HullabaLOU Day Three: in brief

First off, let me just say that I have the greatest Twitter followers.  Not only did they put up with hundreds of tweets this weekend from HullabaLOU, they laughed with me, they expressed concern for my hydration level, they wondered how many adult beverages I'd consumed (answer: not as many as it may have sounded like).  Thank you so much, kids.  I had a fabulous time, and you people were a big part of it.  Don't know how many people quit my Twitter feed because I "overshared," but I picked up close to fifty new followers.  I hope that translates to new readers for Loueyville.com.  If this is your first time here, welcome!

So, HullabaLOU is done.  And I'm sad.  I always "crash" a little after music festivals-- the post-New Orleans JazzFest blues are the worst, but even though Bonnaroo kicks my little ass every time I go, I'm still so sorry when it's over.  So, I guess this is a good sign right?  I'm going to wake up in the morning and be bummed that I'm not schlepping to Churchill Downs.  If I wake up tomorrow.  Last night I slept eleven hours and woke up feeling like death on a triscuit.  Those 95+ degree days are brutal!

And while today was cooler-- at least according to the numbers-- it didn't feel any less punishing.  But today I was way smarter.  I didn't pull a Joan Osborne show and stay out WAY past my comfort level.

Got to HullabaLOU just in time to see the Black Crowes.  And let me tell you, for the first time at HullabaLOU, I felt like the crowd rivaled NOLA Jazz Fest.  There were people packed shoulder-to-shoulder as far as the eye could see, spilling into the walkways, making it hard to navigate.  And for good reason.  Although they haven't had a hit in a while, the Black Crowes never fail to be completely dynamic and exciting.  Attention Kate Hudson:  You dumped Chris Robinson for an endless parade of asshats?  Really?  Sure, he's kind of funny-looking, but even all brunette-Jesus-y, he is SEXY as all get out!  The man out-Mick Jaggers Mick Jagger.  And the crowd ate them up!  Totally great start to the day for me.  But I nicked out of there as soon as my blood began to boil... I had to save myself for some serious music icons.

Like Loretta Lynn.  Sweet Mother of Gupta, the woman is 76 years old!  You heard me right-- 76!  And she is charming and funny and sings like an angel.  About four songs into her set, they brought out a chair for her, and she delivered the bulk of the rest of the show from her seat, but she smiled radiantly and praised the crowd, her band, and Kentucky the whole time.  Ms. Lynn is twice my age (and then some-- gosh, that's kind of nice to say), and her energy level-- even seated-- bested mind.  The lovely Ms. Lynn can always be counted on for bringing a little fashion crazy to the stage, and she didn't disappoint at HullabaLOU, sporting a red and black vest with floor-length fringe.

I know that there were a lot of hot young things playing at HullabaLOU, but my message to everyone I bumped into was:  "Go see the icons... you never know."  Really, while I enjoyed so many bands at HullabaLOU, my takeaways from the festival will be the shows by Loretta Lynn, Gladys Knight, Al Green... even "younger" dudes like Huey Lewis and...

Dwight Yoakam... Oh boy, I love me some Dwight Yoakam.  And apparently, so do a lot of people.  The Yoakam show was the dancingest crowd I was in, and I swear we were all hypnotized into party-time by his mesmerizing ass.  (sorry, that may be a mojito or two talking)  Around six songs into his set, the power cut out at the Fleur de Lis stage, and the crowd rallied by singing Dwight songs until the power picked up again.  Yoakam played a fantabulous show at the Kentucky State Fair a few years ago, and this show was nearly as good.  Obviously, his band frequents Loretta Lynn's costumers-- while he was in a red jacket, white t-shirt, and jeans, his band all sported spangly matador-style jackets, a couple of them layered above white frilly shirts.

Luckily for us Dwight fans, his set overlapped the planned start time for Dave Matthews, so the crowd thinned considerably for the last few songs.  I was tickled pink and purple to get to sally up closer to the stage and watch the end of the set.  But as soon as Dwight packed it in, I hightailed it back to the Media Center to watch the Dave Matthews Band from on high.  Around an hour and a half into the Dave Matthews set, I declared myself off-duty, stopped tweeting, and just enjoyed it.

And enjoyed it I did.  For the first time for HullabaLOU, when the sun went down, so did the temps, and from the sixth floor balcony, the DMB concert was utterly transcendant.  It was cool, breezy (so much so that if anyone was paying attention, they might have gotten a glimpse of my drawers-- totally had a Marilyn Monroe, sewer grate, moment) and the orange moon was full and huge.

Dave Matthews may indeed be the hardest working man in rock (or whatever you'd call his genre).  I've seen at least 5 DMB shows, and I have NEVER been disappointed.  No me gusta jam bands, but Dave Matthews transcends that appellation.  And his band is nothing short of extraordinary.  Especially his violinist, Boyd Tinsley.  (And, you know, RIP: LeRoi Moore-- you're so missed, dude, but the band is doing you proud).

Gosh, I am going to miss HullabaLOU.  I have so much more to say about the event and individual acts.  So stay tuned to the blog next week.

But you know, it was wicked nice that HullabaLOU recognized this hardworking blogger as official "media."  In an ideal world, I'd get paid for doing what I do.  But I don't.  In fact, I spend a lot of money hosting this website every year.  But getting to do things like HullabaLOU-- and Actors Theater and Broadway Across America and stuff-- is a joy and an honor.

And of course, you, my readers, make me crazy happy.  Thank you!

And now I am going to sleep for three days.