefit Shows
Santa Monica Civic Center
Santa Monica, CA.
Aug 8 & 9, 2000

This was a special set of shows, called Gathering of the Clan. It was a benefit to aid
Fred Walecki who ran the top music store in LA in the late 60s thru the 90s, until he came
down with some sort of throat cancer. He was a mentor and friend to many of the main
SoCal musicians, and this was their way of repaying him. Please note the setlist for the entire
4 disc set below. The first 3 discs are the complete show from the 2nd night (8/9/00), while
the 4th disc is highlights of the 1st night.

I've included the artwork for this 4 CD set, which uses photos I took at the event as well.

I've placed in the info file the set of notes I sent to the Leeshore mail group (CSN related)
reviewing both nights of these shows. I am seeding the first 2 discs now, and will seed
Discs 3 & 4 later. Overall this is a pretty good recording.

I'd rate it an A- overall. Enjoy!


8/9/00
Disc 1
1. Intro (Thomas E. Campbell, Executive Director-Guacamole Fund)

Randy Meisner & Friends
2. Take It Easy
3. Take It To The Limit

Colin Hay (Men At Work)
4. Company of Strangers
5. Day After Day

Warren Zevon (w/ Jackson Browne & Ry Cooder)
6. Fistful Of Rain
7. Johnny Strikes Up The Band

Jackson Browne (w/ Ry Cooder)
8. Next Voice You Hear

Jeff Bridges
9. She Lay Her Whip Down

Jackson Browne w/Bonnie Raitt
10. Baby, How Long
11. Your Bright Baby Blues
12. My Opening Fairwell

DISC 2

Bonnie Raitt
1. Crazy Thing Called Love
2. Give It Up

Crosby, Nash Pevar & Raymond
3. Someday Soon
4. Dream For Him
5. Margarita
6. Deja Vu

Spinal Tap
7. Hell Hole
8. Flower People
9. Big Bottom

Chris Hillman w/ Herb Pederson
10. Old Crossroads

Crosby, Nash & Hillman
11. Turn Turn Turn

DISC 3

Emmylou Harris
1. Wheels (w/ C Hillman)
2. If I Can Only Win Your Love
3. Hour of Gold

Emmylou & Linda Ronstadt
4. Valerie

Linda Ronstadt w/ Emmylou Harris
5. For A Dancer

Linda Ronstadt
6. Heart Like A Wheel

Don Henley
7. Boys Of Summer
8. My Thanksgiving
9. Desparado

Finale (ALL)
10. Mercury Blues
11. Stand By Me
Fred Walecki says thanks


DISC 4 (8/8/00) Highlights

Jackson Browne (w/ Ry Cooder)
1. Next Voice You Hear

Jackson Browne w/Bonnie Raitt
2. Baby, How Long
3. Your Bright Baby Blues
4. My Opening Fairwell

Crosby, Nash Pevar & Raymond
5. Lady Of The Island
6. Deja Vu
7. Taken At All
8. Wooden Ships

The Byrds (McGuinn, Crosby & Hillman)
9. Tambourine Man
10. Turn Turn Turn

Linda Ronstadt
11. Heart Like A Wheel

Don Henley
12. Boys of Summer
13. Desparado

My post show reviews....

Night 1 8/8/00

First the show started about 15 minutes late due to long will call lines. So
about 8:15 the first act hit the stage, and about 3 hours and 50 minutes
later. Fred Walicki got up to say thanks using the voice decoder unit that
allows him to speak. There was a 15 minute intrmission too.
First the general backup band had the Clapton 80s band thing happening w/
Wix on keyboards, Andy Fairweather-Low on giutar, and Albert Lee on guitar
as well. Also Bernie Leadon was on stage most of the night as a backup
musician. Didn't really get to be in the spotlight, which is surprising too.
Woman bass player I'm unfamiliar with Jennifer Condos who was solid all
night, and Ethan Johns was fine on drums too.
The sound from the 5th row was not too good. Pretty muddy, and bass
heavy especially early, and got a bit better as the show went on. I have no
idea how the sound was for the rest of the hall. Lots of highlights......
Meisner doing a few Eagles songs. Colin Hay (Men At Work) being quite the
comedian (not a bad voice as well). Zevon and Browne working out on a couple
of numbers, Jeff Bridges doing pretty well for himself on his number. A few
nice duets of Jackson and Bonnie, with Ry Cooder going off! Bonnie being
Bonnie. CNPR opening the 2nd half wonderfully, some beautiful harmonies, and
some comedic relief, especially when Nash said after a song he hadn't seen
David in 4 months, and didn't know what was up with him, when someone in the
crowd yelled "DAD"!, cracked everyone up. Also (as usual) great playing from
Peev and James.
Spinal Tap brought a smile to everyone, especially on Big Bottoms, where
they ALL played bass and added Frebo on tuba (Frebo sat in on a few Bonnie
tunes as well). Hillman did nice bluegrass thing, before getting ready to
intro Emmylou, when Cros and someone else walked on. Hillman was thrown for
a loop, but changed course nicely, after saying one of the greatest singers
in the world ( for Emmy), changed it to 2 of my favorite artists and
singers, and then we saw the man in the shadows was Roger McGuinn. The crowd
reacted, and we got the 12 string intro to Tambourine Man, then Turn Turn
Turn. Harmonies and playing were great.
Emmylou came out did a couple of nice numbers including a new song of her
forthcoming CD that was stunning. It was just her and Ethan Johns who
drummed most of the night, but I guess he's a multi instrumentalist sort of
guy, and he played acoustic. But the sound on his guitar was off, so you
couldn't hear him at all, except for some backgground from the monitors. Too
bad. Linda came out in the middle of Valerie, to a big hand, and showed off
her pipes wonderfully. She was quite witty and charming, reading the lyrics
(Jackson writes great lyrics, but LOTS of lyrics) on For a Dancer, before
bringing out her niece to sing lovely harmonies on Heart Like A Wheel.
Then it was Henley's turn, and to be honest he's always been a guy I could
take or leavve, but I was very impressed with his set, including the new
number My Thanksgiving. The man does have a presence. Then it was time for
the finale, and David Lindley's absence was further amplified when they did
his signature tune Mercury Blues. Everyone got to sing a verse or chorus
and/or play a lead on it. And to close it out they did a similar treatment
of Stand By Me. All in all, a GREAT night and great fun was had by all. My
only problem was the sound (at least where I sat, and am sitting there
tonight again), and the few thoughts of what didn't happen, i.e. Henley,
Leadon and Meisner doing something together, Henley and Linda doing
Desperado, Jackson joining the Eagles and Byrds for Take It Easy, Warren
Zevon doing Exciteable Boy or Werewolves (woulda been great w/Lindley). Also
no combo of Croz, Nash and Browne which I was expecting. Oh well... these
and a few others are minor distractions to what was a great night. I've
written the setlist below... its accurate except where I didn't know the
exact song titles. If someone knows, please let me know.


Night 2. 8/9/00

Well, tonight was even better. First the sound though still bass heavy
upfront, was MUCH better. Not great, but solid. It seemed that the
musicians, having the first show under their belt, were both looser
mentally, and tighter musically. The crowd was much more enthusiastic
tonight, and I think they fed off each other. It was almost the same show,
with a few changes, Meisner started it off with Take It Easy, then the
setlist stayed the same till our boys did their set. First off was Someday
Soon, followed by Dream For Him (this version for me is the definitive
one... man, I NEVER heard it sound so good). Then Croz says, we haven't done
the next one since the Civil War,and Nash says.... and you're blaming
me...?... Cros retorts immediately No... Boston Tea Party yes, Civil War...
No.... and then they played...... Margarita. WOW, was this beautiful. They
finished the set with Deja Vu again. Both James and Peev's solos got HUGE
ovations.
Nash introduced Spinal Tap, and talked about being around for the
beginning of the British Invasion, and that all these bands wouldn't have
been as big without the influence of "The Loudest Band In Britain.....
Spinal Tap", Nigel (Harry Shearer comes out and says "Who the fuck was that
old geezer..?") They played a few different things.. Hellhole and... their
first single that caused a ripple in the US, a ripple that failed to spread,
and played Flower People, before closing with Big Bottoms (with special guest
on the 4th bass... TIMOTHY SCHMIDT). The crowd went wild over them tonight.
McGuinn wasn't there tonight, so Nash joined Crosby (albeit a chorus or
two into the song, cause he was off somewhere) on Turn Turn Turn, with
Hillman singng lead and Leadon doing the 12 striing lead. Other wise song
wise I think everything else was the same (could be wrong), but the overall
performances, and reactions were better tonight, at least IMHO