Willie and the Soul Man

So Wifey and I drove up to the Broward Center last night to see Willie Nelson. We parked, and entered the theater -- sort of a poor man's Arscht Center. It's nice, but with limited food choices -- we ended up sharing a turkey sandwich perched against a wall. Arscht has a Books and Books cafe...oh well.

Still -- our seats were fine, and unlike Madonna at the Fillmore, we had a pretty good sense the mostly geriatric crown wouldn't be standing for the whole show. A very good opening act came out -- forgot her name -- but she was a lovely voiced country singer, who mentioned she was from Florida about 20 times. Wait -- Cassidy something...

Before she played, as Wifey and I sat, a man sitting next to us recognized me. It was Joe -- from FIU. Joe is my new contact there -- he got us tickets for this weekend's South Beach Wine and Food Fest. We went last year -- to the barbecue event -- hosted by Trisha Yearwood, who is a very successful singer, married to the MOST successful one: Garth Brooks. Trisha is also a barbecue expert -- and looks it. We dug the fact that she is, well, rather zaftig...

Anyway, this year I asked for 4 tickets -- friends Kenny and Joelle wanted to attend. I was given them, but then Kenny recalled they would be in Texas that weekend -- so D2 and Jonathan get to go. We were discussing this with Joe. And he casually mentioned our table would also host some "celebrities."

The first was the lead singer from "In Living Color"  -Corey Glover. I had no idea who he was. And then Joe said the other one. My mouth dropped. This is a guy I had admired since Junior High School.

Back then, I LOVED soul music. I watched "Soul Train" while my friends watched Don Kirschner's "Rock Concert." I wanted to be a soul singer. I wanted to be cooler than the nerdy Jewish kid from Levittown. I wanted to be black. I wanted to be Soul Man.

And, if all goes well Sunday, we will be sitting with...Sam Moore! Of Sam and Dave. The greatest living soul singer in the US. I knew all about him -- his wife is the former Joyce Katz -- his manager, and a Miami Beach Jewess. Sam teaches at FIU Music School. He is a Kennedy Honoree. He is, to me, anyway, a VERY big deal.

Wifey and the Ds were like, Who? My family is a bunch of Philistines when it comes to great American music. They do know Tom Petty, at least, so that's something. But the man who sang "When Something is Wrong with My Baby????"  Good lovin? Sam has truckloads...

Meanwhile, Willie was terrific. He treated "Funny How Time Slips Away" as a spoken poem. He plays the HELL out of his guitar, Trigger. We all sang along to "Good Hearted Woman," and "On the Road Again," and Mac Davis's "Lord It's Hard to Be Humble."

He sang an homage to Hank Williams. He sang his classic, made famous by Patsy Cline, "Crazy." He reminded mamas not to let their babies grow up to be cowboys. And he sang his final wish: "When I die, roll me up and smoke me."

We drove home singing. I hassled Wifey about not knowing Sam Moore -- she promised to learn all about him by Sunday.

I'm already foreseeing Trisha Yearwood, who sings a few songs, inviting Sam up to sing "Chain of Fools" with her. I'll be 3 or 4 vodkas in by then -- Ketel One has a booth right by our table. It may well be a banner day.

In the mean time, tonight is the last of three trips for me North of Miami Dade. Kenny is due here at 6 -- we're off to Anthony's Runway 84 to meet 4 other MacArthur grads. I wonder how many know who Sam Moore is. I know Kenny does...he's no Philistine...