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.