THE CURTAIL OF THE TRAIL : PART 2
about mid way through the tour now when we showed up at the box. it was somewhere way outside of frankurt. the rider backstage stunningly uneatable.
something was wrong here.
it all inspired to call the night off.
once the crowd filed in, their sweetness held me to commit.
lonna sounded exceptionally good opening the night. she came and sang our duets together in mid set, but then she didn’t come back on stage for the last song we do. back stage she was buckled over with massive stomach cramps. crying. there was no relief. something was very wrong here.
we called an ambulance. sent the band to wherever the hotel was. rushing out of the venue a waitress stopped me for an autograph. we both stood there stunned for a moment wondering about the imposing impulse of the autograph.
something is very very wrong there.
the hospital was dark. seemed like no one was there. it should have been packed out on a friday night with gang banger victims and misfires, drunk driving mishaps and bar fight stabbings. domestic abuses. rush hour fender benders. but no. no one.
it was lit like it was a fake hospital a set to steal body parts.
after a while it was discovered that lonna was bleeding internally. an operation was called for immediately. we were both shocked. now it was 4 in the morning. she was lucky it was discovered there and not on the road. this way saved her life.
woke up after a few hours sleep. stumbled into breakfast to inform the band. the hospital hours took all night. we had a show in dresden tonight and had to figure out what to do. lonna was alone and scared at the hospital. needed a friend if we were going to press on.
i looked around the room. got a feeling from one of the girls that worked there. ookie from africa. she had something about her.
she agreed to look in on lonna. a perfect stranger is someone who is perfect. ookie was. we headed out to the hospital to check in on lonna before heading out. not many people spoke english there.
the following night we would be close again .. only 2 hours away.
we’d figure something out. don’t worry. rest.
arrived at dresden just before show time, set up in no time.
the show was wonderful, like every note counted and every beat was a treat. former east german cities are my favorite audiences. there is a vibe. a soul.
following night was shorndorf (exactly the opposite of the frankfurt box – a most perfect box – sweet and soulful, aesthetically sound, no excess, laundry machine – acoustic piano in house – the kind of place i would play anytime anyway run by people who can’t help caring about the place like its their own house you are visiting ), and the show was very very good.
on the way there we can finally see the plan to help evacuate lonna.. the doctors have given her the ok to leave that same night. the way things line up, ooki helps her to the train and steve left will be there to fetch her tenderly. we nestled her in for the night and send her on her way home the next morning to her family.
when we hit munich that night, soe from innsbruck shows up to help sing the duets. we are all relieved lonna is ok and headed home and soe very sweet to help out. the band plays very very very well this night. munich has always been great to play these last 25 years.
onward.