Jan
5
New Years 2006
Rippin Skiers brought in the New Year in New York City with the Gov’t Mule. Gregg Allman and John Popper were guests. Toots was also there. Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar played on the 30th and 31st. His sported a real nice cowboy hat!
Another big storm was brewing west of Denver. We wound up leaving a day early for New York City and we beat the storm arriving on January 28th. On the 29th, we were surprised by a Rippin Skier friend of ours. It’s always fun to be surprised and especially in New York City!
On the evening of the 30th, we started at the Dublin House located on 79th between Amsterdam and Broadway. They sure do have the best Guinness in town. After grabbing an equalizer (aka a regular slice of pizza) we made it to the Beacon Theatre to see the second of three nights of The Gov’t Mule. The 
first set was an A! There was a ton of energy. We saw some old friends who were sitting in the lower balcony. It was good to catch up! I also found TimBre in the second row with his posse. He and his posse were just beginning their long tour of 3 nights of the Mule and then heading to Florida for Jam Cruise. Danny Draher played the encore on the 30th. He strummed the guitar with his mouth.
Post Mule show, we headed over to B.B. Kings to see Rebirth Brass Band. They were great. It was such a treat to be at the show. The vibe at Rebirth is simply refreshing.
The energy at the Rebirth shows are extremely high, fun and there’s so much love in the room. If you knock into to someone, it’s never a big deal. It’s the NOLA vibe that simply rocks – I can’t wait for Jazz Fest!!!
New Years Eve 2006 started at Jacques-Imo’s Cafe. The alligator sausage cheesecake is a must have. The bloody mary is such a treat. There are so many fixen’s; it’s a meal in a glass!!! We met up with some old friends and then headed for our equalizer. That’s right, another NYC slice of REGULAR pizza. Sidebar: in Denver, I ask for a regular slice, and nobody has a clue what I’m talking about. They say “…you mean with cheese? A cheese slice?” I actually once had someone ask, “you mean a pepperoni slice!!!” Ok…Pizza education for Denver and the rest of the world who does not know this…a regular slice is a slice with dough, sauce, and cheese. It should have a nice crunch and if oily – no problem!!! And…it should be HOT!!! A slice of pizza is important to have pre-concert. It’s a great equalizer.
After the slice, we journeyed back to the Beacon. The show started with a standard Mule looking set. Nothing fancy…just there normal light set up. They played for maybe an hour or so and then took a break. When they started again, the set was completely different. It had a fun Island feel. We knew Toots was 
about to arrive, and sure enough…there he was. Toots was sporting some real nice Bling on his headband. His guns were popping out of his sleaveless vest. As we neared midnight, Warren Haynes began his countdown. 10, 9 , 8 …3, 2, 1 Happy New Year. BANG…Turn on Your Love Light started. Wow…this was no doubt, one of the best Love Light’s I have ever heard. It had so much energy. And…balloons were dropping everywhere. We were being taken over by the balloons. Balloons…Balloons…Balloons everywhere…Glorious Balloons!!! It’s now 2007 and on comes Gregg Allman and John Popper. WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!! What an awesome surprise. They performed a killer Dreams.
All in all, the show was an A+. I highly recommend you download this show. I feel you will listen to it for years to come. They finished with Goin’ Out West. Maybe next year, we will see the Gov’t Mule in the West for New Years Eve!!!
Until the next post, have a great evening.
http://rippinskiers.com
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