BoDeans
2005.07.09 St. John's Block Party • Rochester, MN

Sam Llanas, Kurt Neumann, Bob Griffin, Bukka Allen, Kenny Aronoff

Saturday July 9, 2005
St. John's Block Party - Rochester, MN
Opener: Martin Zellar & the Hardways

 After having such a wonderful time at Summerfest on friday night, a few of us were lucky enough to do it all over again the following night in Rochester MN. The drive was long, but worth it for the show we got to see. We arrived early, enjoyed the weather, and took our spots up from. People started to fill in by the stage around 6:30ish, just before Martin Zellar and the Hardways took the stage. Once they did, they rocked! They got everyone going, singing and dancing. He did a great cover of Johnny Cash's Burning Ring of Fire not to mention he go the whole crowd going with his song "I Wnna Drive a Zambonie!!" Too much fun!

When it was time for the guys to come out, they walked out not all at once, but one at a time, adding each layer to the music on top of each other. First Kenny came out and set the beat....then Bob came out and then Bukka before Sam and Kurt came out. And each getting much deserved applause to boot!

Funny thing, when Bob saw some of us up in front that had been up in front at Summerfest the night before, he had a look on his face like 'I wasn't expecting to see you here" and said something like, "you're everywhere!" LOL! From that point on, he seemed to be enjoying watching us go crazy up in front almost as much as we were enjoying watching him rock up on stage!

The setlist was almost exactly the same as the night before with the exception of the added encore:
1. Dreams - Sam comment "Beautiful night, beautiful moon, beautiful girls....you know...all that rock stuff"
2. Only Love
3. Still the Night
4. Fadeaway w/Bed's Too Big
5. 617
6. Texas Ride Song - Kurt said "Here in BoDeanland, we call this the Texas Ride Song" .....yeah I think I'm permanently stuck in BoDeanland, Haven't gone back to reality since Dec. 1996 (my first show) But I'm loving it here!
7. You Don't Get Much
8. Trying To Get To You (Elvis) - When they finished, Kurt did a great Elvis high/karate kick. Three great big, high leg kicks that took him halfway across the stage! The look on Bukka's face was a "whoo, watch out!"
9. Runaway with Del Shannon intro
10. Jenny Rae
11. Good Work
12. Naked
13. Feed the Fire w/ Gimme Shelter, Slow Ride, Midnight Hour
14. Closer to Free
---encore---
15. Nobody Love Me
16. Good Things
---encore--- it was the organizers on the sides of the stage that started the usual "One More Song" chant and got the crowd going enough for them to come out for a second encore! And it worked! Once the guys came out Sam said "We'll play two more songs! (cheers) Then I'm going to check myself into the Mayo Clinic (right across the street)
17. True Devotion
18. Idaho

Like Sam said, it was a beautiful night. Surprisingly, it was actually hotter in Rochester than it was way down inside the Marcus the night before, where everyone knows no air moves in there. We were definitely feeling the heat even before the show started. The band played awesome, but they sure looked tired. Can't blame them though, two rocking shows, a long drive in between and an A.M. sound check!

After many years of trying and usually being about two people away, Bob finally came right up in front of me and let me play his bass! Yippee! So much fun! Definitely the highlight of my night!

Like I said, definitely worth the drive. Great show, great crowd that was lovin' the show as much as we were and its always so much fun to be RIGHT against the stage! And can't forget some great friends to travel with, too!