The Kathy Hippy Girl's Smile Popple Review

The show details.

What Farm Aid Means to a Rustie.

The Farm Aid RustFest

The set list

Much happened over this Farm Aid weekend.... The hotel where I stayed was also the hotel of choice for several farmers and organizers involved with Farm Aid. Was chatting with a few of them in the lobby and asking many questions. They invited me to their meeting to be held at the hotel next door to where I was staying.

Chatted with some of the organizers and promised them that I would carry the story home and see that it got to the proper places. They then invited me to attend the press conference the next day at Tinley. Took alot of pics and then left the area. All of a sudden I heard, "Now, here to say a few words about Farm Aid, Willie and Neil " Whaaaaaaaaa ???? This hippy girl sprinted back to square one, passed GO, and didn't collect $100. There they were for sure........Neil and Willie !!!!!!!!

Neil had his train hat on with the visor facing OUT, not like the backwards style at HORDE. This was a serious Neil who meant business. It looked like a good indication there'd be no RITFW or Fuckin' Up on this day.

Willie was lookin' ...well... like Willie.

Attended the RustFest at Gambione's... Met several Rusties, including "Moe the Sleaze", "Laughing at the door", Zbar, Dr. Music Cliff, Richard Nixon's Soul... I cannot remember any other handles right now. It was great to meet all of you.

On to Tinley Park and the music...

• Dean Miller -- Is this guy related to Roger Miller, I wonder?? He seems to sing good and is a fresh new face to me.

• Mary Cutufello -- Never heard of her before but she put on a great performance. She looked kinda like Slash. :-)

• Steve Earle and the V-Roys -- This guy looks like he was out on a binge for the last 5 years and never found the right bar yet. His dark mirrored glasses concealed the worst to come. At the finale he came out sunglass-less. (He shoulda left them on for that too.) His music was good and the crowd that was gathered at that point seemed to know his music (excluding myself of course). Steve left the stage and his band played a song while Steve was off to the side of the stage having a ciggie. Probably it is the one that Mellencamp relit and came out performing with.

• Billy Ray Cyrus -- What can I say? He's Billy Ray... Doin' his Achey Breaky Ass Shakey dance. Very much butt here, ladies, but not as nice as Poncho's. Since when do Native Americans dance the Achey Breaky while dressed in their tribal clothing? Guess that it was an attempt at humor?!?

  I had been looking forward to this group known as "Dennis Alley's Wisdom Indian Dancers", to do some dances from the Indian culture. The only other time that they came onstage was for the finale, when they joined the others for Amazing Grace. Billy Ray sang his hits before throwing out sweaty towels. Oh boy I'm sorry that I didn't catch one---NOT.

• The Allman Brothers Band -- Everyone looked good, and they played three songs which I enjoyed much. The drummer was notably exhuberant. It was good to see them again. Thought that Dicky Betts looked well.

• Beck -- Hmmm... doing country... Well although I prefer "Two turntables and a microphone / That's where it's at," he seemed to do a good job with his country menu and serving it up. At one point the two guys on either side of him looked across at one another smiling. It appeared to be an "oh wow Yahoo" look that was really saying "Why in the hell are we playing this shit?". The closest that he came to playing anything from his HORDE show was his song Jackass.

• John Fogerty -- Wailed and jumped around like the talented musician that he is. He brought back a lot of memories. He had most of the audience standing and rocking along. When he finished, a teen sitting near to me asked, "Is it my imagination or did this guy just ROCK the place apart?" We slapped a high five as I answered her with "He ROCKED this joint!!!!" There may now be some Fogerty converts out there based on other remarks from younger folks who sat near me.

• John Melllencamp -- A compact dynamo. I would like to tap into his energy source. (Or would I? Steve Earle's ciggy and ABC gum -- no thanks.) He not only puts on a good show but interacts quite enthusiastically with his band members -- especially that fiddle player. It was enjoyable to watch him tear the roof off the place a little more after Fogerty got done starting it for him. He played with the audience by having each section count 1-2-3-4 but didn't start the song until the fourth time that the middle section counted.

• Willie Nelson -- Sang Whiskey River for one of his songs. BTW, he is Willie so it doesn't matter diddly what key he sings it in. He did an okay job with Neil on Long May You Run (for probably learning it just before he came out). Willie is an icon of country music. Another thing that Willie does: If he sees a camera he does this little "Kodak Moment" thing and will actually look at the photographer unlike so many other full-of-themselves stars.

• Neil -- Seemed to be in a very serious mood. The outspoken rebel hippy that he is!!!! Really pissed at the Factory Farms as well as the condition of the environment in which we live. A question came to mind as I listened to him. I wondered if the package of turkey that he was opening on that fateful day was organic. After all, he made a reference to the performers who were criticising the backstage organic food. Never have seen him talk so much onstage except perhaps listening to him give the honeyslide recipe on a tape of one of his shows.

• Mother Earth was beautiful. Really like that pump organ that he plays. Helpless was appropriate for the day, as was Four Strong Winds. Long May You Run is certainly an old fave. And did everyone catch that harp work from Mickey Raphael (Willie's harmonicist)??? I think that he and Popper should have a harmonica blow out. I know who would get my vote -- not Popper!!

I am glad that Farm Aid was so successful after the way that it started out. They were all lucky that the show went off at all. I was happy to attend it.

Peace
Hippy Girl's Smile

(more to be added when I can... --RE*AC*TOR)