The final score was Ducks 69- Portland State 0 - another blow-out. The scores will undoubtedly be more balanced once we start the conference games, so we aren't getting over confident. It rained most of the day so by the time we got back to camp we were somewhat waterlogged.
We got our gear dried out just in time to leave for the Willie Nelson concert at the Cuthbert - an outdoor theater here in Eugene. It rained all day again, and though the clouds started to break up in the afternoon they got productive again as we arrived at the amphitheater. Happily shrouded in our ponchos and sipping a micro brew we enjoyed the opportunity to people-watch before the show. Comparing notes later we couldn't decide who was the most interesting - the guy with the all tye-dyed outfit, or the one with the blue beard to match his blue granny glasses, or the lady with waist length dread locks, or..... well, you get the idea. This is Eugene after all! Folks here do dress a bit differenly than in Austin. We saw about three real Cowboy hats, the rest were the drugstore type, but at least they were trying to get in the mood. Toby Keith describes Willie as the "original herbal American", and that's the aspect most folks here identify with.
As show time approached we settled in to our seats, the rain had slowed to a gentle mist, so we weren't getting soaked, and it wasn't especially cold. Judging by the cloud of pot smoke hovering over the crowd there were a lot of people not too concerned about the weather anyway (this is Eugene after all!)
The warm-up act was Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses. When we left Texas Bingham was the talk of the town. Here's the music video of the number they were playing at the time: The Weary Kind (There is an ad first but it's worth the wait, it's the best version online.) The song is the theme from the movie Crazy Heart. Ryan had a large role in the movie, and co-wrote the song with T-bone Burnett. The song won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, so he's definitely a "name" in the business now.... but I got the feeling from the tepid response from the audience that a lot of folks didn't know who he was. I'm sure the rain didn't help the mood either. We haven't listened to a lot of his music, and I have to say that after hearing The Weary Kind so often, the loud rock style of his Dead Horses band wasn't easy to listen to. The music totally drowned out his voice, which is soft and a bit gravely but has some very nice tones. Perhaps as his style evolves he'll learn that "less is more". We could see that with Willie Nelson's band.
Willie and the band put on one heck of a show - singing non-stop for over an hour, sometimes combining multiple favorites into a medley so there's no break at all. He plays lead guitar too, which we never realized. For all the years we've listed to his music, we can't remember ever seeing him on stage. He is a master with the strings, and has very minimal back up otherwise. The band consists of "Little Sister" on the piano, a snare drum, a base guitar, and then there's the harmonica. Willie's harmonica player Mickey Raphael is outstanding - he can push tones out of that small instrument that you'd never imagine. The richness suggests a sax, a flute, an accordion, you can't put your finger on it, but - - - no it's just the harmonica. All the pieces ebb and flow, each has an opportunity to shine in the spotlight, and then when Willie sings, they fade to the background. Quite a contrast to the Dead Horses style that pretty much drowned out Bingham's vocals. We don't have any great photos from the event - that's what happens when you "follow directions". The Cuthbert's guidelines clearly state "no cameras" ... so all we had is a cell phone ... uh.... guess they forgot to tell that to all the folks that were hovering around the stage snaping pics. No prob - to tell the truth, Willie sings great but he isn't that photogenic! He is a great performer however, who appreciates his fans. He tossed several of his famous red bandannas into the audience, briefly wore most of the hats that were tossed on stage, and stayed for a long time after the conclusion of the concert signing people's hats and bandannas, or whatever they handed over to him.
Home base while we're here in Eugene is Armitage Park. This was a day-use county park for years, and our friends who grew up here reminisce about the time the Sheriff chased them out when they tried to stay past dusk when the park closed. Now it's a fully developed area with 37 spacious full-service campsites and other amenities, including a dog park and free wi-fi. Many of the sites are nice and open others have really old trees for shade. It makes for a nice mix. We had friends over for dinner and there was plenty of room for them to park two cars in our space, avoiding the "day use" charge. It's nice to be able to entertain friends even while "on the road".
Fall has arrived in the northwest, and since the park is right on the river it is a fly way for geese as they start to move south. I just love to hear them honky as they fly over, but it means summer is over - too quickly!
We'll be here a couple of days to catch up on some business matters, then wander over to the coast to camp with friends for a few days.
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