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AMA Notes #5
NASHVILLE. What’s the best thing I’ve seen this week? Folks keep asking me that this morning, as I contemplate whether or not it’ll be worth walking down to the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater, where they’re screening the “Meet Glen Campbell” documentary, with the star of the film on hand. Since this prgram is also open to anyone who buys museum tickets, it should be an overflow crowd. Think I’ll pass and wait out my 4:45 p.m. flight until they kick me out of Panera, where I’ve been using the free wi-fi because the hotel is charging $13 a day to go online.
Let me talk about price gouging for a second. Why do hotels overcharge for everything, like $5 for a bottle of Fuji water in the room and $14 for a cheeseburger and fries from room service? They’re supposed to be in the hospitality business, but then they take advantage of their “captive” clientele.
I was all revved up for Cross Canadian Ragweed last night, having become a fan of the band’s explosive live shows, but the acoustics of Cannery Row muddied up everything. It didn’t help that Jeremy Plato’s bass was making my jeans tremble. It was way too loud. When publicist Heather Bohn saw me and whisked me to the side of the stage to watch, the set sounded much better. The monitor mix was much better than what the crowd was getting.
Right before CC Ragweed (still can’t call them CCR), at the adjoining Mercy Lounge, I happened upon Paul Thorn, the former boxer (he fought Roberto Duran in the ’80s) who packs a roundhouse wallop with his soulful brand of rock. I only caught the last song and the encore, but I’m sold on this son of a Pentecostal preacher, who fired up the packed crowd. The best thing I saw at AMA was the Levon Helm “Ramble at the Ryman” on the opening night, but Thorn was a close second. I intend to be there the next time the Tupelo, Miss. native plays Austin.
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