it’s been a while since I’ve been to the Ballroom here in Cleveland. This was a charity event for the Human Charity Fund. Good stuff!

Yeah, the place is filled with cool posters and the like.

Hmmm… I wonder what this is all about?

Anyway, while I’m thinking about it, here is our set list from tonight:

Hot Tuna 20, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
The Beachland Ballroom
Cleveland, Ohio
Sunday, July 31, 2011

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Children Of Zion
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. Second Chances
7. 99 Year Blues
8. Mourning Interrupted
9. Rock Me Baby
10. A Little Faster
11. I Know You Rider
12. If This Is Love I Want My Money Back
13. Funky #7
14. Encore: Hit Single #1

Rockin’ always rockin!’

Well… we have an eight hundred drive tomorrow… so it’s back to the hotel and to bed.

I’ve been lying dormant, blog-wise since I got back from Italy. I only had four days at home and I just wanted to enjoy family and the homeplace, which I certainly did. Day before yesterday the bus picked Myron and I up at the Fur Peace Ranch and we set out for Roanoke, Virginia and ultimately Floyd, Virginia and Floydfest. We had been down to Floyd six years ago and it was a great festival then… it’s gotten even better. First of all we did a Hot Tuna set in our acoustic incarnation:

Hot Tuna 18, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Barry Mitterhoff
The Acoustic Set
Floydfest 2011
Floyd, Virginia
Saturday, July 30, 2011

1. Blue Railroad Train
2. Hesitation Blues
3. River Of Time
4. I Am The Light Of This World
5. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
6. I Know You Rider
7. Come Back Baby
8. Vicksburg Stomp
9. Parchman Farm
10. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
11. Just Because

As soon as we finished that, Barry and I headed over to the front porch of the cabin and did a ‘workshop’ with Larry Keel and Virginia Folklorist, Jon Lohman. There was a great young fiddle player with us as well and I regret that I can’t recall his name right now. Anyway, we picked and blabbed and had a great time. Later that evening, the Electric Tuna took the stage:

Hot Tuna 19, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
The Electric Set
Floydfest 2011
Floyd, Virginia
Saturday, July 30, 2011

1. I See The Light
2. Children Of Zion
3. A Little Faster
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Rock Me Baby
9. If This Is Love I Want My Money Back
10. Funky # 7
11. Encore: Hit Single # 1

What a day! We loaded out and drove non-stop to Cleveland where we are now getting ready to load in at the Beachland Ballroom.

Tomorrow we leave for Pensacola… but more about that later when I write about tonight’s gig.

Onward!

Now this is a set of lawn chairs… comfortable too! I need a set of these for the Fur Peace Ranch.

We stayed and this hotel some years ago when Barry and Vanessa and I came together. Across the road, the monastery looked serenely across the valley.

Another outdoor show in perfect Italian summer conditions… Abe Fogle is always ready to play…

Here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 17, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Instituto San Bernadino
Chiari, Italia
Saturday, July 23, 2011

1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. A Little Faster
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Children Of Zion
10. Things That Might Have Been
11. Mourning Interrupted
12. I Know You Rider
13. Funky #7
14. Encore: Hit Single # 1

We had a rockin’ good time… and a great dinner!

Friends, family, food and music! Talk about a perfect world!!! The only thing that could make this more complete is sharing all this with the folks at home… and indeed that is where we are bound today.

We’ll miss moments like this, but after all, there’s no place like home.

Arrivaderci!

Tonight we are at the Instituto San Bernadino… not, not Southern California… Italia.

Last night, however, we were in Faenza and what a time we had in that Medieval courtyard. You just can’t make up scenery like this.

Well, we set up and worked on the sound a little. Barry sure looks comfortable with his Swamp Cat here.

Jack checks out his borrowed rig with unbridled optimism. Fortunately, all worked better than well!

Here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 16, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Strade Blu
Faenza, Italia
Friday, July 22, 2011

1. I See The Light
2. Mama Let Me Lay It On You
3. Children Of Zion
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Ode To Billy Dean
6. Hesitation Blues
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. Mourning Interrupted
9. Rock Me Baby
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Goodbye To The Blues
12. I Know You Rider
13. Funky #7
14. Encore: Hit Single #1

Well of course I must mention the delicious dinner before the show. I’ll miss this restaurant.

After the show, we hit the streets beneath a beautiful night sky… back to the hotel and to bed…

And now here we are in Chiari getting ready for our last show which is tonight… tomorrow early… home.

More after tonight’s show!

Here we are leaving our digs in Palermo on our way to the airport to head north to Roma… The Eternal City. It was another long day, but a good one. We finally got to the hotel for a bit before thd gig.

I mean really, check out the landscaping and lobby action… Italy, I love it!

Here is our set list from tonight:

Hot Tuna 15, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Parco Della Casa Del Jazz
Thursday, July 21, 2011

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Children of Zion
3. Genesis
4. I Wish You Would
5. Ode To Billy Dean
6. A Little Faster
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. I Know You Rider
9. Mourning Interrupted
10. Bowlegged Woman
11. Rock Me Baby
12. 99 Year Blues
13. Funky #7
14. Encore: Hit Single #1

What a great show tonight and we got to see our friend Luciano Viti.

Tomorrow we’re off to Faenza. And now, to bed!

Italy is always so much fun… no question about it. The schedule is hectic, but the people and the beautiful land more than make up for it. Today was so beautiful here in Palermo… it was hotter and more humid in Ohio… fancy that.

I mean really… we ate here two days running. How much better than that does it have to get? In any case, today was our WOMAD gig and I know we were going to love it. That came to pass, of course. We were surrounded by jagged buttes and seventh century ruins. What a setting to play music in.

In any case, here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 14, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Teatro Di Verdura
WOMAD
Palermo, Sicicly
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

1. Been So Long
2. Children Of Zion
3. Talkin’ Bout You
4. Rock Me Baby
5. Second Chances
6. Hesitation Blues
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Funky #7

After our set the Buena Vista Social Club took the stage and what a show they put on. I mean really, we are loving this gig.

Well, day is done and we are leaving early in the morning for Roma so it’s to bed now.

Yeah, it was a hectic trip from New York to Italy, but once there the jet lag seemed to fade. We managed two delicious meals before we arrive at the old harbor for our show.

Jack settled into his borrowed gear and we got ready to rock.

I remember my Mom and Dad and Brother and I sailed from this port in 1956 on the Giulio Cesare… the sister ship to the Andrea Doria, right after the Doria went down. The old port was the old port then… as it is now.

The sun began to go down across the harbor as the Moby ferrys came and went.

The twilight clouds were dramatic, but not ominous… a light show for Bruce Cockburn and Hot Tuna. Bruce’s solo show was fantastic… we took the stage and here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 13, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Arena Del Mare
Genova, Italia
Monday, July 18, 2011

1. I See The Light
2. Goodbye To The Blues
3. I Wish You Would
4. Mourning Interrupted
5. Second Chances
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Death Don’t Have No mercy
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Children Of Zion
10. Hesitation Blues
11. Talkin’ Bout You
12. Funky #7
13. Encore: Hit Single #1

After the show, we hung out with Bruce and some other friends and thoroughly enjoyed the Genova night. It was late… almost 0200 when we got back to the hotel and we had a two hour ride to the airport in Linate early that morning.

Up bright and early… a drive the airport where pandemonium reigned and before you knew it, we were in Palermo… well, by 1600 anyway.

Yep… Sicily, just as charming as I remembered it. A long day, but a lovely dinner at the hotel restaurant and now to bed. Tomorrow, our show at WOMAD

.

Us Fur Peace Ranch Folks were hiding out in Big Indian, New York at the Full Moon Resort for a week. The good news is that there is no cell or data service… the bad news is that there is now cell or data service. Needless to say, all the witty things I had in store for my blog went unsaid. Perhaps I’ll have a moment in Italy over the next week. In any case, David Bromberg and I held forth and taught and on Thursday night, Happy Traum drove up from Woodstock and the three of us got to play together… Now we’re talking! This is one of the many reasons I started to play in the first place… the dialogue.

Anyway, yesterday David and I drove down to the Great South Bay Music Festival and rocked out! David allowed me to sit in with his cast of wonderful characters… always a blessing! Then Hot Tuna hit the stage and this is what we played:

Hot Tuna 12, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Great South Bay Music Festival
Patchogue, New York
Friday, July 15, 2011

1. Been So Long
2. Children Of Zion
3. Death Don’t Have No mrcy
4. I Wish You Would
5. Ode To Billy Dean
6. I See The Light
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Bowlegged Woman
10. Goodbye To The Blues
11. Hit Single #1
12. Encore: Funky # 7

There’s so much more to say and hopefully I will find the time when we get where we’re going… It’s almost time to go…

More from on down the road!

Yes folks, you just can’t beat the Mishawaka Amphitheater for all round coolness… and well, check this view as you look backwards from the stage. This show was our last one on this little electric run and here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 11, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
The Mishawaka Amphitheater
Bellview, Colorado
Saturday, July 2, 2011

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Been So Long
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. A Little Faster
7. Rock Me Baby
8. 99 Year Blues
9. Easy Now Revisited
10. Children Of Zion
11. Talkin’ ‘Bout You
12. Funky # 7
13. Encore: Hit Single #1

I left the Denver area Sunday, flew to Virginia with my son Zach, dropped him off with his Mom and drove home to Pomeroy getting in around 0400.

It truly is all good…

Well, day before yesterday we played the good old Gothic Theater in Englewood, Colorado. This is always a fun venue for us… and I had family there as well… a great night in spite of the Denver traffic. Our set list, please:
Hot Tuna 9, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
The Gothic Theater
Englewood, Colorado
Thursday, June 30, 2011

First Set:
1. I See The Light
2. Been So Long
3. Children Of Zion
4. Second Chances
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. A Little Faster
7. Rock Me Baby
8. Mourning Interrupted
9. Hit Single # 1
Second Set:
1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Smokerise Journey
3. Easy Now Revisited
4. Bowlegged Woman
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. I Wish You Would
7. Ode To Billy Dean
8. 99 Year Blues
9. Funky #7
10. Encore: Baby What You Want Me To Do?

Here we are climbing the mountain as a band to ride the luge… what a scene.. I love this job.

Here is our set list from last night in Steamboat:

Hot Tuna 10, 2011
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Abe Fogle
Howelsen Hill
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Friday, July 1, 2011

1. I See The Light
2. Children Of Zion
3. I Wish You Would
4. Hesitation Blues
5. Goodbye To the Blues
6. A Little Faster
7. Rock Me Baby
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. 99 Year Blues
10. Mourning Interrupted
11. Ode To Billy Dean
12. Funky #7
13. Encore: Hit Single # 1

Onward to the Mishawaka.