BoDeans
2005.10.07 Hemmens Auditorium • Elgin, IL

Sam Llanas, Kurt Neumann, Bukka Allen, Eric Holden, Kenny Aronoff

Friday October 7, 2005
Hemmens Auditorium - Elgin, IL

We arrived just before eight, found our seats, and anxiously awaited the show. You really can't complain with a show like this. Big group of friends, front and center tickets, and a very special friend who road in for the show. He may be vertically inclined, but we still made him feel welcome!

The guys come out to a very receptive crowd, took their positions, and did what they do best...ROCK!
Here's the setlist with my notes:
1. Dreams - I love this as an opener, Kenny takes that beat and just gets everyone going right away.
2. Sylvia - Kurt started out and it only took us about a second to realize and react to what was coming next. We all looked at each other in absolute disbelief with the same "OH MY GOSH!" expressions. And then when I looked back up to the stage you could tell some of the guys were watching (and laughing) at our reactions! I also made special note that Sam did the usual leg stomps that him and Bob used to always do during Sylvia, at least the last time I saw it played live which I believe was about '98.
3. Still The Night
4. Texas Ride Song - Kenny starts off with that incredible beat and a fellow BoDiva says to me "Someone's in a good mood" and points to Sam on the other side of the stage jumping already.
5. Runaway w/Del Shannon intro
6. Fadeaway - Sam plays a few seconds of "Bed's Too Big" before heading back to let Kenny play on his guitar.
7. 617
8. Makes U
10. You Don't Get Much - Kenny is amazing as always. Kurt and Sam meet in the center of the stage facing each other and Sam stands up on his tiptoes trying to be as tall as Kurt. Doesn't work and goes back to his normal strumming stance. Too funny, was half expecting one or both of them to reach over and start strumming the other one's guitar like they had in D.C.
11. Sad Eyes - Sam completely skipped right over the "you rolled a joint, and we passed it around" - guess it may have been because of the venue, but I can't say for sure.
12. Jenny Rae - the sexy to kick-ass, rock out back to sexy version. (love it!)
13. Good Work - included a bit of "Batman" in there. We picked up on that pretty quick and were singing that part loud and clear! At one point Kenny looses a stick and it goes flying backwards about 10 feet in the air, doesn't take him more than half a second to grab a new one and continue right where he left off. Also included the reprise ending....you think it's over, you're standing there clapping and cheering and they go right back into it and do again.
14. Naked
15. Feed The Fire w/ Gimme Shelter, Slow Ride, Love Reign Over Me - was surprised to hear a different song snippet in there, but it sounded fantastic.
16. Closer To Free
---encore--- Sam walks out from behind the stage curtain with an acoustic -my heart skips a beat- then Kurt follows with another acoustic -my heart stops, and it takes a moment to catch my breath because I know exactly what is coming next. We were clearing off the seats and sitting down even before they asked us too!
17. Only Love - TFA - and absolutely breath taking as always!
18. Idaho -
19. Good Things - near the end all the house lights came on and everyone was pointing and waving to those standing and dancing in the balcony. As I wrote in my notes (and later spent a long time trying to decipher what I had scribbled) "Band giving love to the balcony"

Basically the entire night consisted of having a wonderful time, with wonderful people, enjoying wonderful music. And that's really what it's all about for me. The BoDeans Experience at this finest.