Minneapolis, June 22

Upon walking into this venue, there was a man named Cadillac Andy playing a baby grand in the style of boogie woogie along with a drummer.  He was very good.  Rockabilly piano isn’t played enough from where I’m listening.  I felt awkward loading in and setting up while he played on the floor, although he didn’t seem to mind and we had to do it.
There were plenty of dressing rooms for everyone.  I went to the basement, which was reminiscent of hanging out in your neighbor’s basement- musty smell, a dartboard, an old couch, and more dudes than girls. 
The theater is excellent and the sound guy was great.  The seating arrangement, however, made it a bit rough to play to the audience.  There were a few seated near the front but most were sitting on the sides far, far away.  It was like trying to play a proper tennis match with a fellow who’s down the hall, to the left and then take another left. 

 the layout   

   my tennis analogy    

   if the layout were a garden instead of a theater, the audience would fare well as crocuses

The dinner was half-off at this theater.  I ordered the shrimp cocktail and the linguini in clam sauce.  Holy shit was it good.  Better yet, I found an empty loft above the stage where I could eat dinner, drink beer and check the news of the world within a space of time that started after the ZZ Top number up until the Billy Idol finale. This would be my dinnertime window for the rest of the tour.

  ZZ Top’s Keys