A Long-Awaited Concert

OK, folks. Here's a post-performance photo of me with my back-up band. Can you believe the huge crowd that turned out for us??!!

Ha! BIG joke!! That is actually a picture of Rachel and me with the very famous Jake Shimabukuro. My husband, Dave, and I saw him in the late spring and he was just unbelievable. Dave is generally merely tolerant of the types of music you might associate with the uke: acoustic, folk, oldies, even Hawaiian. Let's just say that he's still living in his punk phase! However, he loved Jake so much that he wanted to go again and take Rachel as well. We saw him on September 7 at Herbst Theater in SF.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jake, read on...putting it mildly, this is not your grandfather's ukulele playing! A native Hawaiian playing since he was four, Jake cites George Harrison and Jimmy Page amongst his influences. And it really shows! One can hear aspects of blues and flamenco in his style as well. Jake writes many of his own compositions and brings out never-heard-before effects on the uke. If you don't believe me, just check out his rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on YouTube. I won't say that it rivals the original BUT...During the first couple of songs on the concert, Rachel's jaw was literally hanging open from his electrifying stage presence.

OK, so afterward I just had to get our photo with Jake. He was SO nice to everyone, despite chaotic crowds. We almost missed our chance because right about when it was our turn, he was being called away to the other side of the theater. I begged him for the photo, saying that Rachel needed to get to bed already. After posing for this great shot, he told Rachel to "get some sleep!"


BTW, upon leaving I told Rachel that this must be her first photo with a famous person. Coyly, she turned to me and said that it wasn't so: her first was a month ago with Nick Swisher of the Oakland A's. I totally forgot: Dave got to scoop root beer floats with Nick S. and Marco Scutaro for Root Beer Float Day! What a lucky girl and husband! Dave is quite the baseball player, having gone to a number of fantasy camps and playing with a fantasy league team, all A's, of course! His number one position is pitcher and is fondly known as "Gamer" by his teammates. I'm really proud of him!!