What's the strangest thing?

[Meters Fan]

Sometimes at shows or festivals bizarre things happen. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you at a show, concert, or festival?

Mine happened at the late, lamented (by many music connoisseurs) SF Blues Festival. Put on by Bay Area DJ Tom Mazzolini, it was well intentioned but at times semi-chaotic and shambolic. It was 2006, a lot of NOLA musicians were booked after the storm. I went specifically to see Betty Harris. ( Betty walked off before her set was done, frustrated by the lack of rehearsals)

I'm standing there watching the music and a woman of a certain age next to me says "Dansh wif me honey". Being the gallant guy that I am, I say "Um sure".

So were dancing and a very short time later, I realize to my horror that she's nodding out. She's on the nod! I didn't enquire, but i have to assume she slipped off to the porta potty and smoked, shot, or snorted something of an opiatic nature and now she's nodding off in my arms. Not exactly what I had in mind for the afternoon.

At the slightest break in the music, I kind of shook her awake with "I'm going for a beer, want one?".

So was I "Mean Man'? Hope so.

Edited

[chopitulas]

I did get pounced on by an usher a few weeks ago at the Bonnie Raitt show at Mahalia Jackson when I used my phone camera to take a couple of pictures. She made me get outta my seat and go into the lobby where she was joined by a police officer. She made me delete the photos off my phone. I thought I wasn't going to get back in but I said it was My Bad and was cooperative and she let me go back in. That was a strange one...

And, truth be told, I wasn't the only one who did that but I think I was the only one rousted in that way.

[duende]

I missed playing that (last?) SF Blues fest with Mark St Mary's zydeco band because I was in Venice on my honeymoon... couldn't really get back for that one.

The weirdest moment in my musical life is hard to pin down, but there was that time at a nearby clothing-optional resort that our rock'n'roll band played at often enough that we did some special events for them as the house band. One was a summer comedy/skit/musical show al fresco and au naturel that featured the nudist community. A guy who resembled Oliver Hardy in BIrkenstocks and only Birk's approached the stage and asked for an instrumental to accompany his instrument - an old-time folk instrument called a cat's paw.... think wooden spoons attached at the non-spoon end and clacked in the most unintentionally funny rhythm to the tune we picked. He hit the cat's paw against his belly and and free hand and was soooooo serious about it we had to push through the urge to fall out and played it straight for him.

[cp_deb]

Gosh, there have been so many (imagine rollin' with Bennyboy for 7 years)...

But I've always been of the mind that what happens at a show stays at the show, particularly when mind altering substances are involved.

IOW I'd tell ya, but I'd have to kill ya.

[chopitulas]

And in a thread drift speaking of Tom Mazzolini, he booked my band Fleshtones a couple of times for the SF Arts Festival in the mid-70's before he started booking the Blues Festival. He liked us. The Arts Festival had bands play in Civic Center Plaza. The 2nd time, I think it was 1977, was one of our best ever gigs as we did our rock opera "Who Killed Rock & Roll?" as well as we ever did. We played right before Queen Ida. It was a great day. Here's a couple of pics.

Civic Center Plaza 1976 4.jpg Civic Center Plaza 1976 2.jpg

[Marignygregg]

Showing up to the release party for the Band's final album, Jubilation at Levin Helms club in the French Quarter expecting a line out the door and finding only a couple people in there. They had hired the midget bouncer from Bourbon Street to work the door who was begging people to come in ...for free !!
We're talking to about one of the most legendary and influential bands of all time !!!!!!! Amy Helm was sitting in. I still can't wrap my head around it. Rick Danko looked absolutely broken.

I try to remind myself of that when Black Laurel has a sparse crowd.