First off, I thank my friend, architect and Gotham GREEN® co-chair, Josh Zinder for pinch-hitting in this space for me last week.  Shelly and I attended a Pythian Supreme Lodge Convention in Roanoke, Virginia, Monday through Thursday where good friend and Gotham Queens member Craig Shink got elected and installed as Supreme Master of Arms (If all proceeds according to "tradition," Craig will take office in six years as Supreme Chancellor.). We drove there so we opted to make a Sunday eve stop-over.  Scanning what might be available I lobbied for a concert in northern Virginia that we'd miss last Wednesday at the "Garden" in New York: The Doobie Brothers with opening act Steve Winwood.  

The show took place at a venue called Jiffy Lube Live (really!).  It was a nice amphitheater with a roof over the reserved seating which allowed for rain or shine shows.  As a result, due to a rescheduling of a show from last summer, I saw two concerts in a row.  Saturday eve, Marisa and I took in Jim Messina at Sony Hall in Time Square.  Jim fronted a five-piece band: Jim on acoustic and electric guitar and mandolin; Steve Nieves on Saxophone, Woodwinds and percussion; Jim Frazier on Keyboards; Ben King on bass and Jack Bruno on Drums.  He played a diverse set of tunes spanning his career with Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins and Messina and as a solo artist.  Personal highlights for me was You Better Think Twice from Poco's second self-titled LP known as "oranges" (it's my fave LP cover) and his Loggins & Messina tune, Be Free).  A Messina tune gives this blog its name.

Steve Winwood played selected from his Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and solo careers.  He opened with my fave Traffic tune from John Barleycorn Must Die, the instrumental, "Glad." Other highlights include Dear Mr. Fantasy, the Blind Faith song, "Can't Find My Way Home," his solo hit, Higher Love" and his two Spencer Davis Group hits, "I'm A Man" (also covered by Chicago) and "Gimme Some Lovin'" which closed his performance.  Winwood’s band features Edwin Sanz, Percussion; Tristan Banks, Drums; Paul Booth, Sax/Flute/Hammond Organ; Nate Williams, Keyboards; and Vocals; and (daughter) Lilly Winwood, Vocals.

The Doobies lineup included both Michael McDonald on keys and Tom Johnston along with Patrick Simmons and John McFree on guitar (McFee also played violin on "Black Water."). John Cowan played bass, Mark Russo was superb on sax, Ed Toth played drums and Marc Quinones, formerly of the Allman Brothers and lately with Dead and Co. supplied the percussion.  They played all the hits.

The Doobie Brothers setlist 

* Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (Eddie Holland cover)


* Here to Love You


* Dependin' on You


* Rockin' Down the Highway


* You Belong to Me


* Cannonball (from Liberte’ album)


* It Keeps You Runnin'


* Eyes of Silver


* One Step Closer (John McFee vocal)


* World Gone Crazy


* Minute by Minute


* Without You


* Jesus Is Just Alright
 (The Art Reynolds Singers cover)


* What A Fool Believes (Kenny Loggins cover)


* Long Train Runnin'


* China Grove

Encore:

* Black Water


* Still Crazy After All These Years 
(Paul Simon cover) (Instrumental)


* Takin' it to the Streets


* Listen to the Music

Winwood setlist:

* Glad (Traffic song) (First time since 2016)


* Can't Find My Way Home (Blind Faith song)


* Why Can't We Live Together(Timmy Thomas cover) (First time since 2007)


* I'm a Man (The Spencer Davis Group song)


* Forty Thousand Headmen (Traffic song) (First time since 2016)


* Roll With It


* Back in the High Life Again


* Dear Mr. Fantasy (Traffic song)


* Higher Love


* Gimme Some Lovin'

Messina setlist:

*Thinking of You

*Watching the River Run

*House at Pooh Corner

*Danny’s Song

*Mexican Minutes

*Kind Woman

*You Better Think Wwice

*Listen to a Country Song>>Holiday Hotel

*Your Mama Don’t Dance

Intermission

*New and Different Ways

*Loving You Every Minute

*Trilogy: Lovin' Me/To Make a Woman Feel Wanted/Peace of Mind

*Be Free

*Angry Eyes

*Encore: You Need a Man

Besides the usual Pythian ceremonial events and functions, we visited the Virginia Museum of Transportation.  Driving from the hotel and back on Sunday and on the way to Roanoke Monday morning, we passed through and took in the Manassas Civil War battlefield.

Not a bad few days