Leon at the Voodoo Lounge

Growing up, I spent my weekdays at my mom's house and weekends at my dad's house. During those weekend days we had developed a bit of a routine. Friday night we almost always played monopoly, ate twizzlers and went to bed late. Saturday morning though was when my education occurred. My father, a product of the '60's has absolutely fantastic taste in music. I grew up spending my Saturday mornings listening to some of the greatest rock bands in the history of the world. Bands like Poco, Crosby Stills and Nash, Neil Young, CSN&Y, The Band, Joe Cocker, The grateful Dead, Loggins and Messina, The Eagles, Yes, The Souther Hillman Furrey band...just to name a few. A few weeks ago I got a call from my step mom mentioning she had a great idea for my dad's birthday present. Leon Russell is coming to town. Would you want to go with your dad if I bought the tickets is what she asked me. "Oh I would have to check my sched_of course I would like to go!"
Well, last Thursday was the night of the show at the voodoo lounge in Harrah's casino (which is actually a great venue). The opening band was Dave Mason whom was a founding member of a little band called Traffic ( also, a phenomenal band). Anyway he rocked the stage for a while and I must say sounded equally as good now (60 years old) as on his old albums.

Then it happened. After Mason's stage crew had retrieved all of there equipment and Leon's had set all of his up...he appeared. A man with about 2 feet of stark white hair hanging from his head and an equal amount from his face. He made his way across the stage with the help of a cane and took his seat behind his piano. The rest of his band made there way on stage and they began to rock. They began playing Hummingbird, and that unmistakable voice of ol' Leon kicked in and still sounds fantastic. He sounded just as he does on all my old albums of his. I stood there like a little kid in awe with a smile on my face the whole time. I must be brutally honest though, he looks like he is about 152 years old. My dad said it best when he said it looks like old Leon died about 10 years ago. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to see a musical icon like Leon Russell rockin on stage in my lifetime.

Throughout the course of my life I have developed quite the affection for food. I love preparing, cooking, smelling, and eating food. I would have to say that My favorite type or genre of food is Italian. I love how simple it is. With such a small palate of ingredients the Italians have a way of creating some of the biggest flavors and diverse dishes. Ever since my stay in Italy I have had this no food will ever taste as good as it did in Italy attitude. The same attitude I have towards coffee, wine, and pretty much everything else. That is until this past weekend. My grandpa came in town to celebrate my dad and my aunt's birthdays. In celebration we decided to go to 40 sardines . Now I must preface the rest of the story with a quick description of my grandpa. He grew up on the Chesapeake bay eating oysters and lobsters. He now lives in Chicago and has enjoyed the culinary delights of the rosebud and other highly respected restaurants. What I am trying to say, he has eatin some really good food and when he puts his seal of approval on it, you know it is good.

Now back to the story. We arrive at 40 sardines and immediately choose a bottle of wine. My family knows the affection I have for the fruit of the vine so they let me choose. I decided to go with a bottle from the 20 wines @ 20 dollars list, the Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon. They have a really fantastic wine list with bottles ranging from 24-350 dollars a bottle. Rather then choosing an expensive bottle I have never tasted, I chose a lesser expensive bottle that I knew was pretty good.

A glass later it came time to order. The special: pan seared scallops with a gruyere potato cake and lightly steamed spinach leaves...I'll take it! But first I would like the house gnocchi. Others ordered things like ahi tuna steaks, Alaskan halibut, roasted chicken, and Parmesan pork sirloin. When the food came, it was just like that scene out of what about bob? All of us where making the mmmmm, oh my, this is de-licious sounds. and eventually dinner turned into everyone passing forks back and forth accompanied by the words, "You have got to try this". Everyone's meals where equally as delicious as mine. The creme brulee I had to top off the delicious meal may have put me over the edge though. Upon returning home I headed straight for the couch to lie down, not raising again for a solid 45 minutes. I was so full that movement of any kind was strictly prohibited. The only other meal I have had that left me as satisfied as this one, a lunch in an Italian town called Piensa. I think of few of you may remember that. I tell you this story for one reason. In hopes that you too will go and experience the fantastic tastes of 40 sardines and when you do, please, tell me what you thought.

Kansas City on the Fly
So for the last week I have been putting in a few extra hours a night at work. While I don't necassarily enjoy putting in the extra time, it does allow me to enjoy some fantastic light on the way home. I have been inspired as of late to shoot some pics of KC while on my drive home, sometimes shooting from my car without so much as even slowing down. Having said that, here are a few of the images I have added to my library.