Nov. 1, 1997, Chicago, IL, Chicago B.L.U.E.S. -- We arrived around 8:30, and it was pretty much empty, but by 9:30 it was already packed. After the first set, it took me 10 minutes to negotiate the 70 feet between the stage and the front door. "It packed out." I said deadpan to the door guy. "Thank god!" he replied, referring to the slow night before. From then on, people just kept coming in until there seemed to be literally nowhere to stand, let alone sit, or let alone move. Some legends showed up to check out the band, since Joanna hadn't played in town for almost a year. Big Time Sara bellowed out some original lyrics to a rocked up "Crossroads", and some kid with a leopardskin sax (no kidding) wailed to a funked up jam off of "The Thrill is Gone". That was a crowd pleaser. Got several compliments on the band and my playing. Sammy Fender came up to me and said, "You're one funky motherfucker, dude." A high compliment coming from one of Chicago's funkiest bluesmen. One of Lonnie Brooks' son was there, too, but I can't remember which one. I'm woefully inept in remembering names. I do, however, remember Patti, a very cute 30-something blonde, who was gushing on about my playing. She was with two other men, and one appeared to be a significant other requesting my autograph on Joanna's latest CD, "Big Girl Blues". We swapped niceties about weather and touring. It was a FOUR-SET night, so we started up the last set at 1:45. I was tired and gulping Gatorade and lemons to keep my electrolytes up, as well as cope with the cigar smoke from two persistent fans in the front row. The load out was a bit gruelling, especially loading back in to Joanna's apartment. I fell into bed at 4:20 A.M., only to be awakened at 6:45 by Joanna's sweet, but loud 10-year old, and Darnell's equally sweet and twice as loud two-year old. I'm getting earplugs tomorrow...Why does a musician use earplugs? So he can sleep in in the morning...